Last night the excellent Spain booked their Euro 2024 final place to meet predictions, with two contenders of the best goals in the long history of the European Championship tournament. The first more special, as Lamine Yamal scored a worldie aged just 16 to take the record of youngest goal scorer.
Since its inception in 1960, the Euros have produced some of the best goal-scoring performances in world football. With 1976 averaging 4.75 goals per game in four team tournament. So far in Euro 24 there have been 111 goals, averaging 2.27 a match. For reference, Euro 2020 totalled 142 from less games (2.78 per match).
This year’s edition has featured some of Europe’s best forwards, with top players like Cristiano Ronaldo, Kylian Mbappe, and Harry Kane. But they’ve been outscored by explosive youngsters like Jamal Musiala with 3 (joint top scorer). Mbappe went home with one, and Kane will still hope to add to his tally of 2 tonight.
As the showdown in Germany draws to a close, here are the players who have scored the most goals at the European Championships.
Cristiano Ronaldo (14)
Cristiano Ronaldo is no stranger to an all-time goalscorer list, holding the records for most goals scored in UEFA Champions League history and for former club Real Madrid. He also holds the all-time record for most international goals scored, a record that seems pretty impossible to break.
Ronaldo tops the list of goals scored at the European Championships (14), having scored in all five competitions he’s played in until 2024. He missed a penalty against Slovenia which would have added to the collection, and he also blanked against Czechia, Turkiye, Georgia and France.
At only 19 years old, he scored his first goal on home soil (note the trend) at Euro 2004 during a group stage game against Greece and followed it up with another crucial goal in the semi-final to help Portugal reach the final (which they suffered a shock loss to Greece)
Ronaldo’s third goal came in the group stage against the Czech Republic at Euro 2008. He scored three goals in Euro 2012; one each against Germany and the Netherlands in the group stage, and another goal against the Czech Republic in the quarter-final.
Euro 2016 proved to be Ronaldo’s most memorable tournament as he found the back of the net thrice en route to Portugal’s first-ever title. His first brace of his Euros career came against Hungary in the group stage, and he found the back of the net again vs. Wales in the semi-final. The five-time Ballon d’Or winner had his most successful goalscoring campaign at Euro 2020, scoring five goals and finishing as the tournament’s joint-top scorer..
The 39-year-old will likely not play in the Euro’s again, being 43 when Euro 28 comes around. But his legendary status is assured, making any Portugal tickets for his last international games gold dust.
Euro 2004
- Portugal vs. Greece – June 12, 2004
- Goal: Portugal 1-2 Greece
- Portugal vs. Netherlands – June 30, 2004
- Goal: Portugal 2-1 Netherlands
Euro 2008
- Portugal vs. Czech Republic – June 11, 2008
- Goal: Portugal 3-1 Czech Republic
Euro 2012
- Portugal vs. Netherlands – June 17, 2012
- Goals: Portugal 2-1 Netherlands (2 goals)
- Portugal vs. Czech Republic – June 21, 2012
- Goal: Portugal 1-0 Czech Republic
Euro 2016
- Portugal vs. Hungary – June 22, 2016
- Goals: Portugal 3-3 Hungary (2 goals)
- Portugal vs. Wales – July 6, 2016
- Goal: Portugal 2-0 Wales
Euro 2020
- Portugal vs. Hungary – June 15, 2021
- Goals: Portugal 3-0 Hungary (2 goals)
- Portugal vs. Germany – June 19, 2021
- Goal: Portugal 2-4 Germany
- Portugal vs. France – June 23, 2021
- Goals: Portugal 2-2 France (2 goals)
Michel Platini (9)
Former president of the UEFA, Michel Platini finished his career with nine goals at the European Championships, scoring all nine goals in just five appearances at France ’84. To this day, no player has been able to score more than six goals in a single Euros tournament.
