Who makes the Euro 2024 Team of the Tournament based on Opta data? Read on to find out our starting XI.
Spain are European champions once more. Their most recent crown is European Championship trophy number four, and they’ve now won the competition more times than any other nation in history.
You can’t say they didn’t deserve it. Spain won all seven games at Euro 2024, becoming the first European nation to win seven matches at a major international tournament (Euros/World Cup) and just the second overall, along with Brazil at the 2002 World Cup.
Along the way, Luis De La Fuente’s side scored 15 goals at Euro 2024, the most by a nation in a single tournament in Euros history.
And so, as the dust settles on another major tournament, we pick our team of the tournament with the help of Opta data. You won’t be surprised to see plenty of Spanish players feature. Beaten finalists, England, on the other hand, are far less well represented.
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Goalkeeper: Giorgi Mamardashvili
OK, hands up. Who predicted that Georgia’s goalkeeper would make our Team of the Tournament at Euro 2024? Put them down, you liars.
Georgia were one of Euro 2024’s great stories. This was their first ever major tournament appearance, and as the lowest ranked team competing in Germany, many thought they were there just to make up the numbers. Oh, boy how they were wrong.
A 2-0 victory over Portugal in their final group game saw them qualify for the last 16, despite facing the most shots (71) and shots on target (25) of any side in the group stage.
Enter Valencia goalkeeper, Giorgi Mamardashvili who had a tournament for the ages. Overall Mamardashvili saved 30 of 38 shots on target he faced. Not only is that 12 saves more than any goalkeeper made in the entire tournament, but his 21 saves in the group stage is the joint-most ever made in a European Championship group stage on record (since 1980).
Based on the quality of shots on target faced, Giorgi Mamardashvili prevented more goals than any other goalkeeper at Euro 2024 (+4.7 – eight conceded from 12.7 xG on target, excluding own goals).
Right-Back: Joshua Kimmich
Julian Nagelsmann deployed Joshua Kimmich at right-back as opposed to his now more familiar role as a central midfielder for Germany during Euro 2024. That didn’t do anything to dampen Kimmich’s influence though, and the hosts were unfortunate to meet Spain so early on in the knockout stages.
Despite being a defender, Kimmich’s impact with the ball rivalled even the most advanced playmakers. Only Lamine Yamal (16) created more chances from open play than Kimmich, while he led all players for passes that broke that opposition’s defensive line (17) and ranked only behind Fabián Ruiz, Yamal and Toni Kroos for involvement in open-play attacking sequences that ended in a shot.
Centre-Back: Manuel Akanji
Manuel Akanji made our Premier League 2023-24 team of the season, and he gets in our Euro 2024 team as well. Akanji played every minute for Switzerland at Euro 2024, as Murat Yakin’s side really impressed before narrowly losing to England on penalties in the quarter-final.
Only a last-minute Niclas Füllkrug header prevented them from topping Group A, and they followed up their strong group-stage showing by comprehensively outplaying reigning champions Italy in the last 16.
Switzerland faced just 2.4 shots on target per game at Euro 2024, fewer than any other side, and conceded less than one expected goal per game (0.95). That’s a better figure than both of the tournament’s finalists in Spain (1.01) and England (1.04).
The Swiss trailed on the scoreboard for the lowest percentage of their match time in the tournament (2.5% – only losing for 13 minutes overall).
Centre-Back: Marc Guéhi
England fans will be pleased to see Marc Guéhi in our starting XI. His start against Serbia in England’s opening game was only his ninth in a Three Lions shirt, but he was one of their most consistent and assured performers as England lost in the final.
The Crystal Palace man was strong in his duels and calm in possession. He contested (29) and won (13) more aerial duels throughout the tournament than any other England player, led the team for block (6) and completed 66 passes per 90 minutes at an accuracy of 93.5%. Only John Stones (68.5 and 93.9%) could better those tallies.
Left-Back: Marc Cucurella
Euro 2024 was something of a redemption moment for Marc Cucurella. After a tough first two seasons at Chelsea, many were surprised to see him named as De La Fuente’s first-choice left-back ahead of Alex Grimaldo who so impressed at Bayer Leverkusen last season.
But the Chelsea man started six games for Spain and De La Fuente’s faith paid off. It was of course Cucurella’s inch-perfect cross that set up Mikel Oyarzabal’s winning goal in the final.
He was a consistent outlet for Spain up their left, providing genuine width and attacking endeavour. Cucurella created chances worth 1.1 xG for Spain at the tournament, a figure that only their attacking triumvirate of Yamal, Nico Williams and Dani Olmo could individually better. Overall, just three defenders were involved in more open-play attacking sequences than his 31.
Defensively, he was tenacious and aggressive, and registered the most combined tackles and interceptions for Spain (20) across the tournament.
