The race for the golden boot, awarded to the tournament’s top scorer, most likely will be decided by two women playing in Sunday’s Euro 2022 final: forwards Beth Mead of England and Alexandra Popp of Germany.
Mead, a 27-year-old who generally works the right wing when she is not suddenly popping up unmarked the penalty area, has emerged as a surprisingly potent scorer and creator at the Euros, with six goals and three assists on an array of flicks, volleys, headers and one dribbling masterclass. She padded her goals total with a hat trick in England’s 8-0 rout of Norway in the group stage.