Which players have made the net ripple most often at the European Championship?
(Image credit: Alamy)
As Europe's top international competition, the Euros have been graced by some of the continent's finest attacking talent since throughout its history.
Every player on this list has scored at least five European Championship goals – and some of them are still very much active, meaning Euro 2024 presents the chance for them to top up their already impressive tallies.
From stars who found the net at tournament after tournament, to those who got their whole haul of goals at one edition, these are the leading marksmen in the history of the Euros.
The all-time Euros top scorers: 5 goals – Zinedine Zidane (France), Marco van Basten (Netherlands), Patrik Schick (Czech Republic), Savo Milosevic (FR Yugoslavia), Robert Lewandowski (Poland), Jurgen Klinsmann (Germany), Mario Gomez (Germany), Fernando Torres (Spain), Milan Baros (Czech Republic)
Marco van Basten (Image credit: Getty Images)
Among the nine players with five Euros goals to their name are four competition winners: Zinedine Zidane, Marco van Basten – scorer of one of the greatest goals of all time, an outrageous volley against the Soviet Union in the final of Euro 88 – Jurgen Klinsmann – who captained Germany to glory at Euro 96 – and Fernando Torres – whose goal against Germany sealed Euro 2008 victory for Spain, before he notched one of his country's four goals as they thrashed Italy to retain their crown four years later.
Van Basten and Milan Baros finished as top scorer in 1988 and 2004 respectively, with Patrik Schick ending up as joint leading marksmen at Euro 2020 – where he won Goal of the Tournament and the Puskas Award for his halfway-line strike against Scotland – just as Torres and Mario Gomez had done at Euro 2012, and Savo Milosevic at Euro 2000.
As for Poland skipper Robert Lewandowski, he'll be looking to add to his haul at Euro 2024.
6 goals – Ruud van Nistelrooy (Netherlands), Wayne Rooney (England), Nuno Gomes (Portugal), Romelu Lukaku (Belgium), Patrick Kluivert (Netherlands), Zlatan Ibrahimovic (Sweden), Thierry Henry (France), Alvaro Morata (Spain)
Wayne Rooney (Image credit: Getty Images)
Out of the eight players to score six goals at the Euros, only one has got their hands on the trophy: Thierry Henry, who netted three times as France won Euro 2000, twice at Euro 2004 and a final time at Euro 2008.
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But there are some all-time great strikers here, perhaps most notably Ruud van Nistelrooy, Wayne Rooney – who tore it up in 2004 at the age of just 18, making UEFA's Team of the Tournament – and Zlatan Ibrahimovic.
Patrick Kluivert notched five of his six European Championship goals to finish as joint top scorer when the Netherlands co-hosted in 2000. Nuno Gomes registered four times at that tournament, before adding a fifth goal as Portugal staged the 2004 finals, and another four years later.
Romelu Lukaku and Alvaro Morata have both found the net multiple times at each of the last two European Championships, and both will be aiming to increase their tallies this summer.
7 goals – Alan Shearer (England), Antoine Griezmann (France)
Antoine Griezmann (Image credit: Alamy)
Alan Shearer's Golden Boot-winning total of six goals at Euro 96 fired England to the semi-finals of their home tournament (we won't get into how the semi went down), and he also bagged the winner as the Three Lions beat Germany at Euro 2000 (only to crash out at the group stage).
Antoine Griezmann helped France go one better and reach the Euro 2016 final on home soil, top-scoring with six goals (although still not quite getting his hands on the trophy as Les Bleus were defeated by Portugal). The 2018 World Cup winner found the net once more at Euro 2020.
9 goals – Michel Platini (France)
Michel Platini (Image credit: Alamy)
Even with the Euros containing 24 teams these days, it's hard to see Michel Platini's record of nine goals at the 1984 tournament being broken.
France's captain was one of the very best players on the planet back then, inspiring his country to their first major trophy – on home turf, no less.
The three-time Ballon d'Or winner memorably scored a 119th-minute winner as Les Bleus came from behind to beat Portugal in extra time in the semi-finals – then bagged his ninth goal to break the deadlock against Spain in the final.
14 goals – Cristiano Ronaldo (Portugal)
Cristiano Ronaldo (Image credit: Alamy)
The Euros will probably never see another player as enduring as Cristiano Ronaldo. Portugal's Euro 2016-winning skipper has already played in a record five European Championships, and he's gearing up for number six.
Ronaldo – who in 2021 became the all-time leading scorer in men's international football – has spread his 14 Euros goals across all five of those previous tournaments, winning the Golden Boot last time around by virtue of having one assist to Patrik Schick's none.
He's 39 now, but you'd be a fool to bet against CR7 getting goal number 15 – at least – at Euro 2024.
Tom Hancock started freelancing for FourFourTwo in April 2019 and has also written for the Premier League and Opta Analyst, among others. He supports Wycombe Wanderers and has a soft spot for Wealdstone. A self-confessed statto, he has been known to watch football with a spreadsheet (or several) open...
