Euro 2024 Golden Boot: 8 potential contenders to watch out for in Germany

The Euro 2024 Golden Boot is going to be hotly contested, as some of Europe’s most deadly strikers will be on show in Germany this summer

With 24 teams battling it out for the prize of being crowned Europe’s best, Euro 2024 is set to begin on July 17 and will run for a month in what is expected to be a fiercely competitive tournament.

Cristiano Ronaldo was the last recipient of the Golden Boot at Euro 2020. Will the 39-year-old do so again? FourFourTwo looks at seven other candidates who could rival one of the greatest of all time…

Euro 2024 Golden Boot contenders: 1. Harry Kane (England)

England captain Harry Kane missed out on the award at Euro 2020 and will be vowing for redemption. (Image credit: Getty Images)Club: Bayern Munich

Age: 30

Still banging them in at a stuttering Bayern Munich, Harry will relish another chance to bolster his famously tumbleweedy trophy cabinet… which does boast a World Cup Golden Boot, lest we forget.

While most of his England team-mates have flogged it through the winter, a proper mid-season break in the Bundesliga might help him stay club-sharp for the whole tournament, touch wood.

2. Kylian Mbappe (France)

France forward Kylian Mbappe looks likely to join Real Madrid later this year. Will that serve as a potential distraction? (Image credit: Alex Gottschalk/DeFodi Images via Getty Images)Club: PSG

Age: 25

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The Madrid-bound Mbappe might be a bit preoccupied this summer, then – he looked flat as France flopped three years ago and missed the crucial shoot-out spot-kick against Switzerland, so is due a decent Euros. A golden boot should banish any lingering angst.

3. Cristiano Ronaldo (Portugal)

At 39, will this be the last time we see CR7 at a major international tournament? (Image credit: Getty Images)Club: Al Nassr

Age: 39

Unlike Jordan Henderson (in so many ways), CR7 was pretty confident about keeping his Euros place despite now plying his trade in the contentious petrodollar premier: 10 goals in qualifying certainly backed that up. Portugal got a sweet group draw too, but manager Roberto Martinez does like to rotate mid-tournament, potentially limiting the pouting icon’s top-spot chances.

Start your strop-watch now.

4. Romelu Lukaku (Belgium)

Romelu Lukaku has been in fine form for Roma in Serie A this season. (Image credit: Laurence Griffiths/Getty Images)Club: Roma

Age: 30

Now a semi-veteran but still unsure where he’ll be playing from one season to the next, Lukaku could really do with a good tournament to boost his options, longer-term. Hardly a busted flush, he top-scored in qualifying with a mighty 14 and has been in rip-roaring form for Roma in the Europa League.

But can Belgium’s creaky engine room keep cranking out the chances?

5. Antoine Griezmann (France)

Antoine Griezmann was one of the standout players at the 2022 World Cup in Qatar. (Image credit: Getty)Club: Atletico Madrid

Age: 33

He top-scored on home turf at Euro 2016 but Griezmann has morphed into more of a pop-up-anywhere playmaking assist merchant since Mbappe’s emergence; a flaxen-haired Peter Beardsley, internationally at least.

At club level he’s back basking in the main-man glow, recently breaking Atletico Madrid’s all-time goalscoring record and on fine striking form this season, particularly in the Champions League; so either way, expect ‘involvements’.

6. Alvaro Morata (Spain)

Alvaro Morata has also enjoyed a fruitful campaign with Atletico Madrid in Spain. (Image credit: David S. Bustamante/Soccrates/Getty Images)Club: Atletico Madrid

Age: 31

Another inmate at the Atletico Madrid home for discarded superstar strikers, Morata often looks mildly haunted by a stop-start career but he’s the not-false nine Spain need nowadays, in these post-tiki-taka times.

Italy and Croatia won’t offer much change at the group stage but he’ll probably score four against Albania and lead the Golden Boot list almost by accident. A decent outside punt.

7. Rasmus Hojlund (Denmark)

Manchester United and Denmark frontman Rasmus Hojlund has enjoyed a glittering start to life in the Premier League. (Image credit: Getty)Club: Manchester United

Age: 21

This could be quite the end-of-season redemption story, given that Hojlund apparently represented everything wrong with Manchester United’s post-Fergie recruitment, pre-Christmas.

Even then he was racking up goals in Europe, for club and country, and Denmark meet-ups must have felt particularly hygge compared to the turmoil at Old Trafford. Expect him to have a lovely time at the Euros: especially that England game.

8. Scott McTominay – Scotland

Manchester United have heavily relied on Scott McTominay’s goalscoring exploits at time under Erik ten Hag. (Image credit: Adidas)Club: Manchester United

Age: 27

A healthy-odds each-way rank-outsider, McTominay scored a magnificent seven in qualifying, more than Erling Haaland, Robert Lewandowski, even Oli McBurnie.

Manchester United’s cowboy-jawed midfielder is always a good bet for last goalscorer with that never-say-die spirit, and he’ll be the go-to guy if Scotland need a late goal, which let’s face it, they almost certainly will. Maybe he’s just fitter than everyone else.

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