Top Goalscorer of Euro 2024
Harry Kane – England
Although I cannot be backing England to win the tournament at their current odds my strongest selection in the Top Goalscorer of Euro 2024 market is to get their captain onside. Harry Kane is his nation’s all-time record goalscorer with 62 goals in 89 appearances and comes into this tournament off the back of his most prolific season.
Strangely, it is the defense that makes this a stronger play rather than the star-studded attack that Gareth Southgate has at his disposal. While the likes of Jude Bellingham, Phil Foden and Bukayo Saka will be providing plenty of ammunition to their number 9, there is uncertainty who will be lining up behind them.
Harry Maguire has been a cornerstone of this team for some time now but misses the tournament through injury. His partner, John Stones is carrying a worrying ankle knock and there is no specialist left-back. In short, expect England to concede plenty of goals.
Therefore, unlike in other tournaments where one goal was often enough the Three Lions will need to keep their foot on the gas and hit the back of the net multiple times. Even with the pragmatic approach Southgate is renowned for, it didn’t stop Kane from bagging the Golden Boot (Top Goalscorer) award at the 2018 World Cup.
The tournament will, of course, be held on familiar territory for a player who made the switch to German giants Bayern Munich last summer. Bought to plunder goals, the 30-year-old duly obliged with 44 across 45 appearances in all competitions, alongside a not-too-shabby 12 assists.
He was the top scorer in the Champions League, hitting the back of the net eight times, and has scored 10 goals in his last 12 England outings. Getting on the scoresheet in nine of those fixtures.
Expect England to go deep in this tournament, with anything less than a place in the final seen as failure. Injury permitting, Kane will play every important minute, and an extra key factor is that he will also be on penalty-taking duties.
Saka is the next top scorer on duty in Germany with 11 goals for his country with no other player having scored more than four times, perfectly illustrating just how reliant this side is on their captain’s goals.
Euro 2024 Pick: Harry Kane to be Euro 2024 Top Goalscorer at +550.
Kai Havertz – Germany
Germany are one of my picks to win the tournament, so it is no surprise their main attacking threat makes the cut to be one of my top goalscorer selections. Kai Havertz started the season in a deep-lying midfield role for his new club, Arsenal, but ended it very much as a central striker—and one in very good form, too.
The 24-year-old scored nine times in his last 18 games for the Gunners across all competitions, but it was his movement, intelligence and work rate which drew as many plaudits as his goals. With confidence regained and flowing through his veins standing at 1.93m he is also a real presence in the final third.
After Julian Nagelsmann abandoned a two-game trial of playing Havertz as a left back he now seems to have fought off competition from Niclas Fullkrug to lead the line for his nation. Goals in victories over France and in the most recent friendly against Greece will keep that confidence bubbling heading into the tournament.
The German head coach sets his teams to play with an attacking front-foot style so expect to see them press for more goals even when they take the lead. Jamal Musiala, Florian Wirtz and Leroy Sane will be tasked with providing the ammunition. The trio combined for 28 assists in Bundesliga this season so there will be plenty of opportunities created for the hosts.
Having home-field advantage is the final positive in a pretty long list as to why odds of +2800 on Kai Havertz to be top goalscorer holds plenty of value.
Euro 2024 Pick: Kai Havertz to be Euro 2024 Top Goalscorer at +2800.
Romelu Lukaku – Belgium
My first two picks are players I expect to be featuring deep into this tournament. My final selection may well have to get his work done in the early stages as I’m not sure Belgium get further than the quarterfinal.
However, a kind draw which pitches the Red Devils in the same group as Slovakia, Romania and Ukraine could see Romelu Lukaku steal a march on his rivals for the Top Goalscorer award. Off the back of an incredible qualifying campaign, odds of +1400 for the Chelsea striker are well worth some investment.
The 30-year-old smashed in an incredible 14 goals as Belgium booked their place in Germany setting a new record for a single European Qualifiers campaign in the process. That was four more than nearest rival Cristiano Ronaldo, with those goals coming in just eight games, scoring in seven of those.
Lukaku only had 29 shots in total, meaning a strike rate of 48%, and coming from a total of 551 minutes on the pitch that works out to a goal every 39 minutes! Like Harry Kane he is also his nation’s penalty taker so a couple of spot kicks would be a welcome bonus too.
Having scored four goals at both the 2018 World Cup and the European Championships of 2020, he comes with pedigree in tournament football even though, like Belgium as a whole, he had a disastrous time in Qatar. Much of that can be put down to fitness as he searched regular game time having been made surplus to requirements at Chelsea.
