After 36 games and 81 goals, the group stage of Euro 2024 is over and we have said goodbye to eight of the 24 teams that started the tournament.
This European Championship has brought us some surprises and surprising stories, with some of the pre-tournament favorites disappointing, while other less imagined nations have been a breath of fresh air.
The best XI of the tournament so far is therefore a real mix of new and old players, of big name stars and breakout players. Some players (Riccardo Calafiori of Italy, Fabian Ruiz of Spain, Granit Xhaka of Switzerland and Vitinha of Portugal) were unlucky not to be included, but overall the selections for this team in a 4-2-3-1 formation were easy to make.
The Valencia goalkeeper has been by far the best in his position throughout the group stage. He has kept his team in all three games with some incredible saves, especially against Czechia, where he made 11 saves, the most in a single game in Euro Cup history. Even more impressive when you consider that he is only 23 years old and this is his first major tournament.
The Fenerbahçe right-back scored one of the goals of the tournament so far, with a half-volley that slipped into the top corner against Georgia. The 25-year-old has been good in defense and is always ready to attack. Coach Vincenzo Montella left him on the bench against Portugal, but his team played much better when he returned against the Czech Republic.
Given that the Arsenal defender has been the best centre-back in the Premier League this season, it wouldn't be a surprise to see him in this team. However, it wasn't a given that he would start for France in this tournament. But he convinced manager Didier Deschamps to give him a chance and he has taken it, delivering three near-flawless performances so far.
1:02
Does France have yet to show its best form at Euro 2024?
Gab Marcotti and Mark Ogden discuss France's midfield problems and what they need to do to get to the “next level.”
In his team's back three, Akanji plays as a sweeper and is the commander of the defence. The versatile Manchester City player has stood out, especially in the 1-1 draw with Germany, as the leader of this organised Swiss team. His reading of the game, his intelligence and his calmness on the ball have made him stand out.
Now, this is a choice that no one would have predicted at the beginning of the European Championship. Few would have even thought that Cucurella would start ahead of Alejandro Grimaldo. The Chelsea left back has not only become Spain's starter, but he has also been the best left back of the tournament. His relationship with Nico Williams and Fabián on the left wing is great and, defensively, he has put the Croatian Lovro Majer and the Italian Federico Chiesa in his pocket.
The coach is back and making a huge difference for Germany and this competition. During the last days of his long career, the maestro has given us master classes and shown off his extremely high football IQ. Although Switzerland frustrated him in the third game, there is no other player like him in this tournament.
Kanté's story is one of the best of this Euro Cup. At 33 years old, after two years away from international football and the spotlight due to injuries and his subsequent move to Saudi Arabia, the former Chelsea midfielder returned and dominated the first two games against Austria and the Netherlands. Seeing Kanté back at his best on the big stage has made this tournament even better.
2:25
Hislop: “Both Slovakia and Romania deserved to go through”
Shaka Hislop reveals he was pleasantly surprised by the performances of Slovakia and Romania in Group E, with Romania topping the group against all odds.
Another unexpected player and surely a name unknown to many before the tournament. The Slovakian winger has been the offensive leader of one of the surprises of the tournament so far. The 30-year-old scored two great goals for his country among some action-packed performances at right back. It is the continuation of his good season with Sparta Prague, where he scored eight goals and registered four assists in the league.
We expected him to be one of the stars of the tournament and he hasn't disappointed. An absolute joy to behold, gliding with the ball, unreachable at times. Despite being only 21 and playing more out wide than at Bayern Munich, his two goals and nine successful dribbles are among the highest so far. The Swiss managed to stop him in the third game, but who else can do that?
AM: Nico Williams (Spain)
There was rightly a lot of talk about Lamine Yamal before the tournament, and the Barcelona prodigy has done well so far in Germany. But Nico, his teammate and closest friend in the squad, has put in arguably the best individual performance of the tournament so far with his display against Italy, who he virtually single-handedly tormented. The Athletic Club star will have plenty of top clubs interested in signing him this summer.
1:27
Why Georgia's qualification for the round of 16 is a “wonderful story”
Shaka Hislop sums up Georgia's impressive 2-0 win over Portugal that sends them through to the last 16 of Euro 2024.
If you hadn’t been following this Euro and were asked to name the top scorer after the group stage, you would undoubtedly say one of Kylian Mbappé, Cristiano Ronaldo, Harry Kane, Romelu Lukaku or Alvaro Morata and you would be right to do so. But you would also be very wrong. With three goals (as many as the aforementioned players combined) and one assist so far, Georgia and Metz’s Mikautadze is winning the race for the Golden Boot. If you had been following Ligue 2 over the past few months, you would have seen him in great form with 11 goals in his last 12 games of the club season, but to continue doing so at the Euros is another thing altogether.
Coach: Willy Sagnol (Georgia)
Who else? He has come up with one of the best stories in the history of the Euro Cup. He has led the Georgia minnows to a tournament for the first time and then also to the knockout stage. Yes, he has his team playing deep and relying heavily on superstar Khvicha Kvaratskhelia and budding stars like Mamardashvili and Mikautadze, but he has also created an incredible team cohesion with fighting spirit and great organization. The most important thing is that he has made his players believe that everything is possible in football.