It was France’s first appearance at the Euros after they were confirmed hosts, and Michel Platini was determined to put on a show at home. He netted France’s debut goal against Denmark in the group stage and followed with consecutive hat-tricks against the previous tournament runners-up Belgium and Yugoslavia. Platini was France’s hero in their semi-final game against Portugal, scoring a brilliant strike in the last minute to help Les Bleus advance to their first major final.
The Euro 84 final was set at the Parc des Princes, with Spain looking to become the first team with two European Cup titles. But Michel Platini had other plans, scoring the opening goal from a free kick, thanks to an error from Spanish goalkeeper Luis Arconada, before Bruno Bellone scored a late goal to confirm France as European Champions.
Euro 1984:
- France vs. Denmark (Group Stage): Platini scored the winning goal in the 78th minute, securing a 1-0 victory for France.
- France vs. Belgium (Group Stage): Platini scored a hat-trick, netting goals in the 4th, 74th (penalty), and 89th minutes. The match ended 5-0 to France.
- France vs. Yugoslavia (Group Stage): Platini scored another hat-trick, with goals in the 59th, 62nd, and 77th minutes. France won the match 3-2.
- France vs. Portugal (Semi-Finals): Platini scored the decisive goal in the 119th minute of extra time, leading France to a 3-2 victory.
- France vs. Spain (Final): Platini scored the opening goal from a free kick in the 57th minute, helping France secure a 2-0 victory and their first major international trophy.
Alan Shearer (7)
The Premier League’s all-time leading goalscorer also finds himself on the list for most goals at the Euros.
England may have failed to win the Euros, but Alan Shearer’s goal-scoring display at Euro 1996 remains arguably the best individual performance for the Three Lions at the Euros. England was the host country and Shearer did not fail to impress the home fans, scoring five goals in the tournament. He won the Euro Golden Boot and was also named into the Euro Team of the Tournament.
Shearer scored his first goal in the 22nd minute of England’s opening match against Switzerland and followed his performance with a goal against Scotland and a brace against the Netherlands to help the Three Lions advance to the quarterfinal match against Spain. Both sides failed to score but England advanced to the semi-final on penalties to face Germany.
England took the lead thanks to a beautiful header from Shearer in the third minute of the match but Germany responded with a 16th-minute goal from Stephan Kuntz to tie the game. England would eventually lose out on penalties as Gareth Southgate failed to convert from the spot, but Shearer had done enough to build a lasting legacy as one of England’s all-time greats.
In his final Euros tournament, the then 30-year-old centre forward followed through with two goals in the group stage at Euro 2000. He scored England’s only goal against Germany on Matchday 2, helping the Three Lions to their first win over their age-old rivals since their World Cup Final triumph in 1966. His final career goal for England came in a 3-2 loss against Romania as the Brits crashed out of the competition.
Alan Shearer’s Goals in European Championships
Alan Shearer, one of England’s legendary strikers, scored a total of 7 goals in European Championships over 9 games played across two tournaments (Euro 1996 and Euro 2000).
Euro 1996:
- England vs Switzerland (Group Stage): Shearer scored in the 23rd minute, helping England to a 1-1 draw.
- England vs Scotland (Group Stage): Shearer scored in the 53rd minute, contributing to a 2-0 victory for England.
- England vs Netherlands (Group Stage): Shearer scored twice, once in the 23rd minute and again in the 57th minute from the penalty spot, in a 4-1 victory.
- England vs Germany (Semi-Final): Shearer scored in the 3rd minute, but England ultimately lost on penalties after a 1-1 draw.
Euro 2000:
5. England vs Germany (Group Stage): Shearer scored the only goal of the match in the 53rd minute, securing a 1-0 win for England.
6. England vs Romania (Group Stage): Shearer scored from the penalty spot in the 88th minute, but England lost 3-2 and were eliminated from the tournament.
Shearer’s exceptional performance in Euro 1996 earned him the Golden Boot as the top scorer of the tournament, with 5 goals.
