TOP GOALSCORER

The top scorer market is one of the most popular for bettors ahead of the European Championships. The task is simple – pick out the player who will score the most goals.

It’s one of the most coveted titles on an individual level. Some great names have claimed this title over the years, including Cristiano Ronaldo (five goals in 2020), Antoine Griezmann (six in 2016) and Michel Platini (nine in 1984).

That's not to say there haven't been some surprising names to have found their scoring boots. For example, Patrick Schick shared the top scorer rank with Ronaldo at Euro 2020 with five goals, while Milan Baroš also scored five goals for the Czech Republic in 2004 to top the charts.

Below, we have explored some of the possibilities and picked out some runners and riders. There are some short-priced favourites but we have also looked at the longer odds too.

Standings

Odds and Favourites In a pre-tournament friendly against Luxembourg, Kylian Mbappe 9/2 was moved to the number nine position in a switch-up from his usual position out on the left. If he plays centre forward at the finals, it might boost his chances of topping the scoring ranks – not that they need much boosting after his World Cup Golden Boot in 2022.

He also scored 35 goals for Paris Saint-Germain in a campaign where he was in and out of the team after news broke of his intention to leave the club in the summer. The previous year, he broke a 66-year-old scoring record in France, registering 54 goals for club and country to surpass the mark set by the legendary Just Fontaine.

Indeed, since making his debut for France in 2017 at the age of 18, Mbappe has scored 46 goals in 77 French caps – better than one goal per game. Remarkably, though, he is goalless in four European Championship appearances for Les Bleus.

Bayern Munich forward Harry Kane 11/2 has enjoyed a prolific season, topping the scoring charts in the Bundesliga while breaking records along the way. His 44 goals in 45 games included several firsts; no player managed more goals through 10 Bundesliga games than Kane (15) and no player scored more hat-tricks (four).

He is already England’s all-time record goalscorer going into this summer’s tournament. Simply put, he is a goal machine and justifiably one of the favourites.

A man that needs no introduction is 39-year-old Cristiano Ronaldo at 12/1. Despite his age he remains a frontrunner to finish top of the scoring ranks once more at a tournament in which he is already the leading goalscorer of all time.

The five-time Ballon d’Or winner has scored 14 goals at the European Championships, more than any other player, while no male player has bagged more international goals than he has (128).

Ronaldo is likely to be a starter for Roberto Martinez’s Portugal side. He takes penalties. He takes free-kicks. He has the creative talents of Bruno Fernandes, Bernardo Silva and Joao Felix behind him. There seems no reason why he cannot be in the running for the Golden Boot once again

There are some longer odds available, too, and these players might be worth a second glance.

While 2024 has been a frustrating one for Borussia Dortmund’s Niclas Fullkrug (33/1) he seems like a big price to top the scoring rankings come the end of the tournament. Last year, he managed seven goals in nine appearances of which only six were starts. He is a constant threat and tough to rule out completely.

Elsewhere, it was a stop-start domestic season in the Premier League for Rasmus Hojlund (40/1) but Denmark will fancy their chances of advancing from Group C. England will be tough opponents but have weaknesses in the backline while Serbia and Slovenia rearguards could prove profitable pickings for the Manchester United frontman. If he’s to have a chance, it’s likely he needs to do the bulk of his scoring in the group stage.

Lastly, England forward Bukayo Saka is available at 50/1. The Arsenal winger isn’t known as a prolific scorer but he’s been in the goals for the Three Lions in 2024 with four in six starts. Is 50/1 a touch too high?

Odds and player information correct at time of publication but subject to change