UEFA European Championship top goalscorers

Men's UEFA European Championship top goalscorers From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

A total of 946 goals have been scored in games at the men's 17 final tournaments of the UEFA European Championship, not counting penalties scored during shoot-outs.[1] Since the first goal scored by Yugoslav player Milan Galić at the 1960 European Nations' Cup, exactly 545 footballers have scored goals at the Euro tournaments,[2] of whom 39 have scored four or more.

Cristiano Ronaldo is UEFA European Championship top scorer with 14 goals.

Since in the beginning tournaments were contested between four teams and only two games were played, top goalscorers of the first three editions have scored only two goals.[3] This was bettered in 1972, when West Germany's Gerd Müller scored four goals. Four years later this was matched by his compatriot Dieter Müller and finally in 1984 France's Michel Platini have scored record 9 goals in just 5 games.[4] His record stood for more than three decades until Cristiano Ronaldo scored his 10th goal for Portugal at the UEFA Euro 2020.[5] He has later improved his tally and stands at 14 goals in 30 appearances at the European Championship tournaments — also record.[6] The top 39 goalscorers have represented 15 nations, with 7 players scoring for Germany or West Germany, 5 for France, and 4 for Netherlands. In total, only 6 of them have scored at tournaments with maximum of 8 teams (prior to UEFA Euro 1996).

More information Goals, ≥10 ...
Numbers of goalscorers[2]
Goals≥10987654321Total
Nos. of players 1104981650101355545
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Platini holds the record for the most goals scored in a single tournament, with 9 goals in 1984.[7] The players that came closest were Antoine Griezmann in 2016 (with 6 goals) and Marco van Basten in 1988, Alan Shearer in 1996, Savo Milošević and Patrick Kluivert in 2000, Milan Baroš in 2004, and Ronaldo and Patrik Schick in 2020 (all with 5 goals). Across the 17 tournaments of the Euro, 37 players have been credited with the most tournament goals, with Ronaldo the only one to achieve this feat twice (in 2012 and 2020). Twelve of them scored at least four goals in a tournament, while Portugal's Nuno Gomes (2000), England's Wayne Rooney, Netherlands' Ruud van Nistelrooy (both in 2004), Belgium's Romelu Lukaku, England's Harry Kane, France's Karim Benzema and Sweden's Emil Forsberg (all in 2020) are the only footballers to score at least 4 goals without being the top goalscorer. These 37 players represented 16 nations, the most (six) Germany or West Germany. Four played for Yugoslavia, the Netherlands and Spain.

Of all the players who have played in the UEFA European Championship tournaments, only three have achieved an average of two goals per game played: Hungary's Dezső Novák and West Germany's: Gerd Müller and Dieter Müller — although Novák have appeared in only one Euro game.

