Supercomputer predicts Euro 2024 Golden Boot favourites

What do Alan Shearer, Milan Baros and Cristiano Ronaldo have in common? They are all European Championship Golden Boot winners.

The fact that none of the three mentioned above won the tournament in the year they scored the most goals shows that getting the golden boot in a major tournament is not a guarantee of a team’s success, but it does not prevent a nation from winning. glory.

In Euro 2024 this summer, some of the best players in the world will be competing for this title, hoping that their brutality in front of the goals will make their country win the title.

Here are the favorites for the Euro 2024 Golden Boot award.

Having capped an impressive first season at Real Madrid with the Champions League title, England fans are praying that Jude Bellingham packs a surprise in his suitcase before heading to Germany this summer.

The midfielder, who is likely to work as a number 10 for the Three Lions, is among the favorites to win the Golden Boot despite not playing as a midfielder.

The fact that Bellingham has managed just three goals for his country so far suggests this may be a bit ambitious, but his red-hot form and technical brilliance mean it’s hard to bet against him.

He was rarely seen at Euro 2020 as England suffered a crushing defeat in the final at Wembley, but he came up with a goal and an assist at the 2022 World Cup in Qatar.

Although he is often criticized for his technical ability, Romelu Lukaku has never struggled to put the ball in the net in Belgium. Well, maybe a little during his arrival at the 2022 World Cup, but he is generally ruthless.

He produced over 80 goals for Belgium during an impressive international career, often finding himself in the right place at the right time. Of course, it helps to have Kevin De Bruyne getting chance after chance.

His Euro 2024 qualifying record was truly impressive. He netted 14 goals in just eight games – a new record for a Euro qualifying campaign. At Euro 2020, he found the net again regularly, scoring four goals in five games.

Belgium’s ‘golden generation’ may be fading, but Lukaku is still a machine at the top.

Cristiano Ronaldo has been a Golden Boot winner in the past. He won the award at Euro 2020 despite Portugal only reaching the last 16, scoring five times in four games – Patrik Schick also scored five in the tournament but missed out on the award due to a lack of assists.

As the top goalscorer in international football, Ronaldo has always been able to continue his hot streak in the biggest competition, even if his energy is slowly waning at the age of 39.

However, Portugal have been given a soft group for Euro 2024 which includes Czechia, Turkey and Georgia. It’s a team full of creative geniuses in and around Ronaldo’s Portugal squad and the former Real Madrid and Manchester United striker may be looking for a hater.

Harry Kane has produced 63 goals in 91 games for England, yet he still has no trophy to show for it. In fact, it was his penalty miss at the 2022 World Cup that proved costly, even though he had provided a goal and three assists up to that point in Qatar.

He also claimed the golden boot at the 2018 World Cup with six goals in as many games – including five in his opening two games – and remains the first name on the England team sheet. That will not change in Germany.

After shining in the early stages of the last World Cup, it was the final stage of Euro 2020 where Kane came to life. He netted four goals in a career-high, breaking his duck against Germany in the round of 16.

The same height will be accepted at this time.

If one striker strikes fear into opposition defenders more than any other, it’s Kylian Mbappe. The electric Frenchman missed out on a crucial penalty at Euro 2020 that saw France exit the last 16 to Switzerland, but he has been very successful with his showing at the 2022 World Cup.

Mbappe won the golden boot in Qatar with eight goals in seven games, leapfrogging Lionel Messi who eventually won the competition with a hat-trick in the final defeat to Argentina. If he manages those numbers at Euro 2024, France will no longer be able to stop him.

Now as a Real Madrid player, it will be interesting to see when Didier Deschamps uses his prized possession. The 25-year-old is best suited to come in from the left side and should feature in that role, even if he succeeds as a number nine.

No matter where you play, you score goals – and probably more than anyone else.