While the United States returned to the top of the women's football echelon by taking home the gold medal at the 2024 Summer Olympics, there was an individual award to be won as well.
France went home disappointed after a Round of 16 exit at the hands of silver medalists Brazil, but forward Marie-Antoinette Katoto would not finish the tournament empty-handed as she won the competition's top goal scorer award. The 25-year-old scored five goals, all in the group stage, to end the tournament atop the charts.
Mallory Swanson of the United States and Barbra Banda of Zambia finished second on the list with four goals each. Swanson scored her last in the final, securing gold for the USA in a 1-0 victory over Brazil.
The goal meant Swanson finished one ahead of her "Triple Espresso" teammates Sophia Smith and Trinity Rodman, who ended the tournament with three goals each. Katoto's win meant that still no American has ever finished an Olympic tournament as the competition's top goal scorer, despite their five gold medals in women's soccer.
MORE: Full schedule, results, bracket for 2024 Olympic soccer tournaments
Top goal scorers in 2024 Olympic women's soccer
Top goal scorer list updated following final on Saturday, Aug. 10.
Pos. | Player | Nation | Goals (Pen) | Assists | Mins |
1. | Marie-Antoinette Katoto | France | 5 (0) | 0 | 390 |
2. | Mallory Swanson | USA | 4 (0) | 2 | 525 |
Barbra Banda | Zambia | 4 (0) | 1 | 270 | |
4. | Sophia Smith | USA | 3 (0) | 1 | 542 |
Trinity Rodman | USA | 3 (0) | 1 | 550 | |
Lea Schuller | Germany | 3 (0) | 0 | 373 | |
7. | Steph Catley | Australia | 2 (1) | 2 | 257 |
Salma Paralluelo | Spain | 2 (0) | 2 | 434 | |
Gabi Portilho | Brazil | 2 (0) | 1 | 485 | |
Alexia Putellas | Spain | 2 (0) | 0 | 254 | |
Alanna Kennedy | Australia | 2 (0) | 0 | 270 |
All-time Golden Boot winners in Olympic women's soccer history
Dutch star Vivianne Miedema set the record for the most goals ever scored in an Olympic women's soccer competition at the 2021 Olympics in Tokyo.
Miedema became the second-ever player to score four goals in a single Olympic match at that competition in a group game against Zambia. She also notched two goals in each of her other three games.
Despite the United States winning four gold medals, no USWNT player has ever finished an Olympic tournament as the leading goal scorer.
Conversely, winning the Golden Boot has not often translated into team success. Just once has a player finishes as the top goal scorer in women's soccer and also won the gold medal in the same year, as Melanie Behringer became the first with Germany in 2016.
Year | Player | Nation | Goals |
2024 | Marie-Antoinette Katoto | France | 5 |
2020 | Vivianne Miedema | Netherlands | 10 |
2016 | Melanie Behringer | Germany | 5 |
2012 | Christine Sinclair | Canada | 6 |
2008 | Cristiane | Brazil | 5 |
2004 | Cristiane | Brazil | 5 |
Birgit Prinz | Germany | ||
2000 | Sun Wen | China | 4 |
1996 | Pretinha | Brazil | 4 |
Ann Kristin Aarones | Norway | ||
Linda Medalen | Norway |