UEFA European Championship top goalscorers

A total of 890 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 519 footballers have scored goals at the Euro tournaments,[2] of whom 37 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 unitil Cristiano Ronaldo scored his 10th goal for Portugal at the UEFA Euro 2020.[5] He has later improved his tally and as of May 2024 stands at 14 goals in 25 appearances at the European Championship tournaments — also record.[6] The top 37 goalscorers have represented 15 nations, with 6 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).

Numbers of goalscorers[2]
Goals≥10987654321Total
Nos. of players1103810144496342519

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 16 tournaments of the Euro, 31 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, Netherland's 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 31 players represented 15 nations, the most (five) Germany or West Germany. Four played for Yugoslavia, while three represented France, 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

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Table key
PlayerDenotes 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
YearDenotes tournaments where the player's team won the title
TDenotes tournaments where the player was top scorer
Players with at least 4 goals at the UEFA Euro tournaments[1][8]
RankPlayerTeamGoals
scored
Matches
played
RatioTournamentsNotes
1Cristiano Ronaldo  Portugal14270.522004, 2008, 2012, 2016, 2020T, (2024)list
2Michel Platini  France951.801984Tlist
3Alan Shearer  England790.78(1992), 1996T, 2000list
Antoine Griezmann  France130.542016T, 2020, (2024)list
Álvaro Morata  Spain130.542016, 2020, 2024list
6Patrik Schick  Czech Republic670.862020T, 2024list
Ruud van Nistelrooy  Netherlands80.752004, 2008list
Patrick Kluivert  Netherlands90.671996, 2000T, [2004]list
Wayne Rooney  England100.602004, 2012, 2016list
Thierry Henry  France110.552000, 2004, 2008list
Romelu Lukaku  Belgium120.502016, 2020, (2024)list
Zlatan Ibrahimović  Sweden130.462004, 2008, 2012, (2016)list
Nuno Gomes  Portugal140.432000, 2004, 2008list
14Savo Milošević  Yugoslavia541.252000Tlist
Marco van Basten  Netherlands90.561988T, (1992)list
Milan Baroš  Czech Republic100.502004T, (2008), (2012)list
Xherdan Shaqiri   Switzerland100.502016, 2020, 2024list
Robert Lewandowski  Poland120.422012, 2016, 2020, (2024)list
Mario Gómez  Germany130.38(2008), 2012T, 2016list
Harry Kane  England130.38(2016), 2020, 2024list
Jürgen Klinsmann  Germany[a]130.381988, 1992, 1996list
Fernando Torres  Spain130.38(2004), 2008, 2012Tlist
Zinedine Zidane  France140.36(1996), 2000, 2004list
24Dieter Müller  West Germany422.001976Tlist
Gerd Müller  West Germany22.001972Tlist
David Villa  Spain41.002008Tlist
Dragan Džajić  Yugoslavia50.801968T, 1976list
Emil Forsberg  Sweden70.57(2016), 2020list
Roman Pavlyuchenko  Russia80.502008, 2012list
Rudi Völler  West Germany[b]80.501984, 1988, (1992)list
Angelos Charisteas  Greece90.442004, 2008list
Karim Benzema  France100.40(2008), (2012), 2020list
Henrik Larsson  Sweden100.402000, 2004, (2008)list
Ivan Perišić  Croatia110.36(2012), 2016, 2020, (2024)list
Vladimír Šmicer  Czech Republic110.361996, 2000, 2004list
Lukas Podolski  Germany120.33(2004), 2008, 2012, (2016)list
Dennis Bergkamp  Netherlands130.311992, 1996, (2000)list
Luka Modrić  Croatia160.252008, (2012), 2016, 2020, 2024list

Timeline

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Key
Goal set a new record
Goal equalled the existing record
Progressive list of footballers that have held the record for most goals scored at the UEFA European Championship final tournaments
GoalsDatePlayerTeamGoalOpponentScoreTournament & StagePrevious goalsRef
16 July 1960Milan Galić  Yugoslavia1–0France5–41960, France
Semi-finals
N/A[9]
Jean Vincent  France1–1Yugoslavia4–5
François Heutte2–1
Maryan Wisniewski3–1
Ante Žanetić  Yugoslavia2–3France5–4
2François Heutte  France4–2Yugoslavia4–5
Dražan Jerković  Yugoslavia5–4France5–4
  • 1960 vs France
Valentin Ivanov  Soviet Union2–0Czechoslovakia3–0
  • 1960 vs Czechoslovakia
[10]
10 July 1960Milan Galić  Yugoslavia1–0Soviet Union1–21960, France
Final
  • 1960 vs France
[11]
Viktor Ponedelnik  Soviet Union2–1Yugoslavia2–1
  • 1960 vs Czechoslovakia
317 June 19642–0Denmark3–01964, Spain
Semi-finals
  • 1960 vs Czechoslovakia, Yugoslavia
[12]
Valentin Ivanov3–0
  • 1960 vs Czechoslovakia (2)
18 June 1972Gerd Müller  West Germany1–0Soviet Union3–01972, Belgium
Final
[13]
43–0
19 June 1976Dragan Džajić  Yugoslavia2–2Netherlands2–31976, Yugoslavia
3rd place play-off
[14]
20 June 1976Dieter Müller  West Germany1–2Czechoslovakia2–2aet1976, Yugoslavia
Final
[15]
16 June 1984Michel Platini  France5–0Belgium5–01984, France
Group stage
[16]
519 June 19841–1Yugoslavia3–2[17]
62–1
73–1
823 June 19843–2Portugal3–21984, France
Semi-finals
[18]
927 June 19841–0Spain2–01984, France
Final
[19]
6 July 2016Cristiano Ronaldo  Portugal1–0Wales2–02016, France
Semi-finals
[20]
1015 June 20212–0Hungary3–02020, Europe
Group stage
[21]
113–0
1219 June 20211–0Germany2–4[22]
1323 June 20211–0France2–2[23]
142–2