A 20-goal season on loan at Roma should provide confidence coming into this competition as would hitting the back of the net seven times in 13 Europa League appearances this term. However, it is his match fitness which is arguably the most important thing.
Domenico Tedesco has given Lukaku the captain’s armband and also provided him with plenty of young legs around him in the team. However, it is one of the more experienced campaigners who makes this an even better bet.
Kevin De Bruyne is fit and remains one of the best playmakers on the planet. With Erling Haaland the beneficiary at club level, it will be Lukaku reaping the rewards of those trademark balls into the box on the international stage.
Should Belgium top their group as expected a third-placed finisher will be awaiting in the Round of 16. By the time the quarterfinals arrive Lukaku could be sitting pretty and as a result so could we.
Player of the Tournament at Euro 2024
Florian Wirtz – Germany
You may have noticed a theme running through my selections. A German theme to be precise!
With Germany as one of my picks to win the tournament, it makes sense that for that to happen, several of their players will be in contention for individual awards. That is something Florian Wirtz has been getting used to this season.
Having recovered from a terrible knee injury after almost nine months out of action, including missing the World Cup the 21-year-old has been making up for lost time. He inspired Bayer Leverkusen to an unbeaten domestic league and cup double only missing out on the Europa League at the final hurdle after defeat to Atalanta.
His performances certainly were eye-catching which is what makes him a great pick in this market especially at a price of +2500. Bundesliga fans made him the league’s Player of the Season for 2023/24 an award that was followed by 51% of players in the German top tier voting him best player. Putting that into context Granit Xhaka was runner-up with 7.5% of the votes.
Wirtz hit 18 goals and provided 19 assists across all competitions for Leverkusen and has already made history for the national team. Scoring their quickest goal ever with a strike after seven seconds against France in March.
Euro 2024 Pick: Florian Wirtz to be Euro 2024 Player of the Tournament at +2500.
Jamal Musiala – Germany
Alongside Florian Wirtz, Jamal Musiala is one of the great hopes for the future of German football. Priced identically, like the traders, I found them impossible to split, so both feature in my Player of the Tournament selections.
With Germany expected to make it to at least the semi-finals I have already mentioned how vital having home field advantage is. That is even more pronounced when it comes to awards like this that are voted for rather than one purely on physical achievements like goals scored or assists provided.
A home winner would obviously be well received by the locals, and we should expect the final decision to be a popular one regardless of who it is. That makes the golden boys of German football perfect candidates before a ball is kicked.
That’s not to say Musiala won’t be able to push his case with his on-field performances. I am certain he will.
Musiala made his Germany debut under Joachim Löw in 2021 and he started all three group games at the Qatar World Cup the following year under Hansi Flick. Now with another former Bayern Munich manager in Julian Nagelsmann in charge of the national team the 21-year-old is primed to be one of the stars of the show on home soil.
“Musiala magic” has become a catchphrase this season for commentators with 10 goals and six assists in the league not painting the whole picture. He is one of those players who creates something out of nothing and gets fans out of their seats. If you’ve not seen him play before you are in for a treat.
The fact he has been given Germany’s famous No.10 jersey shows the faith in him and the confidence he possesses to do it justice.
Euro 2024 Pick: Jamal Musiala to be Euro 2024 Player of the Tournament at +2500.
Bruno Fernandes – Portugal
The last of my three selections in this market is a player from the other nation I am tipping to go deep in this tournament. Portugal have so much talent all over the pitch and score goals throughout the side no longer having to rely on Cristiano Ronaldo to drag them over the line. Just as well really, as he enters this tournament as a 39-year-old.
The Portuguese cruised through qualification winning all 10 games to book their place in Germany. Top goalscorers, best defence and with eight a player that provided the most assists. That player was Bruno Fernandes.
The Manchester United midfielder is playing in his preferred position under Roberto Martinez and is given license to pull the strings to make this great side tick. He is also chipping in with goals too, hitting the back of the net six times across those 10 qualification games.
Since qualifying, Bruno has scored three times and provided two assists in four warm-up fixtures ahead of the Euros. With Czechia (ranked 36), Turkey (40), and Georgia (75), Portugal is in a group that, according to FIFA rankings, is the easiest in the tournament.
Top that simple-looking group and Ronaldo and company won’t face a Group winner until the semifinals. That spells out lots of goals, and in recent history, Fernandes has been involved in one way or another.
I couldn’t put anyone off taking Fernandes in the top assists market where he is the +1000 favorite. But the +4000 on him being Player of the Tournament really caught my eye and could look like massive value come July 14th.
Euro 2024 Pick: Bruno Fernandes to be Euro 2024 Player of the Tournament at +4000.
