As the knockout stage looms in Euro 2024, the race for the competition's top goal scorer is heating up. From household names like Mbappe and Ronaldo to lesser-known footballers like Schranz and Mikautadze, we will take a look at who is leading the race for the Golden Boot as well as the most attempts and highlight some of the best goals through group play.
Golden Boot Leaders
There is a five-way tie across the board for the top goal scorer. And, since the leading goal-scorers have just two goals through group play, individual awards like the Golden Boot are still very much anyone’s prize to claim.
Germany's Jamal Musiala and Niclas Füllkrug each finished group play with two goals. Cody Gakpo from the Netherlands scored his second goal in the Dutch's 3-2 loss to Austria. The result is not what the Dutch wanted, but they are still through to the next round despite finishing third in Group D as one of the best third-placed teams. Also with two goals, Slovakia's Ivan Schranz and Georgia's Gerges Mikautadze still have a game at hand to add to their total.
Unlike some tournaments when one player dominated the Golden Boot contention, the door is wide open for someone to find their form and the back of the net to claim the coveted title of top goal scorer at the European Championship. Odds vary from sportsbook to sportsbook, but the consensus has Harry Kane as the favorite to win the Golden Boot award at +600 odds. He is followed by Jamal Musiala (+750), Kylian Mbappé (+900), Kai Kavertz (+1000), Niclas Füllkrug (+1000) and Cristiano Ronaldo (+1100). Check out some popular UK bookmakers and free bets they offer if you want to get in on the action as the race unfolds.
At Euro 2020, it was Portugal's Cristiano Ronaldo who took home the Golden Boot after scoring five goals – tied with Czech Republic striker Patrik Schick – and one assist, which ended up being the tiebreaker. Antoine Griezmann earned the award in 2016 for the host country France, who lost to Portugal 1-0 in the final.
Here’s a look at how the goal breakdown from the past two tournaments and the current one as we get ready for the excitement of the knockout stage:
- EURO 2024: 74 goals scored in 32 matches (so far), for an average of 2.32 goals per match.
- EURO 2020: 142 goals scored in 51 matches, for an average of 2.78 goals per match
- EURO 2016: 133 goals scored in 51 matches, for an average of 2.61 goals per match.
Shots on Target
Kylian Mbappe scored his first-ever Euros goal on a penalty kick in France's draw against Poland to wrap up group play. France's #10 has the most attempts on target (6) and is followed by Germany's Kai Havertz (5), Belgium's Romelu Lukaku (5), Portugal's Cristiano Ronaldo (4) and Netherlands' Cody Gakpo (4). Expect one of these names to make a run for the Golden Boot Award once their shots start finding the back of the net. For more Euro 2024 statistics like these, check out UEFA.com.
Romelu Lukaku, one of the world's most dynamic strikers, has yet to score a goal in the tournament. Well, technically, he has scored three times, but none of the three counted. The Belgian #10 had two of his goals disallowed by VAR (video-assisted referee) in Belgium's stunning 1-0 loss to Slovakia. Then, against Belgium's 2-0 victory over Romania, Lukaku had another goal called back when VAR spotted another offside.
His teammate Jérémy Doku said Lukaku is "scared to celebrate" but remains upbeat. He'll look to get on the board come Wednesday when Belgium takes on Ukraine in a game with plenty to play for. Group E is the most competitive cadre of teams in this year's Euros with each country securing 3 points heading into the all-decisive final day of group play. At the moment, Belgium is second in the group based on goal difference.
Goal of the Tournament (So Far)
Few things capture the excitement of the beautiful game like extraordinary goals. From 'absolute firecrackers' to 'magnificent finishes' and improbable long-range shots, this tournament, like all tournaments, has had it all.
Let's take a look at some of the best goals so far as the knockout stage looms:
- Mert Müldür, Türkiye (vs. Georgia): The Turkish #18 had the Goal of the Round as announced by UEFA in Türkiye's Matchday 1 game against Georgia. The ball was headed seemingly out of harm's way when the young Turk scored an incredible goal off a volley.
- Nicolae Stanciu, Romania (vs. Ukraine): Stanciu scored a wonder goal much to the delight of the raucous Romania fans. He struck the ball from outside the penalty box and watched as it soared into the top left corner, grazing the bottom of the crossbar on the way in.
- Michel Aebischer, Switzerland (vs. Hungary): Aebischer cooly controlled the ball, waited for the defender to close, took a touch to get the ball on his right foot and bent it into the far corner for a delightful goal from long range.
- Arda Güler, Türkiye (vs. Georgia): A young star with a wunder-strike. The 19-year-old Güler scored in his Euros debut, as he brilliantly curled one into the net from distance to give Türkiye a 2-1 lead vs. Georgia.
- Fabián Ruiz, Spain (vs. Croatia): Ruiz controlled the ball at the top of the penalty box and skillfully dribbled past two defenders before blasting a left-footed shot into the right corner of the goal.
Surprisingly, there have been an uncanny number of own goals in this year's tournament. With just one game remaining for two groups before the knockout rounds, there have been 7 own goals. In comparison, there were 11 total own goals in Euro 2020.
With group play set to wrap up over the next couple of days, football fans can hardly wait for the excitement of the knockout stage. While many games ended in a draw during group play, the drama of extra time and penalties is right around the corner as the next chapter of the 2024 UEFA European Championship gets ready to unfold.
