With the match against Croatia in the main round, in which Nikola Karabatic scored five goals in his 75th European Championship game, Karabatic overtook Gudjon Valur Sigurdsson.
While most of the players in the top 20 failed to score any further goals, another competitor had emerged in the race for the top spot. Both would go on to reach the final in 2024 as France eventually ended up taking the trophy against the Danes after extra-time.
Denmarks Mikkel Hansen, was only playing his eighth tournament and went into the last five of his 57 European Championship games trailing Karabatic by thirteen goals. But while the Frenchman only managed to score six more goals, Hansen, who particularly strong from the seven-meter line, finished with 20 goals and 296 goals in total to edge one goal ahead.
The list of the leading goalscorer's in history at the European Championships:
1) 296 goals, Mikkel Hansen, DEN, 2010-2024
2) 295 goals, Nikola Karabatic, FRA, 2004-2024
3) 288 goals, Gudjon Valur Sigurdsson, ISL, 2000-2020
4) 203 goals, Stefan Lövgren, SWE, 1994-2004
5) 190 goals, Sander Sagosen, NOR, 2014-2024
6) 188 goals, Ivan Cupic, CRO, 2006-2018, 2022
7) 188 goals, Lars Christiansen, DEN, 1996, 2000-2012
8) 185 goals, Luc Abalo, FRA, 2006-2020
9) 183 goals, Ólafur Stefánsson, ISL, 2000-2010
10) 182 goals, Jan Filip, CZE, 1998, 2002-04, 08-12