Copa America Golden Boot: Who to Bet On?
by Tyler Doty
Our 3 Favorites for the Copa America Golden Boot
Placing a bet or prediction on the top scorer of a major competition (Copa America, Euro, or even the World Cup) is not an easy task. Of course, our experts have dived in to offer their analysis, including the contenders, outsiders, and the editorial team's top favorite. This is an additional asset for your 2024 Copa America predictions, guiding you throughout the competition.
No. 1: Lionel Messi for one last dance
Will we witness Lionel Messi's last major competition with the Albiceleste?
At 36 years old (37 on June 24), La Pulga is no longer at his peak but is enjoying the end of his career in MLS with his friends and former teammates (Luis Suarez, Jordi Alba, and Sergio Busquets). After chasing a trophy with his country for a long time, he won the last two tournaments he competed in: the Copa America in 2021 and, of course, the World Cup in 2022.
If he dreams of a treble to finish on top, he will have the chance to win a second consecutive Copa with Argentina. And, as always, the number 10 will want to sweep everything in his path, including the top scorer's trophy of the competition.
As usual, the number 10 will want to sweep everything in his path
Crowned the top scorer of the Copa America for the first time in his career during the last edition with 4 goals (tied with Luis Diaz), the former Barcelona player intends to take this individual trophy home again. In any case, he is once again the big favorite, both with sportsbooks with an average odds of +300, and with observers.
At Sportytrader, we also believe there doesn't seem to be significant competition for Lionel Messi this year, although many good attackers will participate in the 2024 Copa America.
We place him as our top favorite! Argentina's top scorer, leading by a wide margin with 106 goals (Gabriel Batistuta is second with 55 goals), intends to increase his lead during the tournament!
No. 2: Vinicius must lead the Seleção
The Real Madrid striker has progressed in recent seasons.
Having become a key offensive player in the soccer world, the Brazilian left winger shines in the white jersey and frequently finds the back of the net. But with Brazil, it's a very different story: long overshadowed by Neymar, Vinicius has only scored 3 goals in 28 matches for the Seleção! These statistics certainly recall his early years with Real Madrid...
Now free from competition with Neymar, who has moved to Saudi Arabia and has been injured since the start of the season, Vini now wears the number 10 for Brazil and will need to be the offensive leader of this team.
The sportsbooks place him in second place
And he knows how to elevate his game, as he has proven with Real Madrid in major competitions and big matches. We saw it again in the last Champions League final. Proof of this is that despite his rather poor statistics with the national team, the sportsbooks place him in second position, just behind Lionel Messi, with odds of +400 for the top scorer title in this 2024 Copa America.
He will rely on his Real Madrid attacking partners, Rodrygo and Endrick (who will join the Madrid club this summer), to make him shine and aim to finish the competition with this personal distinction!
From our editorial team’s perspective, it wouldn't be surprising to see him find the net in this tournament, especially as he has been repositioned as a false 9 under Ancelotti this season and knows how to be decisive in front of goal!
No. 3: Darwin Nunez continuing the Uruguayan tradition
To round out our top 3, a name that might surprise some given his reputation for lacking finishing skills.
Liverpool striker Darwin Nunez is indeed sometimes clumsy in front of goal, but he at least has the merit of creating numerous chances and never giving up.
After producing great forwards like Diego Forlan, Edinson Cavani, and Luis Suarez, Uruguay is now counting on their coach Marcelo Bielsa to transform the talented Nunez into a true killer in the box.
11 goals in the Premier League this season and 5 in the Europa League
With 11 goals in the Premier League this season and 5 in the Europa League, his record remains quite impressive, and the Liverpool striker aims to shine during this 2024 Copa America.
The sportsbooks' third favorite with odds of +600 (tied with Argentine Julian Alvarez, who might well be overshadowed by his teammate Lionel Messi), the former Benfica Lisbon forward should not be underestimated in our opinion and could be a real threat in a very attacking team under Bielsa.
Top Scorer of Copa America 2024: The Outsiders
After discussing our three main favorites for the title of top scorer in the 2024 Copa America, let's address some candidates who are worth watching even though their chances of finishing in first place are less likely by the end of the tournament.
First, Lautaro Martinez, who once again had a very solid year with Inter Milan, finishing as champion and also the top scorer in Serie A with 24 goals in 33 matches. He will be competing with Julian Alvarez, who has played and scored much less with Manchester City this year. The odds for the Inter forward are +800 to finish as the top scorer of the Copa.
Next, Endrick, the young Palmeiras striker who will join Real Madrid after this Copa America, is also worth keeping an eye on. The 17-year-old striker, having played only 4 times with Brazil, has already scored 2 goals, and not against just any teams.
For instance, during the March international break, he played only a total of 65 minutes against England and Spain, scoring two goals at Wembley and Santiago Bernabeu! With an average odds of +1900 among sportsbooks, why not take a chance on this young talent?
The Colombian striker from Liverpool, Luis Diaz, is also worth watching
Next, we must mention the player who rivaled Messi, finishing with the same number of goals in the last Copa America. The Colombian striker from Liverpool, Luis Diaz, is also worth watching, having scored 8 goals with the Reds this season in the Premier League.
Lastly, two players currently playing in Ligue 1: Folarin Balogun from AS Monaco and Jonathan David, the striker from LOSC in Lille.
Balogun, who was outstanding with Reims last year (21 goals in the league in 37 matches), was slightly less decisive in his first season with Monaco (7 goals and 5 assists in 29 matches). With his 3 goals in 10 matches with Team USA, he aims to make a big impact with his country in his first major competition.
Just above the United States, there is Canada! And while the star player for the Canucks remains Alphonso Davies, the maple leaf country also boasts a formidable striker in Jonathan David.
The striker, who has been playing for Lille in Ligue 1 for four seasons now, has made a significant mark in the league, often being decisive for his club. After scoring 24 goals last year in the league alone, he has added 19 more this season, along with 3 goals in the Coupe de France and 4 in the Conference League. For the national team, he has 26 goals in 46 matches! Both he and Balogun have odds of +4900 with the sportsbooks, so if you want to go for a high-risk bet, one of them might be of interest to you!
