UEFA Euro 2024 came to an end with Spain lifting their record fourth title, but before we move ahead, The Hard Tackle presents its Team of the Tournament.
England last won a major silverware 58 years back, and their wait will continue for a few more years as they have lost their second consecutive final at the European Championships when Spain handed them a 2-1 defeat in the UEFA Euro 2024 final.
Luis de la Fuente’s men managed to come out on top in an intense final against the Three Lions on Sunday night and they did create on many fronts. Not only was it a record fourth title, they even became the first team to win seven games in a row to clinch the title.
La Roja were the best team in the tournament right from the start, and they do seem to be deserved winners. While they surely had some of the best players in action, there were players from other countries who did put in some consistent performances at the month-long extravaganza.
The Hard Tackle takes a closer look at the best performers at the European Championship and attempts to create a well-balanced XI with the help of the 4-3-1-2 formation.
But, before we focus on the players who made it to the XI there are some honourable mentions; Giorgi Mamardashvili’s sensational performances in Georgia’s dream run, Georges Mikautadze and Cody Gakpo’s heroics for Georgia and the Netherlands, respectively, as they finished as two of the top scorers, N’Golo Kante’s dominant display for France in the centre of the park and Aymeric Laporte’s consistent performances in the heart of the defence of champions Spain.
Formation: 4-3-1-2
GK: Mike Maignan
While France did make it to the semi-finals of Euro 2024, they were never really able to showcase their full potential. The majority of things that could have gone wrong for them went wrong in the final third of the pitch, but the defensive side of things was quite on point.
Mike Maignan was a solid performer in goal, as he helped them get that far in the tournament. The 29-year-old kept four clean sheets in his six outings, and he only conceded three goals, two of which came in their semi-final defeat to Spain.
RB: Jules Kounde
Kounde prefers playing in the heart of the defence, and it is something that has bothered him at club level as he has been asked to fill in as a right-back on quite a few occasions. But, that seems to have helped him secure a place in Didier Deschamps’s starting XI at Euro 2024.
The 25-year-old played every minute of France’s campaign on the right side of the defence and he was one of their standout performers. While he was defensively a rock at the back, Kounde had a sensational outing against Belgium in the round of 16, and he even won the player of the match award in that round.
CB: William Saliba
Saliba has had a sensational rise at Arsenal. He played an integral role in the Gunners’ title run last season and even managed to carry that form into Euro 2024. At the age of just 23, he was a regular feature in the French defence’s heart and he played every minute of their campaign just like Maignan and Kounce. The youngster had an exceptional campaign which has only resulted in more interest in his services. He was the only player who had a positive rating in their defeat to Spain in the semi-finals.
CB: Pepe
While Stefan de Vrij also had an impressive UEFA Euro 2024 campaign with the Netherlands, Pepe gets the nod ahead of him because of what he was able to do at the age of 41. Even though the pace of the young forwards did trouble him, the Portuguese veteran never gave up and chased them down to win the ball back. Portugal kept a clean sheet in both their knockout games, and Pepe was one of the standout performers in those fixtures.
LB: Marc Cucurella
Cucurella struggled with injuries last season and could only feature in 26 matches for Chelsea. But, he was back in time for the European Championship and got picked up in the Spanish squad. He was an integral part of the Spanish team that played some incredible free-flowing football leading them to the Euro 2024 title.
His link-up play with Nico Williams was top notch, and it did cause trouble for the opposition defenders. The Chelsea full-back bagged an all-important assist in the final, with the goal delivering the European Championship, and his general play was flawless.
CDM: Rodri
Rodri won the Player of the Tournament award at UEFA Euro 2024. He made things tick for Spain from the centre of the park. While he did have some exceptional support from Fabian Ruiz, the Manchester City star was a key figure in midfield.
Rodri’s defensive work rate was second to none throughout the campaign. While a knock did see him get subbed off at half-time in the final, the 28-year-old was as important to their success as their young forwards who lit up the stage.
CM: Declan Rice
England never really showcased their true potential at UEFA Euro 2024. The Three Lions did find a way out en route to the final but against Spain, but they were not good enough. Rice, who played every minute of their campaign, was one of their standout players for them.
While their squad has some of the best attacking talent in the world, they were not consistent enough. The Arsenal defensive midfielder’s presence in front of the back line gave them a strong defensive base, which was one of the major reasons why they made it this far.
CM: Fabian Ruiz
Spain have no shortage of star quality and more often than not a player like Ruiz does not really get much attention for what he is capable of. However, Ruiz seems to have taken the world by storm with his performances at Euro 2024. He played the role of a deep-lying midfielder alongside Rodri and did an exceptional job.
The 28-year-old was a touch higher up the pitch in comparison to the Manchester City star, and he was the one whose progressive passes did the damage more often than not. The Paris Saint-Germain midfielder even had two goals and two assists in the continental tournament and had an impressive performance in the final as well.
CAM: Dani Olmo
Olmo might not have started the tournament as a part of Luis de la Fuente’s preferred XI. But he surely has had the biggest impact in the tournament. The 26-year-old bagged an assist in their final group game against Albania.
Olmo came off the bench to score against Georgia in the round of 16 before being called into action early in the quarter-finals against Germany following an injury to Pedri. The 26-year-old attacking midfielder contributed towards both their goals in that fixture, and he even scored in the semi-final against France, ending the campaign as one of the joint winners of the Golden Boot.
RS: Lamine Yamal
Yamal turned 17 just days before the final of Euro 2024. For him to play 50 matches for Barcelona at the age of just 16 and then to go on to dominate world-class defenders at UEFA Euro 2024 with Spain is something that has never really happened in the world of football. This youngster seems to be cut from a different cloth.
More importantly, Yamal wasn’t just a part of the Spanish squad but one of their mainstays. He even had four assists and a banger of a goal in the semi-final against France. The teenager set up their first goal in the final, and he ended up winning the Young Player of the Tournament award.
LS: Nico Williams
What made Spain so deadly at Euro 2024 was not their star power. Rather, it was the linkup play between their forwards. Williams, Olmo and Yamal on the break were unstoppable for the opposition. While he might have only contributed towards two goals up until the final, the 22-year-old had an exceptional outing in the most important game as he scored their opener and won the Player of the Match award.
His pace and dribbling abilities helped create opportunities for others around him, and his impact has been as important as that of Olmo or Yamal. Having done wonders at the continental tournament, the youngster now has a big decision to make with Barcelona, Arsenal, and Chelsea keen on his signature.
