Euro 2016 Odds – Will Ronaldo Wear the Golden Boot?

With the level of competition so high and every match hotly contested, you don’t need to score a hat-trick every game to lead the Euro in goals and capture the Golden Boot. During the 2012 Euro, six players split the award by scoring just three goals apiece; four years earlier, Spaniard David Villa led the pack with four goals.

Euro 2016 could see something similar, especially since Barcelona’s trio of scoring machines are all South American.

Or not, since the best goal scorer in the world will still be in mix.

Even though he’s always been better for his club than his country, Cristiano Ronaldo has the talent to dominate any competition, regardless of the color of his shirt. The Portuguese phenom sits tied atop the early Golden Boot odds. He’d be alone at the top were his team better. But as things stand, Germany are likely to get more games at the competition, making their man Thomas Muller an equally worthy candidate.

Odds to win the Golden Boot at Euro 2016:

Cristiano Ronaldo (Portugal): 5/1

Cristiano is the best striker in the world and – for many – the best player in the world. Yes, he’s struggled to score with the national team like he does with Real Madrid, but the offense is still run through him, and he’ll have every opportunity to change his fortunes in the tournament.

Thomas Muller (Germany): 5/1

Muller is one of the most versatile players in the entire soccer world. He can play as a striker or a midfielder, but with Germany, he’s the go-to scorer.  He’s also a clutch performer who’s tallied ten goals in just 13 World Cup matches. Considering how powerful Germany is, and their aggressive style, he’s a worthy pareil for Ronaldo.

Antoine Griezmann (France): 9/1

Without Karim Benzema on the roster (coach’s decision), Antoine Griezmann becomes the number one striker for France. Griezmann has grown immensely over the last year with Atletico Madrid; however, he’s more of a playmaker than pure scorer.

Harry Kane (England) 12/1:

England have never won a European title. They’re led by an interesting crop of youngsters now, but as exciting as the young guns are, it’s difficult to see them trumping more experienced squads. If they’re going to, Spurs striker Harry Kane will have to be in top form. The 22-year-old has four goals in ten caps with the national team and led the EPL with 25 goals on the year.

Robert Lewandowski (Poland): 16/1

Lewandowski fell off his torrid first-half pace in the latter part of the season with Bayern Munich. But he remains one of the best strikers in the world and will have the hopes of Poles resting squarely on his shoulders. He’s the go-to-guy every time his team attacks. But his odds are relatively long because Poland isn’t expected to get far. As you’ll see, the bulk of the next group of favorites are from teams expected to last.

The Field:

• Olivier Giroud (France): 20/1
• Alvaro Morata (Spain): 25/1
• Anthony Martial (France): 25/1
• Marco Reus (Germany): 25/1
• Zlatan Ibrahimovic (Sweden): 33/1

(Photo Credit: Fanny Schertzer (Own work) [CC BY-SA 3.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0)], via Wikimedia Commons.)