It was another intriguing season of club football but the focus now shifts to the international arena. Euro 2020 was forced to be postponed by a year due to the Covid-19 pandemic, but it will finally begin on June 11th.
The European Championship will have the best players who will fight for the pride of their country. The best strikers across Europe will be on the pitch competing toe-to-toe for the Euro 2020 Golden Boot.
These forwards have deservedly hogged the limelight in their respective leagues but now the competition goes one step further as all of them meet on the same stage and put forward their bids to outdo each other.
Who will take home the tournament’s prestigious Golden Boot award?
Let’s check out our five favourites.
5. Karim Benzema – France
Since Cristiano Ronaldo’s departure from Real Madrid, the kind of maturity Benzema has shown to lead the line is exceptional. Many critics have raised doubts about his quality over the years but he has displayed why he deserves a legendary status at Los Blancos.
Even with little service behind him at Real Madrid, he managed to score 23 goals this season. He has been called up to the national side for the first time since late 2015. He will be motivated to shut down his critics and what can be a better way than winning the Euro 2020 Golden Boot?
The experienced Real Madrid man did suffer an injury scare in the warm-up match against Bulgaria but France will hope it has no impact on his ability to start against Germany in their opening fixture.
4. Cristiano Ronaldo – Portugal
Portugal has one of the most lethal attacking lineups in the tournament. Bruno Fernandes, Diogo Jota and Bernardo Silva, all can create a host of chances for Ronaldo. The veteran forward scored 36 goals for Juventus in all competitions this term, indicating that he still possesses the telling touch in front of the goal.
He is just another strike away from becoming the all-time top-scorer in the European Championship but his final aim will be to lift this coveted trophy for the second time in his career.
3. Romelu Lukaku – Belgium
Antonio Conte has helped Romelu Lukaku to develop into one of the most lethal strikers in the world. The 28-year old forward has been in sensational form this past campaign that saw Inter Milan lift the Scudetto for the first time in a decade.
In 32 starts in Serie A, he scored 24 goals and assisted 11 times. Belgium’s progress in the tournament will depend a lot on Lukaku’s form. If he scores goals at the same rate he did for Inter Milan with Kevin de Bruyne providing him with service here, he will have a great shot at winning the Golden Boot in Euro 2020.
2. Kylian Mbappe – France
The French superstar needs no formal introduction. Mbappe is one of the best forwards in the game currently. In 47 games for PSG this season, he bagged 42 goals and provided 11 assists.
France are one of the favourites to win Euro 2020 but they can go all the way to lift the trophy if this 22-year old forward can find the back of the net regularly.
KB x KM 🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥 pic.twitter.com/72smmr87f2
— Kylian Mbappé (@KMbappe) May 18, 2021
Mbappe might also be handed extra responsibility in front of goal if at all, Karim Benzema fails to make the cut in time for the opening fixture next week. The in-demand Frenchman had a relatively underwhelming campaign with a below-par PSG this year and will want to once again dazzle on the biggest international stage after the World Cup.
1. Harry Kane – England
Harry Kane’s future might be up in the air but he will be focused to bring the cup home. The 27-year old enjoyed his best campaign, scoring and assisting for fun, even when his side failed miserably.
With players like Jadon Sancho, Phil Foden, and Mason Mount creating opportunities for him, it’s hard to see why he should not be a favourite to win this accolade.
Kane will also be on penalty duty and with nifty dribblers around him, we could see the Tottenham Hotspur star bag a couple of them over the course of the tournament.