This year's Olympic women's soccer tournament is right around the corner, and It's stacked with many of the elite teams in the women's game - and as such, much of its top talent. It means that we are not only set for excitement in the challenge to win the gold medal, but also in the Golden Boot race.
While teams such as Japan and Australia tend to share the goals around, and it's not entirely clear who will consistently be Brazil's biggest goal threat in the tournament, others have clear focal points in some pretty dangerous attacks - and they will fancy their chances in the battle to be top-scorer.
So, who are the big contenders to top the goal charts at Paris 2024? INDIVISA takes a look.
10. Marta, Brazil
Could the player widely regarded as the greatest ever to grace the women's game score the goals that fire Brazil to Olympic gold this summer? Head coach Arthur Elias has changed his line-ups in 2024 and so it isn't totally clear who will be the focal point in attack, but Marta has contributed her fair share when involved - whether from the start or off the bench. The 38-year-old has been in great form at club level, to, and is already enjoying her best goal-scoring season in the NWSL since 2019 - only one strike off her total for that year.
9. Mina Tanaka, Japan
During last year's run to the World Cup quarterfinals, Japan shared the goals around the team, with Hinata Miyazawa eventually winning the tournament's Golden Boot. It's been a tough year, injury-wise, since then, and it's Mina Tanaka who looks better-placed to be the Asian nation's source of goals in France. The 30-year-old continues to start ahead of fellow striker Riko Ueki on a regular basis and there's a reason why - she's scored three goals in her last four appearances for her country.
8. Rasheedat Ajibade, Nigeria
While Nigeria, like Brazil, has the tendency to mix things up in attack given the sheer depth and quality of options in those areas, one player who tends to be a regular out wide is Rasheedat Ajibade - she has plenty of goals in her. The 24-year-old has scored five of the Super Falcons' 14 since last summer's World Cup and she ended her club season in flying form, too, netting six times in Atletico Madrid's final nine league outings.
7. Mayra Ramirez, Colombia
When Mayra Ramirez is on song, there is not much that can stop her. That was clear in an individual demolition of Manchester United on the final day of the Women's Super League season, with the striker scoring twice and assisting two more to set Chelsea on its way to a fifth successive league title - all before being subbed off with more than half an hour to play. What stops her from being a bigger front-runner for the Golden Boot, though, is that she is the player that attracts the attention of defenders in order to free up space for teammates. That was the case at last year's World Cup where Ramirez caught the eye with her hold-up play and creativity, but didn't score once for Colombia in five games.
6. Adriana Leon, Canada
No player scored more goals at this year's CONCACAF W Gold Cup than Adriana Leon, whose six strikes secured her the Golden Boot, a place in the tournament's Best XI and helped Canada reach the semifinals. Representing another team that can often change up its attack, Leon is a regular and no stranger to showing up against the big teams, boasting four goals against the USWNT already in 2024. However, Canada is not the most free-flowing, attacking side at this Olympics and that may work against her in her search for another top-scorer award.
5. Lea Schuller, Germany
It feels near-impossible to predict how Germany will fare at this Olympics. Knocked out in the group stages of last year's World Cup for the first time in its history, the team has been under the interim charge of Horst Hrubesch since November and has put in some questionable performances, but still managed to secure qualification for this tournament courtesy of an impressive 2-0 win over the Netherlands in February. Lea Schuller was the game-changer that day and has since cemented a place in Hrubesch's XI, bagging seven goals in her last seven games for Germany. How the team as a whole fares will determine how strong a runner she is in this Golden Boot race, though.
4. Sophia Smith, United States
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Getty ImagesIf the U.S. attack clicks into gear at this tournament, Sophia Smith has to be one of the favorites for the Golden Boot. With the likes of Trinity Rodman, Jaedyn Shaw and Mallory Swanson around her, Smith is part of an incredibly talented forward line and she brings her own other-worldly qualities to the table as part of that - those which have helped her score 10 goals in 14 games for the Portland Thorns in 2024. The question is whether the USWNT, based on what happened in last year’s World Cup, will live up to its potential in the final third.
3. Marie-Antoinette Katoto, France
Is it finally time for a major international tournament to see Marie-Antoinette Katoto in full flow? After being controversially left off France’s roster at its home World Cup in 2019, suffering an ACL injury at the 2022 Euros and, as a result, missing the 2023 World Cup, Katoto will be itching to make a statement at this Olympics. She looks ready to as well. Paris Saint-Germain’s all-time top goal-scorer comes into the tournament having scored three match-winning goals in her last six appearances for her country and France will hope contributions like that can fire it to a medal.
2. Barbra Banda, Zambia
Despite scoring back-to-back hat-tricks on her Olympic debut three years ago, Barbra Banda believes she can do more this time around. That’s a frightening thought. The electric forward managed those six goals even though Zambia crashed out in the group stages in Japan and the fact the Copper Queens will likely endure another early exit - with flaws in defense in particular - is the only thing that knocks Banda down in these rankings. She has 12 goals in 12 NWSL games this year and is sure to maintain such form.
1. Salma Paralluelo, Spain
After enjoying a breakthrough year that culminated in last summer’s Women’s World Cup, Salma Paralluelo will be back on the big stage for Spain this year as an even better player, having scored 34 goals in all competitions for Barcelona this past season and has become a more regular starter for club and country. Still just 20 years old, the forward looks set to be on the receiving end of plenty of chances at this Olympics and is sure to be right up there in the race for the Golden Boot.