Ronaldo STILL leads Euro 2020 Golden Boot race! Can England’s Kane or Sterling overtake him in final?

Four weeks and 50 matches on from the opening match of Euro 2020, we have just one game remaining: Sunday’s final between Italy and England at Wembley (LIVE on ESPN/ESPN+ at 3 p.m. ET).

A total of 140 goals have been scored across 11 different cities since we kicked off with Italy’s 3-0 win over Turkey on June 11 in Rome. That’s a rate of 2.8 goals per game, with a goal scored once every 32 minutes on average.

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Amazingly enough, Cristiano Ronaldo is still perched at the summit of the goal-scoring charts despite his involvement ending with Portugal’s elimination in the round of 16.

Ronaldo scored five goals in four games before Portugal were knocked out by Belgium, the same number as Czech Republic striker Patrik Schick, who made one more appearance as his country reached the quarterfinals.

However, Ronaldo also has an assist to his name — meaning that the Juventus superstar is narrowly ahead in the running to win the Golden Boot due to the criteria by which UEFA rank the contenders. Should two or more players end the tournament at the top of the chart with the same number of goals, UEFA will use assists as a tiebreaker, then fewest minutes played and then, finally, goals scored in qualifying if necessary to declare a winner.

With just Italy and England left in the competition, and a maximum of 120 minutes of playing time remaining, can anyone deny Ronaldo adding yet another elite accolade to his incredible career?

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Cristiano Ronaldo (Portugal/Juventus) Cristiano Ronaldo became the top goal scorer in European Championship history at Euro 2020. Getty

Goals: 5Assists: 1Minutes played (appearances): 360 (4)Minutes per goal: 72Goals in qualifying: 11Shots (on target): 16 (8)Next opponent: Eliminated

Four of Ronaldo’s five goals at Euro 2020 came from the penalty spot. His two late spot kicks put the gloss on Portugal’s opening 3-0 win against Hungary, before another two sealed a 2-2 draw with France that ensured the defending champions progressed to the knockout phase. Between those, however, was a a stunning effort in the 4-2 loss against Germany in which he sprinted the length of the pitch to round off a rapid counter-attack.

Goals: 4Assists: 0Minutes played (appearances): 529 (6)Minutes per goal: 132.2Goals in qualifying: 12Shots (on target): 15 (8)

After failing to score at all during the group stage, a flurry of four goals in three knockout games sees Kane well-positioned to overtake Ronaldo and Schick with one game left to play. Unfortunately for the Spurs striker, he needs to add at least another two goals to his tally in the final, and do so against one of the meanest defences in world football.

Kane had his extra-time penalty in Wednesday’s semifinal saved by Denmark goalkeeper Kasper Schmeichel, but the England captain fired home the rebound to ensure he has scored all four of his goals from open play. Ronaldo netted four of his five goals at this tournament from the penalty spot.

Germany legend Gerd Muller was the last European player to claim the Golden Boot award at two successive major international tournaments (the 1970 World Cup and 1972 Euros), and it’s still within the realms of possibility that 2018 World Cup top scorer Kane could emulate that feat.

Goals: 3Assists: 1Minutes played (appearances): 521 (6)Minutes per goal: 173.6Goals in qualifying: 8Shots (on target): 14 (7)

Gareth Southgate’s side made cautious progress through the group stage, but there was still room for Sterling to shine. The nimble forward scored the only goal in each of England’s 1-0 wins against Croatia and Czech Republic. Sterling’s goals secured England’s progress as winners of Group D and sent them into the round of 16, where another inspirational goal from the Wembley local boy helped dispose of long-time tournament nemesis Germany.

Sterling has already cemented his national hero status, but he also came within a whisker of adding a fourth goal to his Euro 2020 tally in the semis. However, it was Denmark captain Simon Kjaer who slid in just ahead of the Manchester City man to inadvertently divert the ball into his own goal and open the scoring on Wednesday night.

Goals: 2Assists: 0Minutes played (appearances): 422 (5)Minutes per goal: 176Goals in qualifying: 0Shots (on target): 14 (5)

Italy have shared the goals out on their run to the final with their 12 goals spread out among six of their own players, plus one own goal. It will take truly remarkable personal performance in a goalfest of a final for any of Roberto Mancini’s players to end up as top scorer, but what is football if not a place for miracles?

Chiesa had to wait until the round of 16 to open his account, curling in a beautiful effort against Austria to open the scoring in extra-time. The Juventus forward followed that up by opening scoring against Spain in a tense and thrilling semifinal which the Azzurri eventually won on penalties. He may still be some way off in the Golden Boot stakes, but Chiesa is hitting form, proving himself to be a big-game player, and discovering a knack of chipping in with goals at important stages in crunch ties. England beware.

Goals: 2Assists: 1Minutes played (appearances): 390 (5)Minutes per goal: 195Goals in qualifying: 3Shots (on target): 17 (3)

A player who sums up Italy’s group work ethic, Immobile has grafted tirelessly to chase, harry and press while also providing a goal threat as Mancini’s first-choice forward. However, despite pot-shots aplenty, the Lazio striker hasn’t scored since the group stage. Other than hitting the woodwork against Austria in the round of 16, he hasn’t really come close to increasing his goal count.

Goals: 2Assists: 0Minutes played (appearances): 422 (5)Minutes per goal: 211Goals in qualifying: 3Shots (on target): 14 (6)

After scoring his first goal at Euro 2020 in the opening match, it took Insigne until the quarterfinals for Insigne to double his tally. The diminutive forward has been a vital cog in the Azzurri machine by pulling strings, dribbling at defenders and covering vast amounts of ground defensively. While it would take a truly momentous exhibition of individual star power for Insigne to top the goal charts, the potential for him to produce something special in the final is quite apparent.

Goals: 2Assists: 0Minutes played (appearances): 248 (4)Minutes per goal: 124Goals in qualifying: 0Shots (on target): 4 (3)

While impressing with a number of energetic performances, both of Locatelli’s goals at the tournament came during the same game — a 3-0 win against Switzerland in Italy’s second group-stage match. He’s found himself on the bench throughout the knockout phase, coming on as a late substitute against Austria and Spain and not featuring at all against Belgium in the quarters.

Goals: 2Assists: 0Minutes played (appearances): 191 (4)Minutes per goal: 95.5Goals in qualifying: 0Shots (on target): 3 (2)

Pessina scored in successive matches, first against Wales in Italy’s final group-stage outing and then again (after coming off the bench) in extra-time against Austria. The midfielder was then an unused substitute against Belgium in the quarterfinals before entering the fray against Spain in the semis in the 74th minute.

Golden Boot for own goals?

We couldn’t mention the pursuit of the Golden Boot award without giving an honourable mention to the one name which has graced the scoresheet more than any other. The real top scorer at Euro 2020 is “own goal,” who opened the scoring at the tournament by breaking the deadlock between Italy and Turkey in the very first match and going from strength to strength since then,

“Own goal” has comfortably outperformed Ronaldo, Schick, Kane, Sterling and Benzema, scoring 11 goals at Euro 2020 so far. We saw eight players score against their own team in the group stage (including the very first goal of the tournament and in the same game: Spain vs. Slovakia), one in the round of 16, one in the quarterfinals, and one in the semifinals.

Euro 2020 has easily surpassed the total number of own goals scored at every other European Championship combined, with just nine own goals scored across the 15 previous tournaments.

If anybody deserves an award for their incredible individual contribution to the competition, it’s “own goal.”