Overall top goalscorers

Table key
Player Denotes player still active at international level
Denotes national top scorer (or joint top scorer) at the Euro
[ ] Denotes tournaments where the player was part of the squad, but did not play in a match
( ) Denotes tournaments where the player played in a match, but did not score a goal
Year Denotes tournaments where the player's team won the title
T Denotes tournaments where the player was top scorer
More information Rank, Player ...
Top goalscorers at UEFA Euro tournaments[1][8]
Rank Player Team Goals
scored
Matches
played
Ratio Tournaments Notes
1 Cristiano Ronaldo  Portugal 14 30 0.47 2004, 2008, 2012T, 2016, 2020T, (2024) list
2 Michel Platini  France 9 5 1.80 1984T list
3 Alan Shearer  England 7 9 0.78 (1992), 1996T, 2000 list
Antoine Griezmann  France 17 0.41 2016T, 2020, (2024) list
Álvaro Morata  Spain 17 0.41 2016, 2020, 2024 list
Harry Kane  England 18 0.39 (2016), 2020, 2024T list
7 Patrik Schick  Czech Republic 6 7 0.86 2020T, 2024 list
Ruud van Nistelrooy  Netherlands 8 0.75 2004, 2008 list
Patrick Kluivert  Netherlands 9 0.67 1996, 2000T, [2004] list
Wayne Rooney  England 10 0.60 2004, 2012, 2016 list
Thierry Henry  France 11 0.55 2000, 2004, 2008 list
Zlatan Ibrahimović  Sweden 13 0.46 2004, 2008, 2012, (2016) list
Robert Lewandowski  Poland 13 0.46 2012, 2016, 2020, 2024 list
Nuno Gomes  Portugal 14 0.43 2000, 2004, 2008 list
Romelu Lukaku  Belgium 14 0.43 2016, 2020, (2024) list
16 Savo Milošević  FR Yugoslavia 5 4 1.25 2000T list
Marco van Basten  Netherlands 9 0.56 1988T, (1992) list
Milan Baroš  Czech Republic 10 0.50 2004T, (2008), (2012) list
Xherdan Shaqiri   Switzerland 11 0.45 2016, 2020, 2024 list
Mario Gómez  Germany 13 0.38 (2008), 2012T, 2016 list
Jürgen Klinsmann  Germany[a] 13 0.38 1988, 1992, 1996 list
Fernando Torres  Spain 13 0.38 (2004), 2008, 2012T list
Zinedine Zidane  France 14 0.36 (1996), 2000, 2004 list
24 Dieter Müller  West Germany 4 2 2.00 1976T list
Gerd Müller  West Germany 2 2.00 1972T list
David Villa  Spain 4 1.00 2008T list
Dragan Džajić  Yugoslavia 5 0.80 1968T, 1976 list
Emil Forsberg  Sweden 7 0.57 (2016), 2020 list
Roman Pavlyuchenko  Russia 8 0.50 2008, 2012 list
Rudi Völler  West Germany[b] 8 0.50 1984, 1988, (1992) list
Angelos Charisteas  Greece 9 0.44 2004, 2008 list
Kai Havertz  Germany 9 0.44 2020, 2024 list
Karim Benzema  France 10 0.40 (2008), (2012), 2020 list
Henrik Larsson  Sweden 10 0.40 2000, 2004, (2008) list
Vladimír Šmicer  Czech Republic 11 0.36 1996, 2000, 2004 list
Lukas Podolski  Germany 12 0.33 (2004), 2008, 2012, (2016) list
Dennis Bergkamp  Netherlands 13 0.31 1992, 1996, (2000) list
Ivan Perišić  Croatia 13 0.31 (2012), 2016, 2020, (2024) list
Luka Modrić  Croatia 16 0.25 2008, (2012), 2016, 2020, 2024 list
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Timeline

More information Key ...
Key
Goal set a new record
Goal equalled the existing record
Close
More information Goals, Date ...
Progressive list of footballers that have held the record for most goals scored at UEFA European Championship final tournaments
Goals Date Player Team Goal Opponent Score Tournament & Stage Previous goals Ref.
1 6 July 1960 Milan Galić  Yugoslavia 1–0 France 5–4 1960, France
Semi-finals
N/A [9]
Jean Vincent  France 1–1 Yugoslavia 4–5
François Heutte 2–1
Maryan Wisniewski 3–1
Ante Žanetić  Yugoslavia 2–3 France 5–4
2 François Heutte  France 4–2 Yugoslavia 4–5
Dražan Jerković  Yugoslavia 5–4 France 5–4
  • 1960 vs France
Valentin Ivanov  Soviet Union 2–0 Czechoslovakia 3–0
  • 1960 vs Czechoslovakia
[10]
10 July 1960 Milan Galić  Yugoslavia 1–0 Soviet Union 1–2 1960, France
Final
  • 1960 vs France
[11]
Viktor Ponedelnik  Soviet Union 2–1 Yugoslavia 2–1
  • 1960 vs Czechoslovakia
3 17 June 1964 2–0 Denmark 3–0 1964, Spain
Semi-finals
  • 1960 vs Czechoslovakia, Yugoslavia
[12]
Valentin Ivanov 3–0
  • 1960 vs Czechoslovakia (2)
18 June 1972 Gerd Müller  West Germany 1–0 Soviet Union 3–0 1972, Belgium
Final
[13]
4 3–0
19 June 1976 Dragan Džajić  Yugoslavia 2–2 Netherlands 2–3 1976, Yugoslavia
3rd place play-off
[14]
20 June 1976 Dieter Müller  West Germany 1–2 Czechoslovakia 2–2aet 1976, Yugoslavia
Final
[15]
16 June 1984 Michel Platini  France 5–0 Belgium 5–0 1984, France
Group stage
[16]
5 19 June 1984 1–1 Yugoslavia 3–2 [17]
6 2–1
7 3–1
8 23 June 1984 3–2 Portugal 3–2 1984, France
Semi-finals
[18]
9 27 June 1984 1–0 Spain 2–0 1984, France
Final
[19]
6 July 2016 Cristiano Ronaldo  Portugal 1–0 Wales 2–0 2016, France
Semi-finals
[20]
10 15 June 2021 2–0 Hungary 3–0 2020, Europe
Group stage
[21]
11 3–0
12 19 June 2021 1–0 Germany 2–4 [22]
13 23 June 2021 1–0 France 2–2 [23]
14 2–2
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Top goalscorers for each tournament