Central Midfield: Toni Kroos
It wasn’t quite the fairytale ending for Toni Kroos, who officially retired from football after Euro 2024. He didn’t half go out on a high though.
Kroos was metronomic in Germany’s midfield, dropping deep and spraying passes all over the pitch. He completed 324 passes in the group stage – the most of any single player on record in a Euros – surpassing himself (323 in 2016).
He made the most line-breaking passes (141) of any player in the tournament, as well as having the highest completion rate for passes made under pressure (94.3% – min. 100 pass attempts).
Farewell, Toni, at least you can console yourself with seven domestic titles, six Champions League trophies, and a World Cup win.
Central Midfield: Fabián Ruiz
Yep, we did it. We went for Fabián Ruiz over Rodri. It’s a big call, but we’ve been really impressed with Fabián over the course of this tournament.
He is somewhat of a lucky charm for Spain. After their win in the final, Spain have never lost when Fabián has played (29 games and counting).
In possession, he was positive all tournament, completing more line-breaking passes and progressive passes than any other Spanish midfielder.
Fabián was involved in more open-play attacking sequences than anyone else at the tournament, and what’s noticeable from the graph below is just how balanced his shot involvement profile is. There’s a healthy mix of shots, direct chance creation and build-up play in there.
Let’s not ignore the topline numbers either. Only teammates Yamal and Olmo (5) were directly involved in more goals than Fabián (two goals and two assists).
Out of possession he’s been effective too, winning possession more times (46) than any other player at Euro 2024, as well as leading all players for possession recoveries in the final third (7).
Attacking Midfield: Lamine Yamal
Oyarzabal will take the headlines for his winner in the final, but Euro 2024 was Lamine Yamal’s tournament.
Spain’s precocious teenager was awarded Young Player of the Tournament for his performances, and there was only ever going to be one winner of that award.
He created history in Spain’s semi-final, with his goal against France seeing him become the youngest player ever to score a goal at a European Championship. In fact, Yamal also became the youngest goalscorer at a Euros or World Cup, a record previously held by the great Pelé after his goal for Brazil against Wales at the 1958 World Cup (17y 239d).
His assist for Nico Williams’ opening goal in the final took his tally to four in the tournament – no one has ever provided more in a single edition of the Euros.
Yamal’s ability to carry the ball forward and then cut inside to either shoot or create is frightening. He created 15 chances from ball carries at Euro 2024, more than anyone else at the tournament.
Oh, and he also created 19 chances overall, the most on record by a teenager at a World Cup (since 1966) or Euros tournament (since 1980), and the most by anyone at this edition. Special talent.
Attacking Midfield: Dani Olmo
What’s remarkable about Dani Olmo being one of the tournament’s best players is that he only started three of Spain’s seven matches. But whenever he did appear, either from the start or from the bench, he made a real differenence.
A goal in each of Spain’s knockout games en route to the final is about as clutch as it gets. Those goals, plus an extra two assists saw him directly involved in five goals at Euro 2024, tied for teammate Yamal at the top of that ranking. His three goals saw him jointly-win the Golden Boot.
Five goal involvements is the joint-most by a Spain player in a single edition of the European Championship, along with David Silva in 2012 (also five – two goals, three assists).
Silky technique and exceptional close control saw him complete 14 dribbles in the tournament – the most by a Spain player in a single edition of the European Championship since Lobo Carrasco in 1984 (16).
Attacking Midfield: Nico Williams
The attacking three behind our striker is made up of a trio Spaniards. Left-winger Nico Williams completes that set.
The Athletic Bilbao man was exceptional throughout the tournament, and scored Spain’s opening goal in the final. At the age of 22 years and two days, Williams became the second-youngest player to score in a Euros final.
With Yamal stalking on the opposite flank, Spain’s two direct and young wingers were a defining characteristic of their dominant side.
Williams posted a higher expected assists total than any other player at the tournament (2.06), while no player attempted more than his 39 total take-ons.
The sight of him running at terrified defenders and beating them both on the inside and outside will be an enduring image from this tournament.
Striker: Cody Gakpo
Due to the real lack of standout number nine performances, we’ve shifted Cody Gakpo centrally to lead the line.
In a tournament where the so-called ‘Big Names’ struggled to find form, Gakpo is one of those higher-profile players who actually delivered. With three goals, he tied for the most in the tournament and with one assist his four goal involvements were only surpassed by Olmo and Yamal.
With a goal and an assist against Romania in the last 16, Gakpo became the first Dutch player to score and assist in a knockout-stage game at the European Championship since Frank Rijkaard in the 1992 semi-final versus Denmark.
The Liverpool man led all Netherlands players for shots (12), shots on target (8), chances created from open play (11) and expected assists (1.9).
Gakpo created 10 chances from ball carries at Euro 2024, five times shooting himself and five times setting up teammates. Only Lamine Yamal (15) and Kylian Mbappé (11) could better that total.
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