Best Players at the Euro 2024 - Barely Enough for the List

Be warned - Spaniards are incoming. It’s maybe not the most exciting thing to have six (yes, six) of a country’s players in the top 10 of a tournament, but that’s just the margin that the Red Fury imposed on the other participants. Even more controversial - although it shouldn’t be - is that we haven’t included a single Englishman amongst the best players at the Euro 2024. Despite the Three Lions reaching the final, they mostly stumbled across the finish line. Even the word undeservingly isn’t too strong.

Making the exclusion of the other set of finalists a cause for concern nationally and on a sport level is that the competition wasn’t too hard. Apart from the Spanish, there simply weren’t many notable individuals, let alone teams. The situation was better at Copa America, where passion possibly played a higher role, resulting in more memorable individual performances.

As for the Old Continent, the 10 best players at the Euro 2024 are presented in two unofficial groups - the Spaniards and the rest.

Nico Williams (Spain)

All of Europe has a feeling that it unearthed a gem that shouldn't have been overlooked by any chance. After all, Nico Williams is 22, which is in today's game already an age at which the ceiling is deduced. The way Nico Wiliams played at the Euros - his potential is that he can be one of the world's best players. Not just join the ranks of the world's best wingers. Nico was light on his feet even when reaching speeds that the defences couldn't parallel. He was smart with his passing even with double teams on him. Especially he didn't play that many big games with Athletic Bilbao. Most importantly, his dribbles were putting the audience on their feet and the defenders on their backsides.

They weren't for show either - they were daggeringly effective as Nico was twice Man of the Match, scored twice and assisted one goal.

Lamine Yamal (Spain)

For a teen who turned 17 during the tournament, just playing in it would be unimaginable. Lamine Yamal didn't only play, he won the tournament, scored arguably the best goal of it, and won the Young Player of the Tournament award - naturally. Four assists recorded as well - one in the final, and game time in each of the seven matches, made Yamal arguably the biggest symbol of this team. Especially because - as Spaniards like to point out - he will be only 20 when the next Euro comes around. At home soil.

Dani Olmo (Spain)

Another example of why it's hard to exclude Spain's players - Dani Olmo was the joint top goalscorer of the tournament with three finishes! All that more impressive is that Olmo wasn't the starter in the first match - nor the international friendlies appetisers that led into the tournament. He sat out the entirety of the second group match - against Italy. Starting in a less valuable third match-day clash with Albania and making the lone assist.

Against Georgia in the first knockout round, he came on to score, but since then he has been a starter in all three games. Scoring and assisting in the quarters against Germany, then scoring the winner in the semis against France, and playing the full 90 in the final. Pedri’s injury played a role, but Olmo delivered so much so that he ascended a new level. Spain's prodigal son had an unusual club career path - returned home as one of the most complete players today. Unsurprisingly, he is on the brink of a €60,000,000 move to Barcelona.

Rodri (Spain)

It would be hard explaining to a non-football person why the man who scored only one goal in the tournament, with no assists, has won the official Euro 2024 Player of the Tournament award. For all of us, it's not only clear but was to be expected. Rodri did what Rodri does. Aged 28, he painted his masterpiece with the win for his countrymen. Gaudi left the Sagrada Familia, and football's architect Rodri left Spain the Euro 2024 trophy. Although, he might have more plans cooking.

Even though his highlight reel wouldn't be the most exciting, wouldn’t need EDM music, 30 editing cuts, and flashing lights - Rodri was one of the best players at the Euro 2024.

Arda Guler (Turkey)

Autor beIN SPORTS Türkiye, CC BY 3.0, Poveznica

Can it be called a breakout tournament if you're already representing Real Madrid? Guler had the passing accuracy percentage that Toni Kroos would be proud of - 90.6%! While also making eight chances for his teammates, two of which were converted, and scoring one of the goals of the tournament against Georgia. Dribbling, crossing - you name it, Arda was in the top of all the key attributes for his position. At the age of 19, Guler is the reason why Turkey will continue to be the dark horse of many upcoming competitions.

Marc Cucurella (Spain)

Even if Spain's victory was predicted in the same dominant and clear manner in which it transpired, few would've suggested that Marc Cucurella would be a vital part of it. Let alone one of the best players throughout the month. Laughed at for the last two years as his €65,300,000 fee looked like a daytime robbery Chelsea jumped in willingly, now Cucurella's reputation and market value is recovering.

All that more impressive that Cucurella was the train on the left side is that he played his first four games for Spain in the friendlies in 2024. Just getting over 200 minutes of playtime. Cucurella crowned his all-round great performance on the tournament by assisting for the final-winning goal!

Fabian Ruiz (Spain)

Even though he plays for Paris Saint-Germain, Fabian Ruiz was one of the revelations of the tournament for many people. Starting strong with a goal and assist in the opening match of the group and of the knockout stage. Ruiz had his moments of playing with fire in the latter parts of the tournament, but fortune favoured him enough to save him of costlier mistakes.

One of the early candidates for player of the tournament, Fabian Ruiz did forego that honor to his more established partner. Yet he was undeniably one of the best pšlayers of Euro 2024 and one of the few that marked it.

N'Golo Kante (France)

It would be nearly impossible for any hardcore football fanatic to recall a single France highlight from the tournament. After all, the French scored only one open-play goal throughout the tournament - all the rest were penalties or own goals. All the three rest, that is. But they somehow got through the semi-finals, and the key reason was the overlooked N'Golo Kante. The defensive midfielder covered 63.4 kilometres during the tournament and rarely put a wrong foot in.

Georges Mikautadze (Georgia)

One of the unlikeliest of inclusions if one predicted it before the tournament, yet Georges Mikautadze earned his spot. Not just by being the tournament's joint top goalscorer while only playing in four matches, but by his playing style. Not only scoring but also making one assisting and dribbling (10 total successful) through in high-tension matches like the one against Turkey. Mikautadze's efforts have been confirmed monetarily as well - the 23-year-old secured a big move to Lyon as soon as the Euro wrapped up for him.

Giorgi Mamardashvili (Georgia)

The list of best players has not one, but two inclusions of Georgian players. And it's hard to argue against either considering that Giorgi Mamardashvili had 11 more saves than the next goalkeeper in line! Whilst only playing four games! Valancia's keeper saved his net 29 times, while the closest Bart Verbruggen and Jordan Pickford had 18 and 17 in more games. However, Giorgi did also concede the most - eight. Yet, that is the indication as to just how low-level the tournament has been.

Jamal Musiala is a name that's included in most lists of the 10 best players at the 2024 Euro other news sources made, however, the youngster made quite the mess of multiple half-chances and promising situations. Far more than for instance Nico or Yamal did.

At the end of the day, perhaps the only injustice is that Dani Carvajal, Unai Simon, or Aymeric Laporte weren't included.