The knockout stage is here as Euro 2024 continues to unravel!
With the final now barely two weeks away, we thought this would be a good time to look at how impactful a handful of players from our Euro 2024 watchlist have fared.
Managers like Julian Nagelsmann and Gareth Southgate have tried to balance youth with experience, while many have chosen a more conventional approach by leaning on experience.
In today’s blog episode, we will take a look at a few key metrics of these young players at Euro 2024, aged 21 and below, over the course of the group stage.
Jamal Musiala, Germany.Musiala’s sensational display in the tournament’s opener against Scotland earned him the Player of the Match award.
You wouldn’t have to look far to know the versatile midfielder, capable of playing in all positions in the opposition’s half, will be a key figure for Germany in years to come.
Born in Stuttgart to a Nigerian-British Yoruba father and German mother with Polish roots, the Bayern midfielder leads his peers in almost every key statistic in the final third.
Now 21 years and 124 days old, at the time of this writing, Musiala, who made the cut in our list of players to watch at Euro 2024, is the second youngest player in Nagelsmann’s squad.
Musiala started all three Euro 2024 games for Germany, racking up a total time of 219 minutes.
That ranks first among all players aged 26 and below in Germany’s Euro 2024 squad, whose average age is 29.5.
Alongside Niclas Füllkrug, who has come off the bench in all three appearances for Germany, Jamal Musiala has two goals as Germany’s leading scorer in the group stage.
That accounts for 25% of Germany’s eight goals in the group stage [8].
Although taking his two goals, both from open play, away would still leave Germany as Group A winners, his opener in the 2-0 win over Hungary on Match Day 2 facilitated the victory.
His first goal of the tournament, which came as Germany’s second goal in the 5-1 win over Scotland, helped Die Mannschaft establish the required breathing room for the four-goal margin victory.
His progressive carries into the final third over the entire group stage sits at the top of the chart, having recorded 19.
In addition, his three shots on target in five attempts [60%] during the group stage leaves him only behind Kai Havertz.
Nagelsmann will be counting on the Bayern midfielder, whom he coached during his spell at the club, to deliver the goods in the round of 16.
Florian Wirtz, Germany.Fellow 21-year-old Florian Wirtz was equally effective for Germany in the group stage.
The Bundesliga Player of the Season has played 194 minutes for the host nation in three games, all from the get-go.
At 21 and 57 days old, Wirtz is Germany’s youngest player at Euro 2024.
Having scored the first goal of the tournament, his one goal against Scotland leaves him as one of Die Mannschaft’s six goal scorers. That is a 13% contribution to Germany’s tally of eight goals.
The goal comes with the personal record of becoming Germany’s youngest scorer at the Euros, having bagged the goal at 21 years and 42 days old.
Did you know Wirtz is only second to Musiala in the category of Progressive Carries during the group stage?
The Leverkusen player accumulated 13 over the course of the group stage.
While Wirtz is Germany’s youngest player at the ongoing tournament, Germany’s record for the youngest ever player at the European Championship remains intact.
Lukas Podolski holds the record after making his debut at 19 years and 19 days against the Czech Republic two decades ago at EURO 2004.
Lamine Yamal, Spain.Born in Barcelona to a Moroccan father and an Equatoguinean mother on July 13, 2007, the Spanish teenage sensation will be turning 17 one day before Euro 2024’s final.
Yamal has not only caught the attention of many because of his tender age but also because of his tricky footwork in Spain’s midfield.
He became Spain’s youngest player at the European Championship at 16 years, 338 days after his debut in Spain’s 3-0 win over Croatia on Match Day 1.
His contribution for Luis de la Fuente’s side in that game left him with the Player of the Match award.
Having no goals throughout the entire course of the group stage doesn’t tell the entire story.
His one assist leaves him with a 20% goal contribution for Spain, who scored four goals in the opening round.
Lamine made three appearances during the group stage, one off-the-bench, totaling up to 175 minutes.
It is the second-highest number of minutes played among Spain’s squad aged 26 and below, and the highest for those aged 24 and below.
Under the category of take-ons, Lamine towers above all for Spain in the opening round, leading in attempts (18), with 44% of them successful (8).
Only 21-year-old Nico Williams, who plays for Athletic Bilbao, comes close with 15 attempts and six successful take-ons.
Among the five players who were involved in shot-creating actions for La Roja in the group stage, only Fabián Ruiz Peña (11) has more than Yamal (8).
With Spain progressing into the knockout stage, Lamine could still break Cesc Fàbregas’ record of 21 years and 37 days as La Roja’s youngest scorer at the Euros (vs. Russia, Euro 2008).
No doubt, Yamal is one of the most influential players in the Spanish midfield. Surely, his absence will impact Spain in many ways.
Kenan Yıldız, Turkey.At 19 years and 56 days old at the time of this writing, Yildiz is the second-youngest player in Turkey’s Euro 2024 squad.
Born in Germany to a Turkish father and a German mother, Yildiz honed his trade at Bayern Munich, which he joined at age 7, before working his way through the club’s youth categories.
Yildiz played all three games for Turkey in the group stage, totaling 192 minutes.
Did you know that among Turkey’s squad, whose average age is 27.7, Yildiz has played the most minutes for players aged 23 and below?
Having no goal or assist over the entire opening round shouldn’t be a stick to beat the 19-year-old with.
Yildiz has taken the most shots for Turkey in the group stage (9), although only 22% of them were on target (2).