Top goalscorers for each tournament

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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 torunaments. 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]

Top goalscorers at each FIFA World Cup final tournament[3][25]
EditionPlayerTeamGoals
scored
Matches
played
Golden
Boot
Other UEFA
Awards
1960 FranceFrançois Heutte  France22
Valentin Ivanov  Soviet Union Team of the Tournament
Viktor Ponedelnik  Soviet Union Team of the Tournament
Dražan Jerković  Yugoslavia
Milan Galić  Yugoslavia Team of the Tournament
1964 SpainFerenc Bene  Hungary22 Team of the Tournament
Dezső Novák  Hungary1
Chus Pereda  Spain2 Team of the Tournament
1968 ItalyDragan Džajić  Yugoslavia23 Team of the Tournament
1972 BelgiumGerd Müller  West Germany42 Team of the Tournament
1976 YugoslaviaDieter Müller  West Germany42 Team of the Tournament
1980 ItalyKlaus Allofs  West Germany33
1984 FranceMichel Platini  France95 Player of the Tournament
Team of the Tournament
1988 West GermanyMarco van Basten  Netherlands55 Player of the Tournament
Team of the Tournament
1992 SwedenHenrik Larsen  Denmark34
Karl-Heinz Riedle  Germany5
Dennis Bergkamp  Netherlands4 Team of the Tournament
Tomas Brolin  Sweden4
1996 EnglandAlan Shearer  England55 Team of the Tournament
2000 Belgium/NetherlandsPatrick Kluivert  Netherlands55 Team of the Tournament
Savo Milošević  Yugoslavia4 Team of the Tournament
2004 PortugalMilan Baroš  Czech Republic55 Team of the Tournament
2008 Austria/SwitzerlandDavid Villa  Spain44 Team of the Tournament
2012 Poland/UkraineMario Mandžukić  Croatia33
Mario Gómez  Germany5 Silver Boot
Mario Balotelli  Italy5 Team of the Tournament
Cristiano Ronaldo  Portugal5 Team of the Tournament
Alan Dzagoev  Russia3 Bronze Boot
Fernando Torres  Spain5
2016 FranceAntoine Griezmann  France67 Player of the Tournament
Team of the Tournament
2020 EuropePatrik Schick  Czech Republic55 Silver Boot
Cristiano Ronaldo  Portugal4

Goalscorers in final matches

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  • Bold indicates winning final
  • Parentheses indicates no goals scored
PlayerTeamGoals scoredFinals playedFinal(s)
Gerd Müller  West Germany211972
Horst Hrubesch  West Germany11980
Oliver Bierhoff  Germany11996
Fernando Torres  Spain22008, 2012
Slava Metreveli  Soviet Union111960
Milan Galić  Yugoslavia11960
Chus Pereda  Spain11964
Marcelino  Spain11964
Galimzyan Khusainov  Soviet Union11964
Gigi Riva  Italy11968
Ján Švehlík  Czechoslovakia11976
Karol Dobiaš  Czechoslovakia11976
Dieter Müller  West Germany11976
Bernd Hölzenbein  West Germany11976
René Vandereycken  Belgium11980
Michel Platini  France11984
Bruno Bellone  France11984
Ruud Gullit  Netherlands11988
Marco van Basten  Netherlands11988
John Jensen  Denmark11992
Kim Vilfort  Denmark11992
Patrik Berger  Czech Republic11996
Sylvain Wiltord  France12000
David Trezeguet  France12000
Marco Delvecchio  Italy12000
Angelos Charisteas  Greece12004
Jordi Alba  Spain12012
Juan Mata  Spain12012
Eder  Portugal12016
Luke Shaw  England12020
Viktor Ponedelnik  Soviet Union21960, (1964)
Angelo Domenghini  Italy2[c]1968
Dragan Džajić  Yugoslavia2[c]1968
Pietro Anastasi  Italy2[c]1968
Herbert Wimmer  West Germany21972, (1976)
David Silva  Spain2(2008), 2012
Leonardo Bonucci  Italy2(2012), 2020

See also

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Notes

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  1. ^ In UEFA Euro 1988 Klinsmann made 4 appearances and scored one goal for West Germany.
  2. ^ In UEFA Euro 1992 Völler made 1 appearance for Germany.
  3. ^ a b c UEFA Euro 1968 final was decided over two matches.

References

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