Believe it or not, the group stage is almost over after only a little over a week of matches being played. Throughout the week, players of past, present and future generations have stood out for each of the national squads. As only Germany, Portugal and Spain have guaranteed their qualification to the knockout round, these players will play critical roles in the crucial matches that await each national team in the final set of group stage matches.
So, here is one player to place on your radar for each national team:
Germany - Jamal Musiala
This may seem like quite the easy pick, but Musiala has been pivotal to Germany’s attacking success. The attacking midfielder’s quick feet have created chances out of nothing, and his two goals are tied for the lead in the tournament. Germany may decide to rest Musiala given their qualification to the knockout stage is already guaranteed, but the 21-year-old will be one to watch for however far Germany make.
Switzerland - Granit Xhaka
In his man of the match performance in the 3-1 victory over Hungary, central midfielder Granit Xhaka created four chances with a 90% pass accuracy and an 86% success rate on aerial and ground duels. His leadership as captain of the Swiss squad and his experience with 127 international caps are both qualities the 31-year-old brings to the table. Considering Switzerland sits on four points in its group, it's likely that Xhaka will reach 129 caps as he looks to steer his dark horse deep into the tournament’s late stages.
Hungary - Dominik Szoboszlai
The attack for Hungary has lacked firepower, and after two losses and only one goal scored, it looks on the verge of an early exit after entering the tournament as a possible dark horse. However, the one goal they did score was created from a beautiful cross by Dominik Szoboszlai, who captains the squad in the attacking midfield position. If Hungary are to achieve anything in the attacking half of the pitch, it is likely to come from the feet of the 23-year-old.
Scotland - Scott McTominay
Scotland’s attack has been nearly non-existent, with only two goals to show for it. An own goal from Antonio Rudiger accounts for one of them, and Scott McTominay accounts for the other. Scotland will enter the match against Hungary knowing they must win, and a crucial goal from McTominay is not out of the cards, especially considering his seven goals in the qualifiers were the fifth most amongst all nations.
Spain - Nico Williams
Many people know his teammate Lamine Yamal on the opposite wing, but Nico Williams has shown this tournament that he deserves his spot among the best 21 and under players. The Athletic Bilbao winger put in a man of the match performance in Spain’s 1-0 victory over Italy, as he was responsible for creating the chance that led to Italy’s own goal and had a shot of his own from outside the box careen off the crossbar. A late-stage tournament run will not solely depend on Williams’ performance, but if his stellar play continues, he will be one of the crucial reasons for Spain’s victories.
Italy - Gianluigi Donnarumma
Not many players on Italy have inspired as much confidence as goalkeeper Gianluigi Donnarumma. His last Euros included a heroic penalty shootout in which he saved two of England’s penalties in the final, and he is the one of the major reasons Italy only lost by one to Spain. With Donnarumma in net, it will require clinical finishing or a stroke of luck (as seen with Spain’s own goal) to be able to score against Italy.
Albania - Thomas Strakosha
Albania’s late equalizer against Croatia capped off an impressive overall performance from the squad, but the 2-2 draw wouldn’t have been possible without the heroics of goalkeeper Thomas Strakosha. According to FotMob, he faced 2.92 expected goals from Croatia’s shots on target, meaning he was responsible for saving nearly an entire goal for Albania. With a team that lacks the firepower in attack, Albania will call on Strakosha to keep the goals out of its own net against Spain so it won’t require many to be scored in the opposing one.
Croatia - Mateo Kovacic
Croatia have not lived up to expectations many placed on them in the pre-tournament speculation, losing 3-0 to Spain and drawing 2-2 with Albania. One of the bright spots of the team has been central midfielder Mateo Kovacic, as his tight dribbling and effective passes have beaten opposing midfield lines. The 30-year-old had over 90% pass accuracy in both of the games, as well as five out of five dribbles completed against Spain and four out of five tackles won versus Albania. It’s clear to see he’s been Croatia’s player of the tournament so far.
England - Marc Guehi
England entered the tournament as favorites, and after two lackluster performances, it’s not clear how far they will go. Picking a player that has stood out for them was reasonably difficult, but Marc Guehi is one of the few who has done well with his task at hand. The 23-year-old center back replaced the injured Harry Maguire at the start of the tournament, and given he only had nine international caps before June 3 of this year, Guehi has been solid in the back. It’s fair to say he is to be among the main cornerstones of the future England backline.
Denmark - Christian Eriksen
A goal and a man of the match award against Slovenia for attacking midfielder Christian Eriksen was a perfect way to start Euro 2024, and he followed up his performance by creating four chances in the 1-1 draw to England, the most in the game. The creative talent from the 32-year-old will prove vital for Denmark, a nation that looks to move far into the tournament just as it did in the 2020 Euros, where it lost the semi-final match in extra time to England.
Slovenia - Benjamin Šeško
Benjamin Šeško has no goals to his name in this tournament, but his play has very positively impacted Slovenia. It only took the 21-year-old striker 16 minutes to nearly break the deadlock against Denmark with a long shot that whizzed past the post. In the 70th minute, Šeško expertly took down the bouncing ball and fired a long-distance effort that crashed off the post. The ensuing corner, which stemmed from the Danish defender clearing Šeško’s rebound, resulted in Slovenia’s game-tying goal. So, even though Šeško has not appeared on the scoresheet, his activity throughout the game has been enough to trouble defenses and create goals.
