The Bundesliga's UEFA European Championship top scorers
The Bundesliga led the way with the most goals for a single league at UEFA Euro 2024 with 26 strikes, while Dani Olmo, Harry Kane and Jamal Musiala shared the Golden Boot with three other players. bundesliga.com takes a look at the German top-flight representatives who have previously topped the scoring charts at a European Championship.
1972: Gerd Müller – 4 goals
Euro 1972 was not quite the behemoth today’s tournament has become – only four sides took part in the final competition 52 years ago, with West Germany one of the quartet to qualify. By that point, Bayern Munich’s Müller had established himself as the country’s leading marksman. He underlined that status with crucial contributions in both the semi-final and final.
West Germany scored five goals across the two games, and Müller bagged four. A brace came versus Belgium before scoring either side of half-time as he and his teammates romped to a 3-0 victory in the final against Yugoslavia, clinching the nation’s maiden European Championship. That proved to be the only Euro he ever played in, but he still has his place in the competition’s history.
1976: Dieter Müller – 4 goals
With a Müller-shaped hole up front for West Germany, Dieter - no relation - stepped into the breach as the team looked to defend their trophy four years later, now as reigning FIFA World Cup holders too. They couldn’t quite get over the line on this occasion, but Müller made a similar impact to his namesake predecessor.
In the semi-finals of another four-team event, the Cologne striker netted the tournament’s first-ever hat-trick against Yugoslavia, finding the back of the net twice in extra-time. West Germany fell behind 2-0 in the final against Czechoslovakia, but Müller’s effort started the comeback. It wasn’t to be for the Germans, though, as Antonin Panenka created footballing folklore with a never-before-seen penalty that clinched the trophy.
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1980: Klaus Allofs – 3 goals
By 1980, the number of participating teams had doubled, but it was another Bundesliga star who proved to be the most clinical marksman. After drawing a blank in the 1-0 win over the reigning champions, Allofs popped up with a trio of efforts to down 1978 World Cup finalists the Netherlands.
After being rested in the final group game, the Fortuna Düsseldorf and later Cologne front man returned to the starting line-up for the final between the winners of each four-team section. The striker was unable to match his previous heroics, but his partner up top, Horst Hrubesch, scored twice to sink Belgium and clinch his nation's second European Championship.
1992: Karl-Heinz Riedle – 3 goals
There was a four-way tie for the Golden Boot in 1992, with Riedle among that group. The then Lazio man opened his account in the second group game against Scotland, and it was his brace against Sweden in the semi-finals that sent the now unified Germany to their fourth continental final.
On this occasion, though, they were usurped by Denmark, who had only entered the competition after Yugoslavia's last-minute withdrawal, having previously failed to qualify. Riedle partnered Jürgen Klinsmann up front, but it wasn’t to be – the 1997 UEFA Champions League winner with Borussia Dortmund represented for his country for two more years, playing his final match in 1994.
2012: Mario Gómez and Mario Mandžukić – 3 goals
The 2012 award was given to Fernando Torres on the basis that he achieved his tally in fewer minutes played than his competitors, of which there were five that also finished the campaign with three goals. Gómez officially finished second, as he and Torres both had one assist in addition to their three goals, but with Gomez playing slightly more minutes.
Bayern’s striker had an outstanding 2011/12 season in the lead up to the tournament, scoring 26 goals in 33 Bundesliga games as well as 12 goals in 12 games in the Champions League, although his efforts couldn’t prevent a painful loss in the final at home to Chelsea. His three strikes at the Euros came across Germany's first two group games as they eventually lost to Italy in the semis.
Croatia's Mario Mandžukić, who was on the verge of joining Bayern from Wolfsburg at the time, also registered three strikes, alongside Mario Balotelli (Italy), Alan Dzagoev (Russia) and Cristiano Ronaldo (Portugal). Mandžukić and his country didn't make it out the group, but he went on to join Bayern the following season, where he and Gómez would team up to bring the Bundesliga title and the Champions League back to Bavaria.
2020: Patrik Schick – 5 goals
Kicking things off against Scotland with a two-goal haul, including an effort from all of 49.7 yards out, Bayer Leverkusen man Schick started as he meant to continue in 2020's delayed tournament. His outrageous effort from the halfway line - having already headed his side in front - caught David Marshall off guard and stunned those in attendance. It would eventually land him the Goal of the Tournament Award.
An equaliser from the spot against Croatia followed that brace against Scotland, and the Czechia striker would continue to deliver beyond the group stages, scoring in a 2-0 defeat of the Netherlands. His and his country’s dream run came to an end against Denmark in the quarter-finals though, where Schick would score his final goal of a momentous tournament ending in a 2-1 defeat. He finished tied with Ronaldo on five goals but lost out on the official top scorer award by virtue of the Portugal man's one additional assist.
2024: Dani Olmo, Harry Kane and Jamal Musiala – 3 goals
Olmo, Kane and Musiala all finished Euro 2024 with three goals apiece, sharing a six-way tie for the Golden Boot award. Olmo’s Spain were the victors, with the RB Leipzig star instrumental in claiming the trophy. He scored his first against Georgia in the round of 16, following that up with a crucial strike against Germany, where he finished expertly past Manuel Neuer from just outside the box. An improvised finish against France would put them in the final against England in Berlin, where Olmo put in a tournament-saving clearance at the death to ensure Spain were champions.
England and Bayern star Kane reached back-to-back finals but came up short against Olmo & Co. The first of Kane's three goals came against Denmark in a 1-1 draw, where he converted from close range. Important goals in the knockout stages would follow as Kane gave the Three Lions the all-important lead against Slovakia in the round of 16. The final strike would come from the spot against the Netherlands in the semi-finals, which helped pave the way for a meeting with Spain in the final.
Lastly, Kane's clubmate Musiala made sure to bring out all the party tricks at Euro 2024. Kickstarting with a bang against Scotland in the opening game, Musiala rifled the ball home to double Germany’s lead on the night. He would follow that goal up with another important strike, giving Julian Nagelsmann’s side the lead against Hungary in their second group game. Musiala showed great composure to put the icing on the cake of a hard-earned 2-0 win over Denmark in the last-16, setting up a meeting with eventual winners Spain. Musiala's tournament ended there but he left a clear mark on Euro 2024. The Bundesliga trio shared the award (UEFA decided from this tournament that all top scorers would win the Golden Boot) with Cody Gakpo, Ivan Schranz and Georges Mikautadze.
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