The dust has settled on Euro 2024, with Spain emerging victorious after a thrilling tournament. While the trophy belongs to La Roja, every nation boasted at least one player who shone brightly. Here’s a closer look at the standout performers from each of the 24 participating countries:
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Young Stars on the Rise:
Spain: Lamine Yamal (FW)
The youngest scorer and player ever at the Euros, Yamal also earned the Best Young Player award with his dribbling, finishing, and three assists.
Attacking Prowess:
Albania: Nedim Bajrami (FW)
Nedim Bajrami made history at the Euros, scoring the fastest goal ever in the competition at just 23 seconds against Italy. He then played the entire match in Albania’s determined draw against Croatia.
Germany: Jamal Musiala (FW)
There were strong performances, but Jamal Musiala stood out. He bagged a hefty share of the Golden Boot with three Euros goals and earned Man of the Match honors in the opening thumping of Scotland. Musiala becomes the second-youngest German scorer at the Euros, following Florian Wirtz.
Scotland: Scott McTominay (MF/FW)
Disappointing showing for Scotland’s attack. They managed only one goal throughout Euro 2024, and it fell to the ever-reliable Scott McTominay. Unfortunately, there wasn’t much competition for this honor.
Slovakia: Ivan Schranz (FW)
Intriguingly, Slovakia’s Ivan Schranz surprised everyone by sharing the Euro Golden Boot with three goals. Even strong teams like Belgium, Ukraine, and England couldn’t stop him.
Turkey: Arda Guler (FW)
La Liga’s young guns keep shining! Take Real Madrid’s Arda Guler, who set up two goals in the Austria win and then etched his name in memory with THAT wonder goal against Georgia.
Midfield Maestros:
Belgium: Kevin De Bruyne (MF)
Belgium’s star power fizzled out at another major tournament. Despite Kevin De Bruyne’s heroics, with a crucial goal against Romania and the third-most chances created (28), the team’s overall finishing let them down, mustering only two goals total.
Czech Republic: Tomas Soucek (MF)
Though Tomas Soucek’s goal, the Czech Republic’s only one on target, briefly reignited hope against Turkey, their Euros dream ended in heartbreak at the final whistle.
Denmark: Christian Eriksen (MF)
While both Joachim Andersen and Morten Hjulmand deserve recognition, Christian Eriksen’s return to the Euros could be viewed as a personal success story. The Manchester United player not only notched Denmark’s first goal of the tournament with a well-finished move against Slovenia, but also created the second-highest number of chances (16), trailing only Lamine Yamal.
France: N’Golo Kante (MF)
While injuries to William Saliba and Jules Kounde were a blow, N’Golo Kante defied expectations. The former Chelsea midfielder turned back the clock, dominating the French midfield and earning two Player of the Match awards.
Netherlands: Xavi Simons (MF)
Despite racking up three fantastic assists and a stunning goal against England at the Euros, Dutch prodigy Xavi Simons was unlucky to miss out on a brace. A goal he scored against France was controversially ruled offside, leaving him with just one official goal for the tournament.
Poland: Piotr Zielinski (MF)
Despite a dazzling performance against France, Lukasz Skorupski’s single appearance limits his chances of being named best player. Poland’s swift elimination from the tournament also meant a dearth of exceptional players. However, midfielder Piotr Zielinski did manage an assist and displayed moments of attacking brilliance.
Romania: Razvan Marin (MF)
Razvan Marin, the Cagliari midfielder who stunned everyone by scoring the winning penalty against Slovakia and securing Romania’s top spot in Group F, was also part of the trio that put the ball in the net during their opening win against Ukraine, though Andriy Lunin, the Ukrainian goalkeeper, deserves some credit for that.
Spain: Rodri (MF)
The official Player of the Tournament, Rodri controlled possession and won tackles in the Spanish midfield.
Switzerland: Granit Xhaka (MF)
Granit Xhaka’s resurgence extended beyond his final year at Arsenal. Following a stellar season with Bayer Leverkusen, the 31-year-old continued to impress with his composure and class in the Switzerland midfield. The impressive Swiss side, nicknamed the Rossocrociati, narrowly missed reaching the semi-finals.
Defensive Stalwarts:
Austria: Stefan Posch (DF)
Stefan Posch was a defensive stalwart for Austria during their impressive run to the knockout stages. He finished Euro 2024 with the second-highest number of blocks, while also ranking among the top 10 for both tackles won and passes into the penalty area. This strong performance helped Ralf Rangnick’s team defy expectations and top Group D.
England: Marc Guehi (DF)
While England’s forwards struggled to consistently score, Marc Guehi, playing a similar role to Harry Maguire at the back, impressed with his well-timed tackles and finished as one of the joint-second best blockers in the tournament.
Portugal: Pepe (DF)
Though Cristiano Ronaldo might have hinted at his age during the Euros, Pepe, the competition’s oldest participant ever, defied expectations. At a remarkable 41, the Portuguese defender’s reading of the game remained unmatched. His performance in this final major tournament was a masterclass, earning him all the praise he received.
Goalkeeping Heroics:
Georgia: Giorgi Mamardashvili (GK)
Georgia’s dream run to the knockout stages wouldn’t have been possible without Giorgi Mamardashvili’s heroics in goal. The Valencia shot-stopper’s record-breaking 30 saves were a masterclass, earning him the title of Euro 2024’s best goalkeeper. Hard luck to Georgia’s hat-trick scorer Georges Mikautadze, who just missed out on further glory.
Italy: Gianluigi Donnarumma (GK)
Italy’s title defense stuttered, but goalkeeper Gianluigi Donnarumma shone. He denied a Luka Modric penalty in the Croatia match, only to be unlucky on the rebound. Despite that, Donnarumma pulled off several more key saves before Mattia Zaccagni’s late goal rescued a point for the Azzurri, though their worries are far from over.
Ukraine: Anatoliy Trubin (GK)
After Trubin’s poor performance in the defeat to Romania, Ukraine manager Serhiy Rebrov replaced the Benfica goalkeeper with Anatoliy Trubin. This decision, some may argue, should have been made before the Euros. Despite registering an impressive 88.9% save percentage, Trubin’s valiant efforts were not enough to secure victory.
This analysis provides a deeper understanding of Euro 2024 beyond just the winners. Share this article to discuss these standout performers and who impressed you the most!