Euro all-time top scorers: Top 50

Euro all-time top scorers: In case you are not aware the UEFA European Under-21 Championship is currently going on in full swing. In the case of the Under-21 competitions, the players are mostly limited to just one tournament due to age restrictions However, in the senior level they are eligible for participation as long as they are called up.

The biggest national competition in the continents has produced many memorable moments in the past. Likewise, legends are born in the process. Today, I want to look at the all-time top scorers in the competition’s history.

The below given list includes the top 50 goal scorers in Euro history. As usual we will take a closer look at the most coveted among them.

Euro all-time top scorers: Top 50

1. Cristiano Ronaldo 14 goals

The Portuguese superstar has made appearances in five consecutive tournaments. As a result he has earned 25 international caps in this tournament. In those matches, the forward has found the back of the net 14 times.

Interestingly, of the seven players that have scored hat–tricks in the tournament, there is just one Portuguese player. And it is not Ronaldo. Furthermore, just three of Ronaldo’s goals have come from penalties. Which is enough to put him on the top of penalty goals scorers list in the tournament. The Real Madrid legend listed the trophy in 2016.

2. Michel Platini 9 goals

Perhaps the most impressive player in the history of the tournament. Platini is another Euro winner to join the list. However, the most mind boggling fact is that the midfielder has made it to 2nd in the list despite participating in just one tournament.

In the 1984 edition, which is his only appearance, he scored 9 goals. He made just five appearances and got himself a couple hat–tricks. By doing so he remains the only player to have achieved the feat. He, thus, captained his nation to their first ever major trophy.

3. Antoine Griezmann 7 goals

Next up on the list is another Frenchman, but the first entrant to have not won the tournament. Antoine Griezmann has scored seven goals in his 11 caps for France in the Euros. Those appearances have come across the 2016 and 2020 editions. He was the formers’ top scorer.

There is a good chance for the Atleti forward to equal or even surpass Platini’s record in the Euro 2024 edition which will take place in just about a year from now.

3. Alan Shearer 7 goals

The next entrant in the list, Alan Shearer has also got himself 7 goals. He has so done in fewer games. However, Griezmann gained an earlier entry due to a higher number of assists. Shearer had an inspiring 1996 Euro appearance. The striker did not score for England in the previous 21 months. Nevertheless, he found the back of the net five times in the tournament to become the top scorer.

He followed it up with a couple of goals in the following edition of the competition. Thus he scored seven goals in nine matches in the euro. His goal scoring ratio is only bettered by Platini in the top ten entries in the list.

5. Álvaro Morata 6 goals

The Spaniard might be the most polarising striker of this generation. The striker receives far more criticism for someone who is approaching 250 career goals. Morata, just like his club teammate Griezmann, has participated in the 2016 and 2020 editions of the Euro.

Unlike the previous entrants in this list, Morata has not been any edition’s top scorer. That being said, he surpassed Fernando Torres’ record with this equaliser in the Euro 2020 semi final against Italy. He is another candidate to get higher on the list in the upcoming Euro 2024.

In terms of current players that can possibly at least get close to Ronaldo’s impressive record, includes the aforementioned, Griezmann and Morata. However, more realistic and serious entries include Belgium’s Romelu Lukaku and Sweden’s Emil Forsberg. Nevertheless, if Czech Republic’s Patrik Schick is able to replicate his form from the 2020 edition, the striker is a serious contender to get high on the list. That being said, the likes of Mbappe and Haaaland would require just one good tournament or two to make a serious impact in the Euro.