Antoine Griezmann and Cristiano Ronaldo are both in the top 5 UEFA goal scorers of all time. (imago Images)
UEFA Euro 2020 has kicked off, and it is a tournament sure to be filled with goals. Ever since the tournament’s advent in 1960, the competition has been graced with Europe’s most lethal goal scorers, many of whom have written their name in football history with their exploits in the Euros.
Here, we look at the top 5 players with the most number Euros goals of all time. Since there are a number of players tied for the 4th spot, players will be ranked on the basis of the total number of matches they have played. The player with the least matches played will be ranked higher.
So without further ado, let us look at the top goal scorers in the history of the Euros. (This list contains only goals in the UEFA Euros proper, not the qualifying rounds).
One of the most potent strikers produced by The Netherlands, Ruud van Nistelrooy showed his magic on the European stage as well. The Dutch hitman bagged a total of 6 goals in the 8 matches that he played.
He participated in two editions of the UEFA Euros, 2004 and 2008. While he has scored in the competition against the likes of Italy and Germany, his most memorable set of goals would be the two he scored against Latvia to help the Netherlands to the Euros knockout stages in 2004.
Here we have our first player on the list that can increase his tally in this edition of the Euros. Antoine Griezmann has only taken part in one Euros tournament before this, the 2016 edition. And the Barcelona forward won the top scorer award with 6 goals in 7 matches.
It was a dominant individual showing but the Frenchmen faltered in the final. Nevertheless, no one will forget his brace against Germany in the semi-final that ensured a place in the UEFA Euro 2016 final for his team.
The Newcastle United legend was a menace up front for England in his heyday. And he produced the goods in the Euros as well, netting 7 times in 9 matches in the competition. Shearer took part in the 1992, 1996 and 2000 edition of the Euros.
In the ’92 edition, he was played just once. He really came into his own in the 1996 Euros, where he netted 5 times to become the competition’s top scorer. His most memorable goal would be the header against Germany in the 1996 semi-finals which gave England the lead. They lost on penalties.
It truly speaks of Cristiano Ronaldo’s longevity when we realize the fact that UEFA Euro 2020 is the 5th edition of the competition that he has participated in. Ronaldo has participated in all editions of the tournament since 2004.
He has netted 9 goals in 21 outings. His most memorable goal would be the one against Wales in the 2-0 semi-final win in the 2016 edition, which he won with Portugal. Ronaldo can significantly increase his tally by scoring in the 2020 edition and become the first player to touch the double-figure mark for goals in the competition.
At top spot we have the great Michel Platini. The French maestro scored 9 goals in just one single tournament- the 1984 edition. He was not helped by the fact that France did not qualify for any UEFA Euros between 1964 and 1984, and also missed out on the 1988 edition.
However, Platini made the most of the 1984 Euros, which was held in France. He scored in every single game in that tournament, also grabbing two hat-tricks in the process and scoring a goal in the final – which they won 2-0 against Spain.
