Based on vibes and aura as much as it is on performance, we select the 11 top players in our eyes from EURO 2024.
The European Championships provide an experience unlike any other. Fans easily travel around the continent to watch their teams, so the atmosphere is always electric. It is also an opportunity for players to make their careers off of a massive performance, showing clubs around the world that they have either been overlooked or that they are worth the price tags that their clubs have set.
But, performances only get you so far in the eyes of us here at Urban Pitch. We like to also take into account the ways players carry themselves on and off the field, what they bring to the world of football, and ultimately, whether they have the skills to back up their bravado.
Using this criteria, we’ve selected a Best XI from the recent EURO 2024 tournament that culminated in a Spanish victory. It’s less about duel win rate, progressive passes per 90, or average match rating, and more about how the player makes us feel and if they are someone we want to root for. Think vibes over advanced stats.
Goalkeeper
Giorgi Mamardashvili, Georgia
In recent years, few nations have had a more meteoric rise in world football than Georgia. The small European nation of 3.7 million people is starting to create stars, with Khvicha Kvaratskhelia earning most of the headlines. In this year’s EURO however, goalkeeper Giorgi Mamardashvili stole the show and outperformed all expectations, giving Georgia two bonafide top-level talents in the game.
Georgia got out of a tough group as one of the best ranked third-place teams, and it came down to heroics from Mamardashvili, who made countless huge stops. In the group stage match against the Czech Republic, he made 11 saves, almost single-handedly securing the team’s result.
While apprehensive about using this term, the 2024 EUROs has been all about “aura,” and if there is any position that you want a player to have “aura,” it’s in front of the net. Mamardashvili has got it. If he can carry this performance level to his club play at Valencia, expect bigger clubs to try to make him their No. 1.
Defenders
Manuel Akanji, Switzerland
🏆Congrats, Manuel #Akanji!🙌🤩🎉 #EURO2024 | #SCOSUI | #SUI pic.twitter.com/PywC0m1iN0
— UEFA EURO 2024 DE (@EURO2024DE) June 19, 2024
When it comes to defending, you want a player who can go unnoticed, never having to face big recovery tackles or getting caught out in transition. As Paolo Maldini once said, “If I have to make a tackle, then I have already made a mistake.”
Manuel Akanji is the epitome of this, with his unbelievable intelligence, physical dominance, and reading of the game. After all, this is the player that Pep Guardiola recruited so heavily to replace Vincent Kompany, another player heralded for his intelligence on the pitch.
Akanji played every minute for Switzerland, and you could bet your top dollar that he was the first name on the team sheet for every single game. If this stretch of form continues, his name should be in the mix for best defender in the world. Still, knowing his understated nature (which is so refreshing in the modern game), he will probably continue to fly under the radar and rack up trophies in club competitions.
Just like his ability to organize a back line, he can organize an outfit, and he is sneakily one of the best-dressed ballers in the Premier League.
Marc Guehi, England
Like Akanji, Marc Guéhi has quietly had an outstanding tournament, playing every minute for England in their turbulent run to the tournament final. It may have taken him longer than people expected for him to reach star center back status after his shining performances in the 2017 U17 World Cup, but that promise is coming through. Chelsea will be kicking themselves for letting him go, as he now looks like a tailor-made replacement to John Terry in terms of leadership, talent, and winning mentality.
Off the pitch, with no publicly visible Instagram, it adds to the mystique of the no-nonsense defender persona, and with that becoming a dying breed, it is worth praising, especially when his performances have been so classy and unaffected by the relatively inconsistent performances by other English players further up the pitch.
Now, the only question is how long Crystal Palace will be able to hold onto Guéhi. Big clubs will certainly try to turn his head and convince him that the next step will be Champions League football and a bigger stage week after week.
William Saliba, France
Sticking with the trend of center backs who quietly go about their business, maintaining calm, sniffing out danger, and bringing confidence to their team, we have French defender William Saliba. France may have had a tournament to forget, but Saliba, much like Guéhi, proved that there was substance behind the hype that has surrounded him for so many years.
As with the other two defenders chosen, Saliba played every minute for France and seems like the natural successor to Raphaël Varane, who was so instrumental in winning the 2018 World Cup.
France didn’t concede a goal from open play until their semifinal match against Spain, and Saliba played a massive part in that. At just 23, he has multiple years before reaching his prime, so seeing him perform so well at such a young age will give Arsenal supporters goosebumps.
Midfielders
Jamal Musiala, Germany
The world already knew about Jamal Musiala from his excellent Champions League performances in the past few years, but now, the world really knows about him. With three goals in the tournament and enough close control dribbling moments to create multiple 10-minute compilations, fans have fallen in love with his fluidity on the ball, his willingness to be creative, and his fearlessness in taking on players one-on-one.
In a world that is losing creativity on the football pitch, Musiala plays with panache and joy, all without sacrificing tactical discipline and team cohesiveness. Right now, Bayern will be doing everything they can to hang on to him because, as we all know, when there is a player with world-class ability and all-time great potential, Real Madrid will find a way to convince them to join Los Blancos.