His 12 shot-creating actions leaves him as the second-highest in the named category, only behind Orkun Kökçü (14).
His one goal-creating action leaves him as one of only four players in Montella’s squad with an entry in the category.
Obviously, the Juventus forward is not just another cog in the Turkish wheel but a key figure in attack.
Yildiz could still become Turkey’s youngest goal scorer before the end of the tournament.
The record is currently held by Arda Güler (19 years, 114 days) following his sensational left-footed curler against Georgia.
Jude Bellingham, England.Expectations were high for the Three Lions in the buildup to Euro 2024, with Jude Bellingham, who plays for Real Madrid, being one of the most promising names on everyone’s lips.
However, despite a fine start for the La Liga Player of the Season, England has failed to reach the expected lofty heights.
Now 21, having celebrated his birthday on June 29, Bellingham is the third youngest player in England’s Euro 2024 squad, whose average age is 27.4.
Behind Marc Guéhi (270 minutes), Bellingham has the highest number of playing time (265 minutes) among England’s squad aged 24 and below in the group stage.
He started all three games for England and has one goal, the game’s only goal in England’s 1-0 win against Serbia.
He is directly responsible for three of England’s five points in the group stage, which helped Gareth Southgate’s side finish as group winners.
Bellingham leads the English sheet for shot-creating actions per 90 in the group stage with 2.72 (8 in total).
Did you know his two goal-creating actions leaves him with the most by any English player in Southgate’s Euro 2024 squad?
He holds the record for England’s youngest player at the Euros, which he achieved in the last edition of the tournament at 17 years, 349 days.
Meanwhile, Wayne Rooney holds the record as the England’s youngest scorer at 18 years, 237 days, when he scored against Switzerland in EURO 2004.
With Phil Foden and Bukayo Saka struggling on the wings and Harry Kane failing to replicate his Bayern form, where would you see England without Jude Bellingham?
Could they have struggled even more or failed to reach the knockout stage?
Xavi Simons, Netherlands.Aged 21, Xavi is the youngest player on the Dutch team.
Yet he has played the most minutes (189 minutes) behind Bart Verbruggen (270 minutes) in a squad whose average age is 27.4, among players aged 24 and below.
Xavi has made two starts in three games played for Oranje.
Having been disappointed to see his goal against France scrubbed off by the VAR, he has so far made one assist.
Although the Netherlands suffered a 3-2 defeat to Austria, Xavi’s assist earns him a 25% goal contribution for the Flying Dutchmen in the group stage.
While he doesn’t particularly rank high on passing (55 passes completed), he leads the charts in the Netherlands’ squad for shot-creating actions, recording as many as 11.
That is two more than Cody Gakpo’s nine, who scored half of the Netherlands’ four goals at the group stage.
Meanwhile, did you know the Netherlands’ Youngest Player Award at the Euros remains intact?
Jetro Willems holds the record after his European Championship debut at 18 years and 71 days against Denmark in EURO 2012.
The youngest scorer for the Netherlands in the Euros is Patrick Kluivert at 19 years, 353 days (vs. England, EURO ’96).
Despite being ineligible to break both records, how would you rate the Netherlands without Xavi Simons?
Francisco Conceição, Portugal.
Aged 21, Francisco Conceição, who is the son of former FC Porto manager Sérgio Conceição, is Portugal’s third-youngest player at Euro 2024.
He played only two games for Portugal during the group stage, having come off the bench for one.
Despite the limited game time, the midfielder is one of the three goal scorers for Portugal in the group stage.
Without his stoppage-time goal in Portugal’s 2-1 win over Czechia, Roberto Martínez’s side would have failed to pick up the three points that helped them finish as group winners (6 points in total).
His four shots on target leaves him joint-third highest in the category, with none other than Cristiano Ronaldo leading the charts with 12.
Having made the best of the little given, we can expect to see more of the winger in the knockout stage.
Riccardo Calafiori, Italy.Surely, we will have to make one exception to our list!
Having celebrated his 22nd birthday just a month before Euro 2024 kicked off, leaving Calafiori out would be absurd.
Aged 22, Calafiori is the youngest player in Italy’s squad, whose average age is 26.9.
Previously expected to play a role off the bench, Calafiori has surprisingly started all three games for Italy.
Alongside three others, the Bologna centre-back has accumulated the highest number of playing time, 270 in the group stage for Italy.
His stoppage-time assist for Mattia Zaccagni in the 1-1 draw against Croatia helped Luciano Spalletti’s side earn a crucial point for a second-place finish in Group B.
He tops the charts for the most interceptions in the squad at 6, and is only behind Bastoni (11) in the number of clearances made (9).
His own goal in the game against Spain has only been the stain in his impressive run so far.
Meanwhile, Italy’s youngest player at the Euros remains Paolo Maldini, who was 19 years and 350 days old when he made his debut against West Germany in Euro 1988.
While a few other players, like France’s Camavinga and England’s Kobbie Mainoo, scarcely featured for their respective countries in the group stage, the likes of Lamine Yamal have been the cornerstone for Spain.
With the knockout stage kicking off on Saturday, June 29, a handful of names on our list may eventually decide Euro 2024’s final outcome. Others will, of course, shape the tournament’s remaining short future before the ultimate showdown on July 14 at the Olympiastadion Berlin.
Are you eager to follow these promising young stars as the tournament continues to unravel on our live blog?
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