Since 2008, if there is more than one player with the same number of goals, the tie-breaker goes to the player who has contributed the most assists. If there is still more than one player, the tie-breaker goes to the player who has played the least amount of time.[3] Between the years 1960 and 2008, the Golden Boot award went to each of the top goalscorers of the UEFA European Championship tournaments. At Euro 2020, there was a new physical and digital trophy presented to the tournament's top scorer. It was commissioned by Alipay, the Chinese company sponsoring the award. "Sculpted in the shape of the Chinese character '支' (pronounced zhi, and meaning 'payment' as well as 'support'), the barefooted player on the trophy reflects the egalitarian footballing ideal that success on the pitch comes regardless of background or status," according to UEFA.[24]

More information Edition, Player ...
Top goalscorers at each UEFA European Championship final tournament[3][25]
Edition Player Team Goals
scored
Matches
played
Golden
Boot
Other UEFA
Awards
1960 France François Heutte  France 2 2 Yes
Valentin Ivanov  Soviet Union Yes Team of the Tournament
Viktor Ponedelnik  Soviet Union Yes Team of the Tournament
Dražan Jerković  Yugoslavia Yes
Milan Galić  Yugoslavia Yes Team of the Tournament
1964 Spain Ferenc Bene  Hungary 2 2 Yes Team of the Tournament
Dezső Novák  Hungary 1 Yes
Chus Pereda  Spain 2 Yes Team of the Tournament
1968 Italy Dragan Džajić  Yugoslavia 2 3 Yes Team of the Tournament
1972 Belgium Gerd Müller  West Germany 4 2 Yes Team of the Tournament
1976 Yugoslavia Dieter Müller  West Germany 4 2 Yes Team of the Tournament
1980 Italy Klaus Allofs  West Germany 3 3 Yes
1984 France Michel Platini  France 9 5 Yes Player of the Tournament
Team of the Tournament
1988 West Germany Marco van Basten  Netherlands 5 5 Yes Player of the Tournament
Team of the Tournament
1992 Sweden Henrik Larsen  Denmark 3 4 Yes
Karl-Heinz Riedle  Germany 5 Yes
Dennis Bergkamp  Netherlands 4 Yes Team of the Tournament
Tomas Brolin  Sweden 4 Yes
1996 England Alan Shearer  England 5 5 Yes Team of the Tournament
2000 Belgium/Netherlands Patrick Kluivert  Netherlands 5 5 Yes Team of the Tournament
Savo Milošević  FR Yugoslavia 4 Yes Team of the Tournament
2004 Portugal Milan Baroš  Czech Republic 5 5 Yes Team of the Tournament
2008 Austria/Switzerland David Villa  Spain 4 4 Yes Team of the Tournament
2012 Poland/Ukraine Mario Mandžukić  Croatia 3 3 No
Mario Gómez  Germany 5 No Silver Boot
Mario Balotelli  Italy 5 No Team of the Tournament
Cristiano Ronaldo  Portugal 5 No Team of the Tournament
Alan Dzagoev  Russia 3 No Bronze Boot
Fernando Torres  Spain 5 Yes
2016 France Antoine Griezmann  France 6 7 Yes Player of the Tournament
Team of the Tournament
2020 Europe Patrik Schick  Czech Republic 5 5 No Silver Boot
Cristiano Ronaldo  Portugal 4 Yes
2024 Germany Harry Kane  England 3 7 Yes
Georges Mikautadze  Georgia 4 Yes
Jamal Musiala  Germany 5 Yes Team of the Tournament
Cody Gakpo  Netherlands 6 Yes
Ivan Schranz  Slovakia 4 Yes
Dani Olmo  Spain 6 Yes Team of the Tournament
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Goalscorers in final matches

  • Bold indicates winning final
  • Parentheses indicates no goals scored

See also

Notes

  1. At Euro 1988, Klinsmann made four appearances and scored one goal for West Germany.
  2. At Euro 1992, Völler made one appearance for Germany.
  3. UEFA Euro 1968 final was decided over two matches.

References

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