Euro 2024 begins on Friday evening in the latest edition of the European Championship.
Europe’s biggest football nations will compete to be crowned the continent’s champions, and some of the game’s greatest goalscorers are involved.
Ahead of the tournament, we’ve looked at the leading scorers in European Championship history with some of these names looking to add to their hauls at Euro 2024.
The top scorers in European Championship history:
=5. Romelu Lukaku, Patrick Kluivert, Wayne Rooney, Thierry Henry, Nuno Gomes and Zlatan Ibrahimovic (6)
Romelu Lukaku broke the record for goals scored in a European Championship qualification campaign in the build-up to Euro 2024 (14) and the Belgium international is tied fifth for goals scored at the tournament proper. Lukaku is the only current player sat on six goals, in a six-way tie including some stellar names.
Patrick Kluivert won the Golden Boot for the Netherlands at Euro 2000 on home soil, while Wayne Rooney’s exhilarating emergence at Euro 2004 contributed to his haul of six goals.
Thierry Henry, Zlatan Ibrahimovic and Nuno Gomes also scored six goals in the European Championship.
???????? Zlatan Ibrahimoviฤ ????#OTD at EURO 2004, the Swedish star scored ???????????????? goal in Sweden’s 1-1 draw with Italy!
โช @svenskfotboll | @Ibra_official pic.twitter.com/Ut9W3Tyazv
โ UEFA EURO 2024 (@EURO2024) June 18, 2020
Wayne Rooney at Euro 2004: A precocious phenomenon
=3. Antoine Griezmann (7)
Antoine Griezmann will be aiming to add to his haul of seven European Championship goals this summer. The Frenchman has often come alive in major tournaments for Les Blues, including a six-goal showing at Euro 2016 that saw him win the Golden Boot.
Excellent as France won the World Cup in 2018 and again as Didier Deschamps’ side reached the 2022 World Cup final 18 months ago, he has real pedigree in the pressure of tournament football.
EURO 2016 Antoine Griezmann ????#EURO2024 pic.twitter.com/tLzKkTkbQ2
โ UEFA EURO 2024 (@EURO2024) January 16, 2024
=3. Alan Shearer (7)
Alan Shearer’s place in the England side was being questioned in the build-up to Euro ’96. The Geordie goal-machine had won consecutive Golden Boots in the Premier League but a barren run at international level, having not scored in 12 games in the 21 months before the European Championship, saw questions asked.
Terry Venables kept faith with the forward and was rewarded as Shearer scored five goals at Euro ’96. His prolific form, including a devastating double against the Netherlands, saw England reach the semi-finals on home soil.
???????????????????????????? Alan Shearer ????
Alan Shearer & Teddy Sheringham scored two each in England’s 4-1 win over the Netherlands at EURO 1996 #OTD!@England | @alanshearer pic.twitter.com/luR2W1cd2U
โ UEFA EURO 2024 (@EURO2024) June 18, 2020
Shearer also scored twice at Euro 2000 before retiring from international football after the tournament.
2. Michel Platini (9)
Michel Platini is the second-highest scorer in European Championship history, with nine goals. Incredibly, Platini’s entire haul came in just one tournament during a record-breaking Euro ’84 for France.
The midfielder scored nine goals in just five games, including the winner against Denmark and consecutive hat-tricks against Belgium and Yugoslavia in the group stage.
In the knockout rounds, his 119th-minute winner edged the French past Portugal in extra-time, before Platini opened the scoring in the final win over Spain.
Success for Les Bleus on home soil โ and their first major international title. Platini’s performances rank as arguably the greatest individual Euros campaign of all time.
1. Cristiano Ronaldo (14)
Cristiano Ronaldo is far and away the leading scorer in European Championship history, having scored 14 times across five tournaments.
Ronaldo is the only player to have played – and scored – in five editions of the tournament and won the Golden Boot at his most recent appearance, at Euro 2020.
The Portugal captain remains a part of the squad for this summer’s challenge, where he will hope to extend and improve a whole host of European Championship records.
???????? 130 international goals for Cristiano Ronaldo ????#EURO2024 pic.twitter.com/bJIIBg4sKc
โ UEFA EURO 2024 (@EURO2024) June 11, 2024
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