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The anticipation for Copa America 2024 is building up as June 21 draws closer. With just under a fortnight to go, teams are already through their last-minute preparations and ready to jump into the continental competition.
Scoring goals has never been easy in the Copa America because of the typical South American style of physically taxing football. However, several players have managed to beat the odds and come out with all guns blazing despite the adversities.
Top 5 players who can win the Golden Boot in Copa America 2024
Here is the list of the top five players who have the highest probability of winning the Golden Boot in Copa America 2024.
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#5 Darwin Nunez - Uruguay
The Uruguayan forward can play both as a lone man up top or as a winger making runs up and down the pitch. His off-the-ball movement and clever positioning are two of his biggest strengths and will be helpful during Uruguay's counter-attacks.
Darwin Nunez scored 18 goals and provided 13 assists in 54 games across competitions for Liverpool in the 2023-24 season. The 24-year-old has been wasteful in front of goal for the Reds but he is still one of the players to look out for in Copa America 2024.
#4 Julian Alvarez - Argentina
Julian Alvarez will be one of the prime players in front of the goal for defending champions Argentina. The youngster is an extremely versatile player and can play in several positions. The Manchester City forward can be used as a solitary No. 9 or can work in tandem with a strike partner. Furthermore, he can drop back and help in the playmaking.
Alvarez was one of the most effective players for Argentina in their title-winning 2022 World Cup campaign, scoring four crucial goals. He netted 19 goals and assisted 13 more in 54 games across competitions for City last season.
Alvarez's ability to track back and run throughout the 90 minutes is another underrated skill of the forward. This will be especially useful for the Argentine setup as the likes of Lionel Messi and Angel Di Maria will not help out defensively in most cases.
#3 Lautaro Martinez - Argentina
Another Argentine to challenge for the Golden Boot in Copa America 2024 is Lautaro Martinez. He recently won the Serie A title with Inter Milan and was the Nerazzurri's highest goalscorer in the league (24).
Martinez's biggest strength lies in his ability to break defensive lines and beat the offside trap through his clever forward runs and positioning. The 26-year-old is also a potent header of the ball and will be one of the prime targets for Lionel Messi's looping crosses into the penalty box.
In 44 games across competitions for Inter Milan in the 2023-24 season, Martinez netted 27 goals and created seven more.
#2 Vinicius Junior - Brazil
Vinicius Junior is one of the talismanic players for Brazil and their chances of winning the Copa America 2024 will greatly hinge on the performance of the Real Madrid forward.
Vinicius was one of the biggest clutch players for Los Blancos in their La Liga and Champions League-winning season. He scored 24 goals and provided 11 assists in 39 matches in all competitions.
Vinicius has the confidence and skills to bamboozle any defender with his amazing runs. The Brazillian can also navigate through tight spaces and escape with the ball because of his immaculate ball control and acceleration.
Finally, his finishing skills have greatly improved over the last few years. Vinicius will be the major contender to win the Golden Boot in the Copa America 2024.
#1 Lionel Messi - Argentina
The number one contender to win the Golden Boot in Copa America 2024 is undoubtedly Lionel Messi. This will arguably be the 36-year-old's last Copa America and possibly his last international tournament with Argentina, so Messi would want to bow out on a high.
Messi enjoys a dynamic role in the Argentina lineup. He often drops deep into the midfield and invokes creativity in Argentina's ball progression and midfield gameplay.
Moreover, he has consistently shown his goalscoring skills from dead-ball situations and will want to bag some direct free-kick goals in Copa America 2024.