Antoine Griezmann (7)
Antoine Griezmann had one of the most memorable individual displays at the European Championships. Like his compatriot Michel Platini 32 years prior, Griezmann was determined to put on a show on home soil, and he did, scoring six goals en route to the Euro 2016 final.
His first came against Albania in the group stage after a stunning late header from Adil Rami’s cross to secure a 2-0 win for France in their second group-stage game. Griezmann scored two goals in three minutes for Les Bleus in their round of 16 matches against the Republic of Ireland to help them overcome a 1-0 deficit.
In the quarterfinal, he scored his fourth goal of the tournament, an audacious chip, as France defeated Iceland 5-2. He followed through with another brace in the semi-final to lead France past tournament favourites Germany. Despite a loss to Portugal in the final, he earned the Euro 2016 Golden Boot, with six goals in seven games, and was named Player of the Tournament.
Griezmann added to his European Championship goals tally with a group-stage goal against Hungary at Euro 2020. However, France was eliminated in the Round of 16 by Switzerland, losing on penalties.
The 33-year-old Atletico Madrid forward featured in his third European Championship this summer and missed the opportunity to move past Platini to become the second all-time leading scorer in Euros history. He blanked in all 6 games, with France scoring just 4 goals in total.
Euro 2016
Group Stage
Goal 1: Against Albania (90th minute) – A header from an Adil Rami cross secured a 2-0 win for France.
Round of 16
Goals 2 and 3: Against Republic of Ireland – Two quick goals helped France overturn a 1-0 deficit to win 2-1.
Quarter-finals
Goal 4: Against Iceland – Scored the fourth goal in a 5-2 victory with a delicate chip over the goalkeeper.
Semi-finals
Goals 5 and 6: Against Germany – Scored a penalty just before half-time and followed with a poacher’s goal in the second half to secure a 2-0 win for France.
Euro 2020
Group Stage
Goal 7: Against Hungary – Scored the equalizer in a 1-1 draw, capitalizing on a defensive error.
In total, Antoine Griezmann has played in 13 matches across two European Championships (Euro 2016 and Euro 2020), scoring 7 goals.
Álvaro Morata (7)
31 year old Morota is a new addition to this list thanks to his Euro 24 goal against Croatia as Spain played some of the more attacking football and registered 13 goals in 6 games. Sadly, Morata’s final place for La Roja on Sunday is in jeopardy after a freak accident. A security guard was chasing down a pitch invader and slipped into the player, causing him to hold his knee in pain. The player has since confirmed that he is fit and ready for the final, so adding to this tally is possible if he can add to his 15 games played so far.
Álvaro Morata has been a key player for Spain in the European Championships over the years, scoring notable goals in multiple tournaments. In Euro 2016, he scored three goals: twice against Turkey and once against Croatia. At Euro 2020, he added three more goals to his tally, scoring against Poland, Croatia, and Italy. Most recently, in Euro 2024, he scored against Croatia again, bringing his total to seven goals across the three tournaments, making him one of Spain’s top scorers in the competition’s history.
Club wise, Morata has a trophy winning career at Real Madrid and Juventus, before struggling at Chelsea. He currently plays for Atletico Madrid.
Euro 2016:
- Spain vs. Turkey (17 June 2016): Morata scored twice in a 3-0 victory, netting goals in the 34th and 48th minutes.
- Spain vs. Croatia (21 June 2016): He scored in the 7th minute in a 2-1 loss to Croatia.
Euro 2020:
- Spain vs. Poland (19 June 2021): He scored in the 25th minute in a 1-1 draw.
- Spain vs. Croatia (28 June 2021): Morata scored in extra time (100th minute) during a thrilling 5-3 victory in the Round of 16.
- Spain vs. Italy (6 July 2021): He scored in the 80th minute during a 1-1 draw in the semi-final, though Spain eventually lost on penalties.
Euro 2024:
- Spain vs. Croatia (June 2024): Morata scored yet again against Croatia, marking his third goal against the team in different European Championships