Serbia - Strahinja Pavlovic
There are few positive signs to find in Serbia’s performances so far at the Euros, but one player who has shown solidity is center back Strahinja Pavlovic. Against England, the 23-year-old won six out of eight ground duels, had five clearances and two interceptions while earning the top match rating for Serbia according to FotMob. When facing Slovenia, Pavlovic won the most duels in the match, with six on the ground and four in the air, while also maintaining an 83% pass accuracy. Overall, the steady nature of Pavlovic has provided consistency for the Serbian backline.
Netherlands - Xavi Simons
Whether unfairly or not, outside mid Xavi Simons saw a wonderful strike taken off the board because of an offside in the 0-0 draw against France. Even with no stats to his name so far, his electric pace makes him often breathtaking to watch. The Netherlands may not have the same golden generation it once had, but considering he’s only 21-years-old, Simons is one player to watch for the rest of the tournament and likely for the next decade.
France - N’Golo Kante
When moving from Chelsea to Saudi Arabia last summer, it had appeared N’Golo Kante’s career was effectively over. After two matches at the Euros, it appears it is very much still alive and thriving. The 33-year-old center defensive midfielder has earned man of the match awards in both of France’s games, thanks in large part to his frenetic pace and high workrates even while playing the full 90 minutes both times. For as defensive a team as France is, Kante will prove invaluable to its success going forward.
Austria - Marcel Sabitzer
Manager Ralf Ragnick’s high-pressing brand of soccer, labeled gegenpressing, was on full display in Austria’s 3-1 triumph over Poland. The man who benefited the most was left midfielder Marcel Sabitzer. His pressing helped force a turnover that led to Austria’s first goal, and a long shot from his right foot just missed the net. In the second half, Sabitzer cleverly touched the ball past the last defender at half and sprinted into the box, earning a penalty after being tripped by the goalkeeper. If Austria are to earn qualification in its final match against the Netherlands, Sabitzer will need to continue his top form.
Poland - Piotr Zielinksi
Poland are one of two teams with zero points in the tournament, and little has gone right for them. One thing that has been positive is the play from midfielder Piotr Zielniski, who had an assist in the first match against the Netherlands and nearly scored a free kick in the first half of the match versus Austria. It is a tough uphill climb for Poland to even sniff the knockout stage, but anything less than a brilliant performance from Zielinski will make that climb even tougher.
Romania - Nicolae Stanciu
Midfielder Nicolae Stanciu scored a wonder goal against Ukraine, kicking off the onslaught that ended in a 3-0 victory in favor of Romania. His performance was far more muted against Belgium, but the 31-year-old still managed to create three chances. Romania, along with everyone else in Group E, still holds its destiny in its own hands, but Stanciu will be critical if the squad are to move on to the knockout stages.
Ukraine - Artem Dovbyk
Striker Artem Dovbyk has done very little with Ukraine so far this tournament, but there is no denying he is a proven goalscorer. His 24 goals for Girona led La Liga, so he’s certainly capable of scoring. In the 2-1 win over Slovakia, he used his quick feet to get around a defender in the box, which led to a shot that was blocked by a sliding defender. If given the chance against Belgium’s questionable defense, don’t be surprised if Dovbyk rifles home his first European Championship goal.
Slovakia - Stanislav Lobotka
The Napoli midfielder dominated the midfield in Slovakia’s historic 1-0 victory over Belgium, securing eight ball recoveries, two interceptions and maintaining a 91% pass accuracy en route to earning man of the match honors. His play slightly declined in the 2-1 defeat to Ukraine, but a similar performance like the one against Belgium will likely lead Slovakia into the next round.
Belgium - Romelu Lukaku
A very poor performance in the 2022 World Cup group stage significantly lowered expectations for striker Romelu Lukaku as he entered the tournament. Even though he sits on zero goals, he has been rather unlucky. Remarkably, three of Lukaku’s goals have been ruled out for either offside or a hand ball, and despite it, he still managed to assist Belgium’s first goal with some brilliant hold-up play. A goal is coming for Lukaku — at this point, it’s a matter of when and not if.
Portugal - Pepe
With a squad as stacked as Portugal’s, it is a marvel to watch 41-year-old center back Pepe trot onto the field with his 138 international caps. Nestled alongside fellow center back Rúben Dias, Pepe has shown he can still churn out quality performances even as he makes history as the oldest player to play in the European Championships. His antics may rile up opposing fans, but to the neutral, he is never a bore on the eyes while still producing for Portugal.
Türkiye - Arda Güler
The 19-year-old phenom had a relatively muted season at Real Madrid, thanks in large part to the knee surgery he underwent in the fall. Entering the Euros, it was unclear how he would perform with such a small sample size against top competition. It’s fair to say Arda Güler has not disappointed. The outside midfielder’s first match against Georgia featured a gorgeous finish from far outside the box, and even though his appearance against Portugal was limited, he showed off his quickness and skillfulness that Türkiye will need if they are to embark on a late stage tournament run.
Czechia - Tomáš Souček
In the later stages of the qualifiers, central midfielder Tomáš Souček played a pivotal role that has yet to be seen in Czechia’s first two matches. There is still time for the 29-year-old to impact the team, and despite his midfield position, he has scored his fair share of international goals. A crucial goal in Czechia’s final group stage match against Turkey may not be out of the cards for Souček, so be wary of that.
Georgia - Khvicha Kvaratskhelia
Currently sitting on one point, Georgia will need a win to guarantee a chance at qualification to the next round. Going up against the giants of Portugal, the only attacking player to turn to is attacking midfielder Khvicha Kvaratskhelia, who has yet to produce the numbers this tournament many would’ve expected. Even still, the 23-year-old possesses a quality to his game few can relate to, with his ability to create chances out of thin air. If Georgia plans to continue to make history in its first Euros appearance, much of the responsibility will fall on Kvaratskhelia.
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