Euro 2020 Top Goal Scorers & Potential Golden Boot Winner
The European Championship international tournament of 2021 (Euro 2020) has nearly concluded; both Italy and England have battled their way into the finals and will collide for the coveted trophy this Sunday afternoon. Now the dust is close to settling, and we have a better view of which players will end as the competition top goal scorers. In addition, the golden boot will be awarded to the player who scores the most goals.
The Euro 2020 Golden Boot
The Golden Boot award is handed to the player who scores the most goals in the tournament. If multiple players finish with the same number of goals, the player with the most assists will take the trophy. If goals and assists become equal, the player with the lowest minutes of play will break the tie and collect the award.
Like the World Cup Golden Boot – own goals aren’t included, and neither are penalties scored in penalty shoot-outs; however, penalties in normal or extra-time will count.
The European Championship has awarded the Golden Boot, Silver, and bronze boots since 2012. Silver and Bronze are handed to the players in 2nd and 3rd. Since 2012, Fernando Torres and Antoine Griezmann have been successful in winning the boot.
This year’s pre-tournament favourites at Intertops were Harry Kane and Ciro Immobile. Both men so happen to be heading to the finals, but the likelihood of Immobile matching the current 5-goal lead would take a hat trick against England in the final. However, England’s Harry Kane is one goal and one assist short of claiming the top spot.
Ronaldo & Schick Lead the Pack
The race for this year’s Golden Boot award is still very alive; Europe’s most talented strikers have competed for the top individual title.
Capturing the European Championship outright gifts the team with continental glory, but the opportunity for star strikers to battle it out for individual honours is the 2nd best to owning the Euro trophy.
Cristiano Ronaldo of Portugal (5 goals, one assist) and Patrik Schick (5 goals) of the Czech Republic are currently topping the goal scoring charts. Unfortunately for both players, their teams have already been eliminated from the tournament, and now England or Italy top goal scorers have the opportunity to claim the bragging rights should they provide goals during the final.
Ronaldo has not only topped the list but he’s also broken multiple milestones in the process.
French legend Michel Platini held the previous record of nine goals scored at the European Championships. That was until Ronaldo netted a penalty versus Hungary to achieve his 11th goal in stoppage time.
In addition, Ronaldo became the oldest player to score for Portugal at a major tournament (aged 36). He also topped Andriy Schevchenko’s record by being the oldest player to score at least two goals in a European Championship match.
And although the record wasn’t officially broken, he tied the all-time international goal scoring record (109 goals tied with Ali Daei). Sadly, Belgium eliminated Portugal during the final-16.
With Ronaldo absent from the tournament, Patrik Schick landed his fifth goal to give the Czech Republic hope during their quarter-final tie. Still, Denmark fought hard to claim victory leaving Schick as a potential Silver Boot winner.
Harry Kane, Raheem Sterling & Ciro Immobile
With the top goal-scoring charts pretty much finalised, the realistic outcome for any players remaining to claim the Golden Boot lay with England’s own Harry Kane (4) and Raheem Sterling (3), with Italy’s Ciro Immobile on two goals and two assists its certainly possible, but the less likely of the three.
England and Manchester City star striker Raheem Sterling could manage two goals versus Italy; he was a top contender for the prestigious award and owns the crucial one assist that could match Ronaldo’s current record should he succeed. With that said, it’s been rare for a player to score two goals during the same game, so all eyes are on Harry Kane.
England and Tottenham striker Harry Kane was the France World Cup 2018 Golden Boot winner and could very well take home the Euro 2020 Golden Boot with one goal and one assist or two goals.
Kane might be kicking himself after failing to score during the Euro 2020 group stage; all four of his current goals came in the Round of 16 and beyond. His work will be cut out; the Italians have shown a determined ability to keep the ball away from their netting as one of the strongest defensive sides in the tournament.