Xavi Simons, Netherlands
It is crazy to think that Xavi Simons is still only 21, as he has been at the forefront of football for what seems like a decade. Simons was one of those football prodigies with a massive social media following during his time at the Barcelona Youth Academy, and for a while, it looked like all of that potential was going to be unrealized, which is crazy to say about someone who is still only 21. Since his move to PSV, he has tremendously improved and now looks to be the next Dutch midfielder to dominate at the world stage.
Simons has been under the microscope for so long that he seems to have a chip on his shoulder. It looks like he knows people think he is just an Instagram star, and he wants to prove that football is still first. He is aggressive, technically talented, and can strike a ball with the best of them.
Off the field, he still has his social media, amassing over 5.9 million Instagram followers, and his wide range of endorsements, from PUMA to LG, displays his bankable star power.
With his clear La Masia graduate style, he plays the game quickly, cleanly, and without fear of small spaces, often maintaining possession with countless defenders around him. With his small-ish stature, Simons has hints of Andres Iniesta, Wesley Sneijder, and Xavi (after whom he was named) in his game, but with more goalscoring. He is a joy to watch and will continue growing on the biggest stage.
Bernardo Silva, Portugal
While the major story for Portugal was whether Cristiano Ronaldo still had the game to compete on the biggest stage, Bernardo Silva kept things running smoothly and allowed Portugal to even make it out of the group stage. Time and time again, people forget to mention Silva as one of the best creators in world football, continually downplaying his importance to his teams.
In the first match, Silva pulled Portugal through with his constant availability to receive passes, maintaining possession under pressure, and creative forward passes that helped unlock the Czechia defense.
How much more can Silva do to get the credit he deserves?
Kobbie Mainoo, England
Kobbie Mainoo vs Netherlands.
Re-upload. pic.twitter.com/dZbxR1od5x
— 𝙀. (@jnevesera1) July 11, 2024
Kobbie Mainoo, a 19-year-old who many were unsure if he would even make the final roster, has been spectacular for England when he has gotten the chance. It is difficult to quantify just how hard it is to get into the midfield, with arguably the world’s most valuable player, Jude Bellingham, taking all of the attention, yet Mainoo has come in and, at times, looked like the more consistent and mature player.
Additionally, dealing with the pressure of a nation, especially one that has continuously treated its young black players so poorly, is mightily impressive from a 19-year-old. It is one thing to be cool through style, but to do it through actions is a completely different level, and Mainoo looks like he is perpetually chill in whichever situation he finds himself in. This mentality is different, and if he keeps growing like this, he could challenge Bellingham as England’s most important player in upcoming tournaments.
Attackers
Cody Gakpo, Netherlands
There is something really special about a big striker who knows how to play with the ball at his feet. Cody Gakpo is one of them, and while his time at Liverpool has been turbulent, his form for the Netherlands both at this year’s EUROs and the 2022 World Cup have shown that he has the ability to light up whatever pitch he plays on.
On an international scale, the Netherlands have struggled in recent years. Part of that was due to a lack of a pure attacker. They had the likes of Memphis Depay and Wout Weghorst, but neither of those players could lead the line like Gakpo. Now, they have solidity through the entirety of the pitch, and even though they lost in the semis, I expect them to be amongst the favorites for the 2026 World Cup, and this is in no small part due to Gakpo’s performance.
Expect his villain and redemption arc to start this season after a heartbreaking exit. You heard it here first.
Bukayo Saka
Bukayo Saka endured vile racist abuse after missing a penalty in the EURO 2020 Finals. Of the three England players to miss a penalty that day, he is the only one who remains on the squad (both Marcus Rashford and Jadon Sancho weren’t selected), and his performance has been nothing short of a redemption for the ages, showing those cowards who abused him that he will never stop fighting for the Three Lions.
His industry on and off the ball has lit a creative spark that England rarely showed during this tournament, and he consistently proved that he is one of the best players in the world.
Additionally, he was able to exorcise his demons and score from the penalty spot to help England beat Switzerland in the quarterfinals. Talk about confidence to take a penalty after such a traumatic experience faced in the past.
Lamine Yamal
It is borderline impossible to omit the now 17-year-old from this list. Based on social media mentions alone, Lamine Yamal has basically taken over the world of football and had people forgetting about Bellingham for a moment. Not only did he make the squad at 16 years old (he turned 17 the day before the final), but he has been an integral part of Spain’s title run and shut up the critics for good with his absurd goal in the semifinal against France.
Off the pitch, he has shown that he is still just a kid, posting dancing videos with teammate Nico Williams (who could very well join Lamal at Barcelona this summer) and trying to wear a Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle mask in an interview after knocking out Kylian Mbappe’s French team.
With world-class potential and a bold attitude, this kid could take over the world.
Honorable Mentions: Florian Wirtz, Riccardo Calafiori, Arda Güler, Nico Williams, Rafael Leao
