One of the things that I love about tournaments is the way that they draw you to some of the stars from other nations. There are always a few players that shine, some that you’ve never heard of, some you knew but never really got to properly watch before.
During four weeks of international football, stand-out players from other countries soon become household names and you start imagining, usually unrealistically, whether you might see them sign for your club.
It doesn’t always come to fruition, but that was exactly the case for Josko Gvardiol at the 2022 World Cup. He was the outstanding player of the tournament for Croatia, with performances impressive enough to award him a huge move to Manchester City.
It took him time to get going under Pep Guardiola, but he finished his first season in Manchester in fine form, ready to shine for his country this summer. Croatia tend to overachieve at tournaments, and in what’s likely to be Luka Modric’s last Euros, Gvardiol and his team-mates will give everything they can to give the legendary midfielder a real Hollywood ending to his international career.
Similarly, Cristiano Ronaldo could feature in his final Euros, although you never know, given the unstoppable 39-year-old machine that he seemingly is.
Goncalo Ramos may also catch the eye for Portugal, though. He already has eight goals in just 11 caps at the age of 22, and comes into this tournament as one of Portugal’s form players. After struggling to adapt to life in Paris following his move from Benfica to PSG last summer, he settled into the second half of the campaign, ending strongly.
If anyone reading this hasn’t heard of Khvicha Kvaratskhelia yet, then you must have lived under a rock during Napoli’s famous Scudetto win in 2023, when the Georgian forward was the star, scoring 14 goals in all competitions, and adding 17 assists. The Naples side struggled during 2023-24, yet Kvaratskhelia still hit double figures for goals.
Making their debut at the Euros, it’s already an incredible achievement for Georgia to be in Germany – as long as their journey lasts, ‘Kvaradona’ will be fun to watch, and he’ll no doubt be on plenty of top clubs’ watch lists.
Tournament favourites France have a jewel in the crown, and I don’t just mean Kylian Mbappe. Although Mbappe is likely to be one of the players of the tournament, midfielder Warren Zaire-Emery could be one of the breakout stars. The 18-year-old has been smashing records for PSG whilst becoming a key player in Luis Enrique’s side, but this could be the summer when his international career takes off under Didier Deschamps.
The teenager actually only made his full international debut in November, scoring against Gibraltar, having been promoted from the Under 21 side in which he was captain. He’s brilliant at winning the ball back, holding it up and linking play – despite his age, even in a team at France’s level, he has the maturity to play in that midfield, and to do it with some stardust, too.
Host nation Germany have plenty of talent we’re familiar with, including Jamal Musiala, who made the switch to play for his birth nation, rather than England, in 2021.
An artist on the pitch, so graceful on the ball, he’s been a joy to watch for Bayern Munich this season, and with Toni Kroos tempted out of international retirement for the finals, we’ll see Germany’s attackers being given even more freedom in Julian Nagelsmann’s setup. Fully expect all the narratives to be about how England allowed Musiala to get away.
On the opposite flank, another 21-year-old star, Florian Wirtz, was a huge influence in Bayer Leverkusen’s unprecedented season. With the presence and experience of Ilkay Gundogan in the middle, the two youngsters driving forward will certainly get the big home crowds on their feet.
Holders Italy have had a huge comedown since they lifted the trophy, depressingly for us England fans, at Wembley in 2021. They followed failing to qualify for the World Cup with a nailbiting finale to their Euro 2024 qualifying campaign. New manager Luciano Spalletti has had less than a year to revamp the squad, who take on a new look as they aim to defend their title.
One player who could well be key is Nicolo Barella, the all-round midfielder who was so important in Inter’s title-winning campaign this year, and will likely play just as big a role for the Azzurri this summer if they’re to have a shot of retaining their crown.
There will be plenty of surprises and some breakout stars, with Europe’s best players on show for a month in front of huge audiences.
After a couple of unusual tournament scenarios in recent times, this feels like an event for the fans again. What’s not to love about a summer of football in Germany?
