The 10 best strikers in European Championship history ranked

Cristiano Ronaldo, Zlatan Ibrahimovic, Thierry Henry, and more legends made Alan Shearer and Micah Richards’ lists of best strikers in European Championship history.

Alan Shearer and Micah Richards both agree that Cristiano Ronaldo is the best striker in European Championship history.

The former England internationals gave their respective lists of top 10 strikers to have played in the European Championship on BBC ahead of this summer’s tournament, with Ronaldo finishing in first-place on both lists.

The Portugal captain is chasing his second title in the competition. He also hopes to surpass France icon Michel Platini as the all-time leading scorer in the European Championship. The pair are currently tied on nine goals each.

Former Euro winners Marco van Basten, Thierry Henry, Gerd Muller, and Jurgen Klinsmann also made the lists.

Barcelona forward Antoine Griezmann and AC Milan striker Zlatan Ibrahimovic, meanwhile, are the only active footballers on the lists.

Ronaldo’s former Manchester United teammates Wayne Rooney and Ruud van Nistelrooy also made the cut.

Alan Shearer’s top 10 list

The Premier League’s all-time record scorer is convinced Ronaldo is the greatest in European history and backed the five-time Ballon d’Or winner to surpass Platini as the competition’s record top scorer this summer.

Shearer said: “It’s alright having the ability but you have to have the attitude to go with it, and that hunger to make yourself the best and stay there – and Ronaldo, along with Lionel Messi, has taken the goalscoring ability to ridiculous levels now. He’ll get his 10th goal this summer and break the record, I’m sure.”

The ex-England captain, meanwhile, placed himself as the 10th best striker in European Championship history.

Micah Richards’ top 10 list

The former Manchester City full-back, who faced a young Ronaldo in the Premier League, is impressed by how the star has improved over the years.

Richards said: “I did alright against him but he just kept getting better and better. As he’s got older he’s an inspiration to any young kid and adult. He deserves to break the goalscoring record at the Euros; he’s still in great shape and still scoring goals.”

Richards also gave an almost identical list as Shearer. The only difference is he placed the former England captain in eighth-place and demoted Zlatan Ibrahimovic down to 10th.

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