The European Championship (EURO) is the second-grandest worldwide cup competitors, second solely to the FIFA World Cup. Thriving on this quadrennial competitors is a surefire means of changing into a European legend. Because of this each participant price their salt pushes as exhausting as attainable to depart a mark.
As we await to congratulate the profitable staff, prime scorer, and the Participant of the Match of EURO 2024, let’s take a stroll down reminiscence lane and honor a handful of forwards who’ve left an ever-lasting footprint within the competitors’s historical past. Proceed studying to fulfill the 5 gamers with probably the most targets + assists in EURO historical past.
#5 Marco Van Basten (EURO 1988): 6 Objective Contributions
Main with poise and charm, Netherlands icon Marco Van Basten led his nation to European Championship glory in 1988. The legendary center-forward scored 5 instances and offered an help in 5 video games, ending as not solely the competitors’s highest scorer but additionally its finest participant.
The three-time Ballon d’Or winner scored an excellent hat-trick in opposition to England in a Group 2 conflict, propelling the Netherlands to a 3-1 win. He then scored the profitable objective in opposition to Germany within the semi-final and a thunderous volley in a 2-0 win over the Soviet Union within the ultimate. He additionally assisted Ruud Gullit for Holland’s opening objective.
#4 Milan Baros (EURO 2004): 6 Objective Contributions
Czechia legend Milan Baros made his European Championship debut in 2004. The formidable striker proved to be a menace contained in the opposition space, scoring a tournament-high 5 instances and offering an help. Baros’ finest efficiency got here within the quarter-final conflict with Denmark. He scored a superb brace to information Czechia to a 3-0 victory. Sadly, Baros fired a clean within the semi-final assembly with Greece and his nation crashed out after struggling a 1-0 defeat.
The previous Liverpool striker additionally featured in EURO 2008 and 2012. Nonetheless, he couldn’t replicate his 2004 heroics, failing to attain even as soon as in both event.
#3 Cristiano Ronaldo (EURO 2020): 6 Objective Contributions
Cristiano Ronaldo — the main scorer in European Championship historical past with 14 targets — was at his blistering finest in EURO 2020. Regardless of taking part in solely 4 video games earlier than Portugal’s Spherical-of-16 exit, Ronaldo scored 5 instances and offered an help, rising because the competitors’s joint-leading scorer alongside Patrick Schick.
Ronaldo, 39, made historical past in EURO 2024, changing into the primary participant in historical past to play in six iterations of the competitors. Sadly, the Al-Nassr famous person couldn’t prolong his report of scoring in each EURO marketing campaign, bowing out within the quarter-finals with out scoring regardless of making an attempt a competition-high 23 pictures.
#2 Antoine Griezmann (EURO 2016): 8 Objective Contributions
Antoine Griezmann was the Participant of the Match as France reached the European Championship ultimate in 2016. The Atletico Madrid attacker chipped in with six targets and two assists over the course of the marketing campaign. Griezmann was at his sensational finest within the semi-final conflict with Germany, scoring each targets in France’s 2-0 victory.
The next two EURO campaigns have been disappointing for Griezmann. In EURO 2020, he solely scored as soon as in 4 video games as Les Bleus exited the competitors within the Spherical of 16. In 2024, he neither scored nor assisted in six matches, reducing a annoyed determine as his staff crashed out after a 2-1 defeat to Spain within the semi-finals.
#1 Michel Platini (EURO 1984): 10 Objective Contributions
One of many best European gamers in historical past, Michel Platini was by far probably the most impactful participant in EURO 1984. In his first and solely European Championship marketing campaign, Platini scored a staggering 9 instances and offered an help.
The three-time Ballon d’Or winner scored in every of the 5 video games in EURO 1984, together with two hat-tricks in Group 1 wins over Belgium (5-0) and Yugoslavia (3-2). Platini scored the opening objective for France from a direct free-kick in a 2-0 win over Spain within the EURO 1984 ultimate.
