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Ian Darke, ESPN.com writer
Marquee names misfired and others stepped up from the chorus line to star. This was a central theme in the story of Euro 2024, all the way through to Sunday’s final, which saw Spain prevail 2-1 over England after a late goal from substitute Mikel Oyarzabal.
Goals were well down on the previous edition, which featured 142, as this summer saw 117. Is it down to player fatigue, given the number of games that stars play these days? Is it a return to risk-averse “fear football?” Or has the lost art of proper defending been rediscovered to great effect?
Despite the decrease in goals, there has been plenty of drama, with much of it in the closing moments of matches, as typified by Ollie Watkins‘ great finish to send England to the final over Netherlands. It was also a tournament that produced the fastest Euros goal (Nedim Bajrami, 23 seconds, for Albania vs. Italy) as well as the oldest scorer (Luka Modric, Croatia vs. Italy) and the youngest (Lamine Yamal, Spain vs. France).
So, without further ado, here are my Best XI and my Most Disappointing XI on display in Germany this summer.
BEST XI
Formation: 4-2-3-1
GK: Giorgi Mamardashvili, Georgia: The 23-year-old, who plays his club football for Valencia, pulled off a string of wonderful saves to ensure his team of underdogs beat Portugal and reached the knockout stages against all odds. His performances are certain to have alerted big clubs to his talent.
RB: Jules Koundé, France: It’s not his favoured position (he prefers centre-back), but the Barcelona star was rock steady there for an otherwise disappointing France — even when confronted by Spain’s electric Nico Williams in the semifinal. He’s a defender who wants to defend.
CB: Antonio Rüdiger, Germany: You wouldn’t argue with him … even on the phone. Rugged, quick, commanding and intimidating in Germany’s defence, Rüdiger kept his team organised and focused on their way to a dramatic elimination in the quarterfinals against Spain.
CB: Jaka Bijol, Slovenia: The Udinese defender was a revelation as underdogs Slovenia shut out England and Portugal. He boasts a “thou shalt not pass” mentality, and the 25-year-old looks as if he would not give away a goal even in a back garden kickabout.
LB: Nuno Mendes, Portugal: A Rolls-Royce of a defender for Portugal, emerging from an injury-hit PSG season to glide through the tournament. Turkey left-back Ferdi Kadioglu deserves special mention too.
CM: Rodri, Spain: He’s the new Sergio Busquets for Spain, and his presence is vital to La Roja’s remarkable form: he’s over 400 days unbeaten when playing for the national team. Already the best midfield anchor in the world for his club, Manchester City, he’s been a huge presence at Euro 2024.
CM: Tijjani Reijnders, Netherlands: The Milan man made sure Netherlands didn’t miss injured Frenkie de Jong too badly. He was full of drive from midfield and caused plenty of problems for opponents with his late runs into the box. It was close between him and Spain’s Fabián Ruiz for a place in this XI, and England’s hardworking Declan Rice was a contender too.
AM: Arda Güler, Turkey: Just 19, the young playmaker showed why Real Madrid signed him last summer, as he helped his country make the quarterfinals. He can create something from nothing with an eye for a sweet pass or a goal, and he’s clever: opponents must always keep a close eye on him, which opens space for teammates to benefit.
FW: Lamine Yamal, Spain: The tournament’s biggest story, Yamal has routinely starred for Spain before going back to his room to do his school homework. His beautiful goal in the semifinal against France was a moment to treasure, and it’s hard to believe he can be this good at this young age: he only turned 17 on the eve of the final and was decisive in Spain winning Euro 2024, assisting on the opening goal. He could still be playing in 2044!
FW: Nico Williams, Spain: Pacy, tricky and a constant threat to any defence, he notably turned Italy’s experienced Giovanni Di Lorenzo inside out when they met in the group stage. (Spain won that game, 1-0.) The battle between him and England’s Kyle Walker was fascinating in the final as Spain ultimately ran out 2-1 winners; beyond that, expect a bidding war for his services even though he recently signed a new deal at Athletic Club.
ST: Niclas Fullkrug, Germany: This team needs a proper No. 9, and with bigger names (Harry Kane, Robert Lewandowski) struggling, the German fits the bill. Not used enough by Julian Nagelsmann throughout the Euros, Fullkrug made a difference every time he came on, scoring twice and generally unsettling defences.
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Leboeuf: Mbappé can expect big criticism for Euro 2024 performance
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MOST DISAPPOINTING XI OF EURO 2024
Formation: 3-4-3
GK: Angus Gunn, Scotland: He arguably never really recovered from a 5-1 hammering by hosts Germany on the tournament’s opening night, when Gunn might have done better with the first and last goals. He improved, but the damage was done.
CB: Josip Sutalo, Croatia: Playing in the central defensive position filled for so long by reliable Dejan Lovren, he and Croatia’s defence creaked, conceding three times vs. Spain and twice vs. Albania as they failed to produce their usual deep tournament run.
CB: Maximilian Wöber, Austria: A hapless, headed own goal cost the Austrians against France, and despite their manic pressing game, they never looked good enough at the back to live up to their billing as “dangerous outsiders.”
CB: Ryan Porteous, Scotland: The Watford and Scotland man is far better than the player who froze a little in the headlights in Germany. His red card against the hosts in the opener meant his tournament was over before it began.
RM: Federico Chiesa, Italy: In the team of the tournament at Euro 2020, the Juventus star has suffered an ACL injury since and looked short of menace and confidence as part of an Italy trike force that was largely impotent.
CM: Antoine Griezmann, France: The Golden Boot winner at Euro 2016 failed to score at Euro 2024 and was far from his usual threatening self for France, drifting around the attacking third. Yet it was shocking when he lost his place in the starting XI up for the semifinal. It’s possible that opponents worked out how to nullify him.
CM: Dominik Szoboszlai, Hungary: He noticeably lost form for Liverpool towards the end of the season and was no better here for his national team, who rely on him as their talisman. The Magyars were flops.
LM: John McGinn, Scotland: A top player who has his own special chant from the wonderful Tartan Army (they and the Dutch fans were best of the tournament), but he looked jaded after a long and demanding season for Aston Villa.
FW: Cristiano Ronaldo, Portugal: One of the greatest players ever, but aged 39, he failed to score at a big tournament for the first time in his career. His tears after missing a penalty against Slovenia showed his utter frustration, although he had the strength of character to convert one in the shootout that followed. There was a widespread feeling that Roberto Martinez indulged him rather too much. Was this his last tournament? It was certainly his sixth and last Euros.
FW: Kylian Mbappé, France: It seems he and the Euros just don’t get on. His penalty miss sent France crashing out early three years ago, and this time the facial injury he suffered against Austria left the French skipper with sleepless nights, restricted vision in matches and no goals from open play. Even without the mask, he missed a great chance to equalise in the semifinal loss to Spain.
ST: Benjamin Sesko, Slovenia: The young RB Leipzig star was Slovenia’s much-hyped hope. But he misfired here and fluffed a glorious late chance to give his country a place in the quarterfinals, telegraphing where he was going to put the ball in a one-on-one with Portugal keeper Diogo Costa.