The 2024 European Championship is less than a month away, and the excitement continues to grow with each passing day. Football fans across the globe can't wait to see the best teams in Europe battle it out for the title of continental champions in what is set to be a tournament to remember for ages to come.
Germany will be hosting this year's big event, and fans can access EURO 2024 tickets to watch some of the best football at some of the finest arenas the country has to offer. The competition will also feature some of the biggest names in football, from certified legends like Cristiano Ronaldo and Luka Modric to rising talents like Rasmus Hojlund and Turkey's Kenan Yildiz. With the group stage right around the corner, here are the top five players to watch at the Euros this summer.
Kylian Mbappe
Kylian Mbappe has already done enough to earn the status of an all-time great in the eyes of many and will be coming into the tournament as the consensus best player in Europe. The 25-year-old, who is known for his explosive offensive prowess, from his speed to his impeccable finishing, will be France's talisman yet again at the Euros.
Mbappe rose from the ranks of a promising talented young player for Monaco to a certified football superstar, and the accolades have followed him throughout his illustrious career. He was named the 2018 FIFA World Cup Best Player for his impressive display from the group stage to the final. In the same tournament, he became the youngest player since Pele to score in a World Cup final. Many incredible records continue to follow France’s captain and he looks hungry for more.
His career stats have also been noteworthy: he has scored a whopping 325 goals and provided 153 assists in just 436 games. Mbappe’s presence on the pitch will give an already stacked France squad an edge over any opponent in the Euros. We've already seen how he can inspire moments for Didier Deschamps’ men like he did against Argentina in Qatar, where he became only the second player to score a hat-trick in a World Cup final.
Mbappe will be coming into the tournament in hopes of righting his wrongs from the previous tournament where his failed spot-kick sent France to an early exit.
Jude Bellingham
Jude Bellingham is only 20 years old, but he has become one of the brightest youngsters in the world, and arguably the most marketable player under 25 years old. Bellingham started his career at Birmingham City at just 16 years old and has continued to captivate the football world ever since.
The England attacking midfielder completed a move to Borussia Dortmund, where he earned the 2023 Golden Boy honours, before taking his talents to Real Madrid last summer. In his first year with the Los Blancos, Bellingham has registered 21 goals and provided 10 assists, helping Madrid to another league title and a potential 15th Champions League trophy.
Bellingham has played in all of England's competitive tournaments since Euro 2021 and will be joined by an array of fine talents in Germany. Head coach Gareth Southgate will be hoping Bellingham can at least replicate his fine form at the Euros as the Three Lions seek their first-ever European Championship title.
Jamal Musiala
If there's one player the host country can rely on to lead a new generation of German football dominance, it is none other than Bayern midfielder Jamal Musiala. His exciting style of play has won the hearts of many football fans in his country and all over the world, and he could yet again raise his stock on home soil. At only 21 years old, Musiala has already featured heavily for his country of birth in competitive tournaments, playing two games at EURO 2020 and in all of Germany’s 2022 FIFA World Cup matches.
Musiala, who was named in the 27-man provisional squad released by the German FA, will be an essential piece for head coach Julian Nagelsmann as Die Mannschaft hopes to lift its fourth European Championship on home soil.
Lamine Yamal
Spanish forward Lamine Yamal has garnered the applause of many fans and pundits this season and has continued to emerge as one of the most explosive forwards on the continent. Yamal grew from Barcelona's famous La Masia, the same academy that produced football greats like Lionel Messi and current Barça head coach Xavi Hernandez.
Yamal may be very young, but his maturity on the pitch has been noteworthy. He has been a regular for the Blaugrana this season since joining the first team, becoming the youngest player to reach 50 games for the club at 16 years and 10 months old. Barcelona's wunderkind also holds the records as the club's youngest player to appear in a Champions League match and the youngest player to score in a La Liga match, a feat he achieved against Granada at 16 years and 87 days old.
He will be an important weapon on Spain's offensive front and a stellar performance at EURO 2024 could see him reach another level of superstardom.
Xavi Simons
Another player who grew from the ranks of La Masia, Xavi Simons has the potential to keep the football world on its feet at the Euros. The Dutch youngster started his senior career at PSG in 2021 before signing with PSV Eindhoven the following year. During his time with the Eredivisie side, he scored 19 league goals and provided eight assists, helping PSV clinch to a second-place finish.
Simons joined Bundesliga side RB Leipzig last summer and has been praised for his growing impact on the pitch this season. On the international stage, the 21-year-old has already featured in 9 competitive games for the Netherlands, including the 2022 World Cup, where he was the youngest member of the Dutch squad.
While Ronald Koeman has yet to name his final EURO 2024 squad, Simons is expected to cut and could play a key role in helping the Oranje scale through a tough group that contains France, Austria, and Poland.
