Lautaro Martínez enters 2026/27 as the clear favorite to win the Serie A top scorer race after claiming the 2025/26 Capocannoniere with 17 goals. That total was the lowest ever to win the award in the modern league structure, which tells you just how open the chase has become. From a rebuilt Napoli attack to a record signing at AC Milan, here are the five names most likely to lead Serie A in goals this season.
Why this list matters
The Capocannoniere is Serie A’s oldest individual prize, and it often shapes the story of the whole season. Win it, and you sit alongside legends like Gunnar Nordahl, Christian Vieri, and Ciro Immobile.
Last season proved the field is wide open. Lautaro topped the chart with just 17, a sign that no single striker ran away with the race the way Mateo Retegui did the year before he left for Saudi Arabia.
For American fans, the timing could not be better. Serie A features USMNT star Christian Pulisic, Scotland’s Scott McTominay, and a fresh wave of young scorers, all streaming live in the United States this season.
5. Moise Kean
Kean is the boom or bust pick, and when he is right, few strikers in Italy are more dangerous. In 2024/25 he was the best number 9 in the country, punishing defenses for Fiorentina and shining for the Italy national team.
Injuries and a chaotic campaign in Florence dragged his output down in 2025/26, when he managed only 8 league goals as Fiorentina slid to 15th. If the rebuild under new sporting director Fabio Paratici steadies the ship, a fully fit Kean could climb back toward 20.
- Serie A goals in 2024/25: 19
4. Gonçalo Ramos
Ramos arrives as the most expensive signing in AC Milan history, and the Rossoneri did not spend that money for him to warm the bench. Milan scored the fewest goals of any top six side last season, and Ramos was bought to fix exactly that.
At 25, the Portugal striker finally has a guaranteed starting role after years of rotating in and out of the PSG lineup. He scored 41 goals for Benfica before his Paris move, so the finishing pedigree is proven. Give him a full season of chances at San Siro and the goals should follow.
- AC Milan transfer fee: 74 million euros plus add-ons
3. Rasmus Højlund
Højlund enters the season as Napoli’s undisputed number 9, and the job could not have opened up at a better time. His loan move from Manchester United in 2025 looked like a gamble, but he silenced doubters and rebuilt his confidence in Naples.
With Romelu Lukaku gone to Fenerbahçe, Højlund now leads the line for a club that still expects to challenge near the top. He also has Scott McTominay feeding him from midfield. At just 22, he has the pace and the platform to post a career best tally.
- Age entering the 2026/27 season: 22
2. Marcus Thuram
Thuram plays for the most productive attack in Serie A, and that alone makes him a serious threat. Inter scored 89 league goals last season, more than any other club, and Thuram is central to how they create and finish chances.
The one catch is obvious. He shares the workload with the man at the top of this list, and a striker who splits goals with a teammate rarely wins the golden boot outright. Still, if Lautaro dips or picks up a knock, Thuram is the man best placed to cash in.
- Inter Milan league goals in 2025/26: 89, the most in Serie A
1. Lautaro Martínez
Lautaro is the safest bet on the board, and the reasons are simple. He is the reigning Capocannoniere, the Inter captain, and the focal point of the best team in Italy.
His 17 goals last season came without a truly dominant campaign, which hints at even more upside if Inter click again under Cristian Chivu. He takes the big chances, he takes many of the penalties, and he plays every meaningful minute. In a race with no runaway leader, experience and sheer volume make him the man to beat.
- Serie A goals in 2025/26: 17, enough to win the Capocannoniere
The verdict
Lautaro Martínez is the pick, but this is the most open Capocannoniere race in years. A rejuvenated Højlund and a hungry Gonçalo Ramos both have the platform to overtake him, and a healthy Kean is a genuine wildcard who has done it before.
Keep an eye on Juventus too. If Dušan Vlahović finally nails down a settled role, he has the raw scoring ability to gatecrash this list. For now, though, the smart money starts and often ends with the captain of the champions.
Frequently asked questions
Who is the favorite to win the Serie A top scorer award in 2026/27? Lautaro Martínez is the favorite for the 2026/27 Serie A top scorer race. He won the 2025/26 Capocannoniere with 17 goals and remains the main striker at Inter, the highest scoring team in the league.
When does the Serie A 2026/27 season start? The 2026/27 Serie A season kicks off on Saturday, August 22, 2026, and runs through the end of May 2027 across 38 matchdays.
Where can you watch Serie A in the United States in 2026/27? Every Serie A match streams live on Paramount+ in the United States, with select fixtures on CBS and free coverage on the CBS Sports Golazo Network. Paramount+ holds the exclusive US rights through the 2026/27 season.
Who won the Serie A top scorer award last season? Lautaro Martínez won the 2025/26 Capocannoniere with 17 goals for Inter, the lowest winning total in the modern era of the award.