The top goalscorer chase at the Euro 2021 finals is expected to be every bit as interesting as the title hunt, and while only a handful of teams are expected to mount a serious challenge for the coveted trophy, a couple dozen high-profile footballers harbour hopes of winning the European Championship Golden Boot.
Cristiano Ronaldo
Real Madrid superstar Cristiano Ronaldo leads the betting at the moment, which is not that surprising given his amazing goalscoring record, and it is important to note that he now acts as a centre-forward in the Portugal national team, playing alongside another winger Nani. Considering that the Selecao have looked very good under Fernando Santos and that they could go far at the Euros, Ronaldo does stand a decent chance of leading the goalscoring charts.
Thomas Muller
Despite the fact that he has yet to register his first goal at the European Championship finals, Thomas Muller is seen as a serious contender, with the Germany hotshot having won the Golden Boot and Silver Boot at 2010 World Cup and 2014 World Cup respectively. The fact of the matter is that Joachim Low still has doubts over whether to use Mario Gotze or Mario Gomez as his centre forward, meaning Thomas Muller is likely to be Germany’s top goalscorer. Bear in mind he scored 9 goals in as many Euro 2021 qualifiers.
Antoine Griezmann
Similar to his Germany counterpart, Didier Deschamps faces a selection headache up front given the fact that Karim Benzema is banned, while neither Olivier Giroud nor Andre-Pierre Gignac has done enough to cement a starting berth, but he does have a forward in red-hot form. We are obviously talking about Antoine Griezmann, who has been simply outstanding since joining Atletico Madrid, and he is slowly emerging as a key member of the France national team. We have already predicted that Les Bleus will win the trophy on home soil, meaning Griezmann should be a serious contender for the top goalscorer award.
Harry Kane
The Premier League top goalscorer is on the road to become a true England star, and he appears to have taken to international football like duck to water. Harry Kane is now a world-class striker, who is keen to impress playing for his country and we definitely expect him to score quite a few goals at the tournament finals. His record will depend on England’s progress in France, and since the Three Lions do not seem to be good enough to reach the final stages, the Spurs hotshot is unlikely to add another Golden Boot title to his trophy cabinet.
Robert Lewandowski
Robert Lewandowski has been one of Europe’s in-form strikers for several years now, and the controversial switch to Bayern Munich certainly helped the forward further raise his profile. The 27-year-old scored amazing 13 goals in 10 qualifiers for Poland and he is expected to be team’s best player in France, but with the White Eagles placed in a pretty strong group, Lewandowski will not get too many opportunities to prove his goalscoring skills.
Zlatan Ibrahimovic
Even if he is nowhere near the top 5 contenders if we trust online bookmakers, the PSG superstar is likely to be heavily backed this summer. The 38 goals scored in 31 league games this term are enough to suggest that his 34 years are just a number, and another 11 strikes in 10 Euro 2021 qualifiers prove he has impressed playing for the national team as well. If Sweden were one of the title contenders, Ibrahimovic would probably be your best choice for the top goalscorer trophy, but even though that is not the case, he definitely offers good value for money.
Considering that they are expected to start at centre forward for their respective sides, the likes of Olivier Giroud, Alvaro Morata and Romelu Lukaku may be there or thereabouts come July 10th, while Eden Hazard, Anthony Martial, Marco Reus and Jamie Vardy should attract plenty of bets as well.
Prediction
When we search for the player most likely to win the Euro 2021 Golden Boot, we have to take into account his goalscoring skills, current form and international record, but also his team’s chances of reaching the final stages, as we rarely see the award go to the footballer whose side crashed out in the group stage. We honestly believe that France and Germany have the best chance of lifting the coveted trophy, but with neither team boasting an in-form centre forward, chances are that one of Antoine Griezmann and Thomas Muller will finish as top goalscorer. With the Frenchman in better form at the moment and usually playing closer to the opposition goal, we are backing the Atletico Madrid star to impress in his maiden European Championship appearance.
Euro 2021 Top Goalscorer Betting Odds
Cristiano Ronaldo 9.0 (8/1) @Ladbrokes
Thomas Muller 9.0 (8/1) @Betfair
Antoine Griezmann 11.0 (10/1) @BetVictor
Harry Kane 17.0 (16/1) @WilliamHill
Robert Lewandowski 17.0 @WilliamHill
Olivier Giroud 21.0 (20/1) @bet365
Romelu Lukaku 21.0 (20/1) @WilliamHill
Alvaro Morata 21.0 (20/1) @Ladbrokes
Anthony Martial 26.0 (25/1) @WilliamHill
Zlatan Ibrahimovic 34.0 (33/1) @bet365
Marco Reus 34.0 (33/1) @Ladbrokes
Jamie Vardy 51.0 (50/1) @Coral
Eden Hazard 51.0 (50/1) @BetVictor
Gareth Bale 67.0 (66/1) @Coral