The European Championship is one of the biggest tournaments in international soccer and gives national teams in Europe the chance to be crowned the continent’s soccer champions. Except for the host nation, teams must qualify to play in this knockout competition. The current European champions are Italy, who beat England in Euro 2020 (held in 2021 due to world events) by winning 3-2 in a penalty shootout.
The tournament takes place every four years. This year, three-time winners Germany will be the host nation. Stadiums in some of the country’s most beautiful cities, including Berlin, Frankfurt and Munich, will be venues for the action.
Fresh new talent showcasing their skills at Euro 2024
Some players in the national squads will already be familiar with their nation, having served the country loyalty tournament after tournament.
There will also be some fresh young faces in teams at the tournament, however, who are getting their first taste of European international competition action or are relatively inexperienced when it comes to European international soccer. Below is a look at some of this top young talent who will be looking to make a mark at the competition.
N’Golo Kante
French defensive midfielder plays his soccer for Saudi Pro League club Al Ittihad and will be joining the national squad for their Euro 2024 campaign, despite not having played in Europe for some time. His call-up was a shock to many, but the player brings a lot to the table and has experience from playing in France’s winning World Cup 2018 squad that could prove valuable.
Kante is one of the most well-rounded midfielders around. He has a superb ability to read play, his tackling is immaculate and he can cover ground vertically and horizontally fast.
No matter how competitive the game, he always has energy in the tank. His ability on the ball is also exceptional but under-rated. He carries it with intensity and his passing, whether over long distances or short, is precise and reliable.
Kai Havertz
Although England is the hot favorite to win the tournament, if you’re into Euro betting you may wish to bet against them, seeing as Germany has attacking midfielder Kai Havertz in their squad. The former Bayern Leverkusen and Chelsea have given his new employers, Arsenal, 12 goals in 36 appearances for the side this season.
Havertz really thrives when he has the freedom to float around the final third of the pitch. He has good close control, even in pressure situations, and clever movement. His ball reception is reliable, although he prefers it close to his feet.
He likes to drop deep, catch up play and then arrive late in the box, and is especially good at finding space between defenders. When it comes to shooting, he favors his left foot, which is decent, but teams will be watching out for this and trying to force him onto his right one.
Florian Wirtz
Florian Wirtz is another attacking midfielder on the German side who will prove a real handful for opposing teams. Rarely has his team, Bayern Leverkusen, scored a goal this season that hasn’t involved him in some way.
The 21-year-old is one of the Bundesliga’s hottest young stars and is so with good reason. He’s simply masterful on the ball, effortlessly receiving the round and turning and displaying the most incredible dribbling ability many have seen in quite some time.
Wirtz works fantastically well with his teammates and spots gaps he can exploit to set them up to score. Depending on who’s around him, he can be the playmaker or the goal-scorer. He also has superb running ability. Ultimately, he’s a straight menace to teams who only have to blink, and they can find themselves a goal down.
Benjamin Šeško
Benjamin Šeško will be 21 by the time he reaches the championship and has been working his magic for RP Leipzig in the Bundesliga. At Euro 2024, the Leipzig forward will be doing it for Slovenia. Writers on the official Bundesliga website have compared him with Erling Haaland, so the defenders playing for Denmark, Serbia and England (Slovenia’s first round fixtures) can all expect a hard time.
Šeško is exceptionally fast and strong, and he knows how to position himself in the penalty area. He’s also terrific in the air, has good technique and can use both feet. His eye for the spectacular means he can pull something out of nothing, making him tough to predict for defenders.
Conclusion
Euro 2024 is going to be a thrilling tournament and teams will be putting out their finest talent in a bid for European Championship success. As well as for the players above, keep an eye out for RP Leipzig midfielder Xavi Simons, who has been named in the preliminary squad for the Netherlands, and Real Madrid midfielder, who will be in action for England.
