Football legends Michel Platini and Cristiano Ronaldo head the way in the list of top scorers in European Championship history.
Michel Platini and Cristiano Ronaldo are tied in first place as the highest scorers in European Championship history on nine goals each.
This summer’s tournament, therefore, offers Ronaldo a golden opportunity. The Portugal captain can take Platini’s record outright by scoring at least one goal. And given his phenomenal strike rate, it will take a brave man to bet otherwise.
To date, CR7 has played 21 games across four different European Championships. The star has scored in each of those tournaments, a feat no footballer has ever achieved. He bagged two goals in Euro 2004, a goal in Euro 2008, and three goals each in Euro 2012 and 2016.
Top 10 all-time scorers in European Championship history
Pos | Player | National Team | Goals |
---|---|---|---|
1) | Michel Platini | France | 9 |
2) | Cristiano Ronaldo | Portugal | 9 |
3) | Alan Shearer | England | 7 |
4) | Antoine Griezmann | France | 6 |
5) | Ruud van Nistelrooy | Netherlands | 5 |
6) | Patrick Kluivert | Netherlands | 5 |
7) | Wayne Rooney | England | 5 |
8) | Thierry Henry | France | 5 |
9) | Zlatan Ibrahimovic | Sweden | 5 |
10) | Nuno Gomes | Portugal | 5 |
Platini, meanwhile, scored all nine of his goals in five games for France in Euro 1984.
Joining Platini and Ronaldo on the podium is Alan Shearer. The former England captain may have scored seven goals in nine games, but he never won the European Championship.
Barcelona forward Antoine Griezmann, on the other hand, sits in fourth. With six goals in the bag, the Euro 2016 Golden Boot winner could rival the top spots this summer if he does well for France.
When do Ronaldo and Portugal return to action?
Ronaldo and Portugal have one last friendly against Israel in Lisbon on Wednesday coming up.
Fernando Santos’ men then begin their title defense in the European Championship by facing Hungary in Budapest on June 15 in their Group F opener. Germany (June 19) and France (June 23) come afterward.