This Euro tournament is inspiring. There had been only 10 minutes of the opening game when Florian Wirtz’s goal against Scotland completely set us all off. My seven-year-old daughter covered her ears because she thought it was too loud in the stadium. But she was comforted by a badge that a Scottish fan later gave her. This is now her treasure.
Since that opening night there has been a real party in Germany. A few days later I was in Dortmund for the match between Turkey and Georgia. The atmosphere was indescribable; I’ve rarely experienced anything like it. The fans from both sides pushed their team to the limit. Even those in the main stand stood up and you couldn’t look away for a second. I’m very happy to have been there.
The quality of these Euros has been outstanding so far and we have been able to see some extremely passionate football because each of the 24 nations have a strong following cheering them on. I saw pictures from Tbilisi on the internet. A full stadium watched the Georgian team almost get a draw in their first-ever European Championship match.
My eyes are on Germany, of course. The team are back in the mix after failing for three tournaments in a row and it is important that the hosts are in the running. Now you can see qualities that have been missing for a long time. My 11-year-old son has never experienced a successful national team before. It’s a completely new feeling for him for Germany to win two games in a row at a tournament.
I also look at football matches professionally, at teams and at individual players. Who is establishing themselves as world class? Who will make their mark on the tournament? Who is using the Euros as a platform? As a German, I am going to mention two players in particular: Florian Wirtz and Jamal Musiala.
Germany can count itself lucky to have these great footballers. At only 21, they are two players with enormous talent who inspire and raise hope. They immediately catch the eye with their extraordinary talent. Both dare to go one on one at any time and are prepared to challenge and claim the ball. Wirtz has an excellent first touch, changes pace skilfully and has great positional awareness on the pitch; just see his goal against Scotland.
Musiala is virtually impossible to get off the ball and he can beat an opponent from a standing start. When the opposing teams have parked the bus and lined up their players in front of goal, he is able to find solutions. He was named player of the match in the first game and scored for the second consecutive game against Hungary.
Wirtz and Musiala’s zone is the final third, where they score and set up goals. Many fans are known to identify particularly with attacking players, with dribbling skills and goalscoring more popular than defending. Especially with the younger generation. My son’s idols are Musiala and Wirtz and he alternates between wearing the No 10 and No 17 shirts.
What I particularly like is that Wirtz and Musiala are team players. I can see that they have a connection with all their teammates on the pitch. They run a lot and help in defence. It is also clear from their interviews that they think in terms of the team as a whole.
And they have been successful at their clubs at a young age. Musiala’s goal in Cologne in May 2023 made Bayern Munich the Bundesliga champions. Wirtz won the league and cup double with Bayer Leverkusen this year. Both have shown responsibility for their club’s results and now they are doing the same for the national team. You play football to win.
They were born with the talent. They are made for football. I enjoy watching their development. People are moulded by their environment and for footballers that is the club. If you want to be successful, you need a clear role and high-quality teammates who get the best out of you. Everything looks good with Wirtz and Musiala at the moment.
When I watch the two of them play I occasionally reflect on my own career. At my first tournament, the 2004 Euros in Portugal, I was 20, just a little younger than the two of them today. We didn’t win a game and were knocked out, but personally I was able to establish myself internationally as a left-back. Musiala has also experienced failure: he was eliminated in the preliminary round of the 2022 World Cup. Wirtz, on the other hand, scored the first goal of these Euros, which I did in the 2006 World Cup.
When I’m travelling through my country these days and sitting in the stadiums, I get slightly nostalgic. Memories of triumphs, injuries and defeats come back to me. That’s probably how every footballer feels when they watch their national team and realise: major tournaments are unique experiences.
I wish Wirtz and Musiala all the best. They both have what it takes to leave their mark on an entire decade. But a footballer is only ever as good as they were in their last game. It’s the here and now that counts. And this is a tournament where people are celebrating and experiencing European reality together. That is motivating me a lot to stay involved in football.
Philipp Lahm is the tournament director for Euro 2024. His column was produced in partnership with Oliver Fritsch at Zeit Online, the German online magazine.
