The Top Three Marksmen in Europe

If football is about anything then it is about the constant use of hoary old clichés by fans and pundits alike. Classics such as, “he’s not that kind of player”, “he hit it too well if anything”, “it’s a game of two halves” or, a personal favourite that’s been on the go for years, “there are no easy games left in international football” permeate the very fabric of the game. “Goals win games” is one such cliché and it definitely holds true because, well, score more goals than your opponent and the spoils are yours.

With that in mind, we’re going to take a look at three of the top scorers in Europe so far this season and speculate as to how they may fare in the World Cup this summer. Sadly for Gigi Buffon and Italy, we won’t be casting our eye on Serie A’s top scorer, Ciro Immobile, because the Italians managed to make a mess of their qualifying campaign and won’t be competing in the World Cup for the first time since breathing was invented.

We’ll start in the Premier League in England where Harry Kane finished second behind Mo Salah in the scoring charts. The Tottenham Hotspur striker has been in outstanding form for his club for over two seasons now and notched 30 goals in this campaign.

There has been a lot of speculation as to whether or not he deserves to be considered in the same bracket as Messi and Ronaldo or if will he be the subject of a €200 million bid from Real Madrid. What is certain is that he is a striker on top of his game and the very best that England has. If they are to have any success in the World Cup, the chances are that Harry Kane and his goals will be to the fore.

Can the Spurs striker fill his boots for England at the World Cup? Put your money where your mouth is with our choice of the best bookies:

Golden Boot Contenders?

In Ligue 1, Edinson Cavani is slaying all before him. He recently became Paris Saint-Germain’s all-time top scorer, overtaking one Zlatan Ibrahimovic in the process. The rangy Uruguayan has claimed 20 goals this season and doesn’t look like stopping. Any notions that his game would suffer as a result of the stellar attacking talents of Neymar and Kylian Mbappe taking his space or place have been rubbished. He can often times look awkward on the ball, snatching at crosses and wasting chances, and doubts persist in the minds of some commentators as to whether or not he is even a good player but there are few better out-and-out penalty box operators than Cavani. If Uruguay can service him and Luis Suarez up front this World Cup, they will score goals. What is it that goals do again?

Closing this piece is one Lionel Messi currently the top scorer in La Liga on 20 goals and likely the best player anyone will ever see. There is nothing this column can write that will add anything to your knowledge of or appreciation for the Argentine wizard but it’s probably fair to say that most neutral fans of the game will be willing Argentina to win the World Cup for no other reason than to see the little man lift the cup of cups, the one that his skills and talent so richly deserve – the FIFA World Cup Trophy.

World Cup Top Goalscorer:

Edinson Cavani @ 30/1 with 888Sport

About the author

Alan Penny

Editor-in-Chief

Alan hails from Northern Ireland and is an avid fan of all sports. He has been with us since 2017 and serves as SBO’s Editor-in-Chief. Alan passionately covers everything from the latest regulatory developments across the globe to tips on the latest football matches.