Europa League 2025/26: Top Scorer Predictions and Players to Watch
As the next season of the Europa League, 2025/26, gets underway in September, fans and pundits gear up to pay special attention to the competition, especially on the eventual winners, and the individuals to fight for the Golden Boot. The competition this year has a strong 36-match field involving Aston Villa, Roma, Bologna, Real Betis, Celta Vigo, Freiburg, Stuttgart, Lyon, Lille, Porto, and Dinamo Zagreb, along with qualifiers such as Genk, Young Boys, Samsunspor, Hibernian, etc.
Bruno Fernandes of Manchester United finished among the leading goal scorers in the Europa League in 2024/25
The Top Scorers of the Last Season
The leading goalscorers in the 2024/25 Europa League were Bruno Fernandes (Manchester United), Ayoub El Kaabi (Olympiacos), and Kasper Høgh (Bod/Glimt) with seven goals apiece. Close behind them was a group of six-goal scorers: Vaclav Cerny (Rangers), Malick Fofana (Lyon), Rasmus Hojlund (Manchester United), Youssef En-Nesyri (Galatasaray), Victor Osimhen (Galatasaray), and Barnabas Varga (Ferencvaros).
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Samu Aghehowa is one of the hottest players to win the Europa League Golden Boot this season
Leading Contenders for 2025/26
Samu Aghehowa (FC Porto): Samu scored six goals in the Europa League last season and looks set, again, to take Porto even, but that will depend on how far his side goes in the tournament.Youri Tielemans (Aston Villa): Another player to watch will be Youri Tielemans, who plays as an attacking midfield linchpin for Aston Villa. He can dictate play, score at opportune moments, and make intelligent passes, which make him a player to watch in the Europa League. Villa's attacking formation might be built around him, but also with Dominic Calvert-Lewin linked with a move to Villa Park, we could see more than one player from one team fighting for the Golden Boot.
Malick Fofana (Lyon): Fofana ended last season on a high, and he returns as one of the main attacking outlets of Lyon. Now, Lyon has direct access to the league phase, and Fofana is expected to get sufficient group-stage time to score. However, he will have to make do without the supply of Rayan Cherki, who has since moved to the English Premier League to join Manchester City.
Paulo Dybala (AS Roma): Dybala remains a Roma player despite the numerous rumours linking him with a move away, and will be key to the Italian side's progress. He is a proven goalscorer and has a pedigree of performing well in Europe. He will be a name you cannot ignore in the Golden Boot debate.
Other names to keep an eye on include: Vaclav Cerny (Rangers) might join them should they drop into the Europa League through one of their Champions League qualification routes, and Ollie Watkins, should Aston Villa make it to the final stages of the competition. Watkins is wanted by top European sides, including Manchester United, but what we know so far, he is still an important player for Unai Emery.
What Can Decide the Golden Boot Race?
Tournament depth: Additional play provides additional chances: Clubs reaching the quarter-finals and beyond provide their leading scorers with the time to rise up the lists.Transfers & rotation: Clubs can change up line‐ups as the season progresses; injured key attackers (e.g., Betis losing Antony) can cause a lot of change in attack.
Tactical functions: Creative midfielders, such as Tielemans, can rack up assists along with last-minute scoring, whilst strikers snatch opportunities within the box.
Threats and Dark Horses
Teams such as Porto, Real Betis, and Roma have weapons of attack that are not afraid on the continental stage. Players like Borja Iglesias of Real Betis or Mehdi Taremi would benefit in the long term with more playing minutes in the group stage games.And of course, qualifiers with good recent scoring papers, such as Young Boys with Jean-Pierre Nsame or Samsunspor's top scorer, cannot be ignored should their teams get deep.
The Verdict: Who Emerges as Top Scorer in 2025/26?
In the absence of Bruno Fernandes and Rasmus Hojlund, Samu, Youri Tielemans, Malick Fofana, and Paulo Dybala stand out as the most outstanding early favourites. These are players who have been with their teams for quite some time, meaning settling in will not be an issue. Other players could be joining the list from the Champions League, but the fact that these are players playing right from the group stages gives them an edge.There will be dark horses, and that is for sure, but barring some kind of surprises, the golden boot could go to one of the seasoned scorers of last year. The European transfer window is open, and teams are signing up new faces in preparation for the upcoming season. The tables could be turning on the big names we've come to know.