The 2021 edition of the Euro Championships is going to be the 16th edition of the European Championship and for the first time will be held in 11 cities across 11 European countries. Defending champions Portugal who clinched the title in 2016 will be one of the favourites this year along with the likes of England, Spain, Belgium and World Champions France. Let’s take a look at the possible star strikers who are expected to rattle the opposition goal and dazzle on Europe’s biggest stage from 12th June to 12th July this year.
KYLIAN MBAPPÉ
After winning the League 1 Golden boot for the third successive year, the pocket dynamite is surely waiting to explode on the Euro this year. Considered by many as the most talented player on the planet, the 22-year-old fired in 46 goals in the 2020-21 season for PSG and France, a feat that made him the youngest Frenchman to net 100 goals for Les Bleus. His menacing skills and blistering pace has been a nightmare for any opposition and the fact that he is backed by an extraordinarily talented French squad of Antoine Griezmann, Karim Benzema and Olivier Giroud seems to be a combination that can see the World Champions as top contenders.
HARRY KANE
England’s steady surge to the top of Football’s big prize has been knitted around a very special crop of young players who are led by their talismanic captain fantastic Harry Kane. His prolific form in the Premier League earned him the Golden Boot with 23 goals from 35 matches. His aerial ability and the knack to find the vacant spot in the opposition goal with sublime finishes has buoyed Tottenham Hotspurs into Europe. Kane was also responsible for 14 assists this season is a testimony of his eye for goal that will be vital for the English Lions. The England skipper has a galaxy of stars like Marcus Rashford, Calvert Lewin, Raheem Sterling, Foden, Sancho and Saka upfront to make the English attack its most potent weapon.
ROMELU LUKAKU
There is absolutely no doubt that Romelu Lukaku is blossoming into a world-class striker at Inter Milan. The 28-year-old is considered as a goal-scoring tank owing to his power-packed form that reaped 24 goals in 36 matches in the Serie A edging out Ronaldo’s opportunity to win with Juventus. Lukaku’s ability as a goal machine that has been tearing the opposition’s defence apart was on display this week as his strike was the sole difference that saw Belgium edge past Croatia, the 2018 FIFA World Cup Runners Up. Belgium has emerged in the last decade as the team to watch out for, especially with the youth academies churning out some of the best quality players on display all over the world. With Thibaut Courtois under the bar, Eden Hazard and Kevin De Bruyne marshalling the midfield with Jan Ceulemans in the attacking third, it is unfortunate that these stars choke when they don their national colours.
CHRISTIANO RONALDO
The Christiano Ranaldo scoring machine is firing on all cylinders at age 36 and there is no sign of him taking his foot off the accelerator. He is the only footballer to have won the Golden Boot for top-scoring in England, Spain and now in Italy. In Juventus colours this season his goal-scoring spree saw him at the top of the Serie A with 29 goals in 33 matches. He skippered Portugal to realize their long-cherished Euro Crown in 2016 and this time has a star-studded team to win the crown in 2021. The likes of Diogo Jota, Andre Silva and Bruno Fernandez team Portugal are definitely the heavyweights.
MEMPHIS DEPAY
The 27-year-old Lyon striker will be shouldering the aspiration of a nation after a nearly decade long hiatus as they return to European Football. The football world was shocked after the Dutch failed to qualify for the Euro 2016 and the 2018 FIFA World Cup. Netherlands’ return to top-flight football has been more due to Roland Koeman who has left for Barcelona and now Frank de Boer appears to be a strong squad. Depay’s sixty-three goals in 139 appearances, including six last season in the Champions League catapulted Lyon to the semifinal. Lyon briefly threatened a title charge in France courtesy of Depay’s 20 goals and 12 assists – a feat that has resulted in a race between Barcelona and Juventus for this Dutch rising star.
ROBERT LEWANDOWSKI
The 32-year-old Robert Lewandowski leads the pack of illustrious strikers and is Poland’s leading scorer with 66 goals in a record 118 appearances. This season he broke the Bundesliga’s 49-year-old record for goals in a season with 41 in 29 appearances for Bayern Munich and is in top form firing 17 goals in the last 10 games. However, the newly appointed head coach of Poland, Paulo Sousa, is working on his backup options in case his captain is not available.
While Germany looks shaky after their World Cup win in 2014 and is currently languishing at the 12th spot in the FIFA Rankings. A return of Thomas Muller could witness a resurgent Germany who were shockingly shown the exit doors after the nightmare first-round debacle in Russia 2020 and lost 0-6 to Spain in a Nation’s League game encounter. The German defence will be manned by Antonio Rudiger while Manuel Neuer will be taking his place as goalkeeper and captain. Leon Goretzka is a player who has emerged as Joachim Low’s box to box midfield player.
