Euro 2012: 5 Favorites to Win the Golden Boot

One of the most exciting aspects of major international competitions is tracking players in contention for the coveted Golden Boot.

The Golden Boot is presented to the player who scores the most goals in the competition, with various tiebreakers in place to prevent joint winners.

The winner of the Euro 2008 Golden Boot was the Spaniard David Villa, but he will miss Euro 2012 as he recovers from a broken leg suffered in December.

With many of the world's top scorers at home in South America, the pool of elite scorers shrinks considerably.

Here are my favorites for the Euro 2012 Golden Boot.

Robin van Persie, Netherlands

After capping his 2011 season as the Professional Footballers' Association Player of the Year, Robin van Persie will look to add another piece of hardware to his trophy case at the Euros.

He led the English Premier League with 30 goals, and is likely to get the bulk of the time as the Netherlands' center-forward.

Though he's struggled to stay healthy throughout his career, the Arsenal man proved he is as deadly as any when he can stay on the pitch. His brilliant array of class goals this season is a testament to that.

He does, however, face a bit of competition for time in the form of Klaas-Jan Huntelaar, who led the German Bundesliga in goals this past season. Huntelaar also scored 12 goals in Group E of Euro qualifiers, while no other player exceeded seven. Van Persie tallied six.

Regardless, a betting man would say Van Persie is the starter, and he figures to feature prominently on a team expected to venture deep into the tournament. The Netherlands, World Cup runners-up, are among the favorites to win Euro 2012.

Karim Benzema, France

France put on one of the most embarrassing World Cup demonstrations in history in 2010. With leadership being questioned, players not practicing and an overall sense of negativity, France took their shame and regret home after the group stage.

However, they now seem to be back on track. They dominated qualifiers with their defense, and scored enough goals to secure a place in the tournament. More importantly, the team really started to gel as qualifying went on.

France lost only one qualifier—their first. That was back in September 2010.

After that, they surrendered only three goals, compared to the 15 they offered in response.

Karim Benzema wasn't prolific in qualifying, but neither was he poor. Just 24 years old, Benzema could easily catch fire and lead France to a top-four finish. That would be considered a great success for a team still trying to recapture their reputation as a soccer world power.

He did manage 21 goals in La Liga this season, despite sharing the spotlight at Real Madrid with both Cristiano Ronaldo and Gonzalo Higuain.

Can't hurt that France only brought two bona fide forwards to Euro 2012, either.

Fernando Llorente, Spain

Finally, Fernando Tor...

Llorente?

While Fernando Torres certainly is the more popular of the two, the Athletic Bilbao front man is the more trusted striker by Spain boss Vicente del Bosque.

In five Euro qualifier appearances, Fernando Llorente netted three times, compared to three appearances and two goals for Torres.

In February, Torres was left off Spain's squad for the first time in five years. A couple of weeks ago, Torres himself admitted he thought he would be left off the final 23-man roster.

Llorente never suffered such doubts. After turning in a fine 17-goal campaign in La Liga this season, his sights are on joining a bigger club. Llorente is moving up in the world of soccer, while Torres is clinging to relevance with each goal.

I believe Torres will debut as the starting center-forward for Spain. Then, as he did in the World Cup, he will give way to a more trusted and productive option. With Roberto Soldado cut from the final team, I believe that option will be Llorente.

With Spain expecting to claim a berth in the final, he should have plenty of chances to score.

Robert Lewandowski, Poland

If you aren't familiar with Robert Lewandowski, you soon will be.

If the Polish forward continues the form he exhibited all season long, he's about to take co-hosts Poland past the group stages and into contention with some of the world's best.

At just 23 years old, Lewandowski is one of the most exciting young players in the tournament. Playing for Poland, he has a fantastic chance of advancing to the knockout stages.

Poland share Group A with Russia, Greece and the Czech Republic. While it certainly is not guaranteed, few would be truly surprised if Poland were top-two in the group.

His season with Borussia Dortmund saw him net 22 goals and record eight assists while appearing in 34 matches.

Being in the weakest group, he could jump out to an early lead in the race for the Golden Boot.

Mario Balotelli, Italy

Perhaps one of the most enigmatic and least understood athletes in the world, Mario Balotelli never fails to entertain.

Whether that's by registering using his rarely-used birth name Barwuah, or by attempting ill-advised trick shots in friendlies, Balotelli always keeps us wondering what's next.

For his next trick, he will lead Italy to the final of Euro 2012.

That may be a bit lofty, but it's not impossible. He's one of the most gifted 21-year-old players in the world, and already has years of experience in two world-class leagues. He certainly has all the potential.

The question is, what will he do with it?

He'll be competing for the starting gig with 34-year-old Antonio Di Natale, who has hardly lost a step in the Italian Serie A, netting 23 times this season for Udinese. Italy's coach, Cesare Prandelli, has already tipped who he'd prefer to be out there.

While Di Natale is perhaps a more clinical finisher, Balotelli offers athleticism, size and flair at a time when Italy sorely lacks all three. He brings an attitude and a confidence that can lift a team on any given day.

The Italians could use a little confidence, given the current scandal surrounding their league.