By Theo Van Zyl
With Spain being crowned champions of the UEFA European Football Championship, Scrolla.Africa picks its team of the tournament:
Goalkeeper – Mike Maignan
The French goalkeeper kept the most clean sheets of any goalie in the tournament. Despite France’s struggling attack, their defence kept up its end of the bargain by only conceding three goals, two of which were scored by Spain and the other a Polish penalty.
Left-back – Marc Cucurella
Manchester United legend and pundit Gary Neville said that Spain couldn’t go the distance in the Euros because of Cucurella. Not only did Spain win the tournament, but Cucurella also got the assist for the winning goal in the final.
Centre-back – Marc Guehi
Despite England’s lack of creativity going forward, better things can be said about their defensive work. Guehi was brilliant at the back, showing impressive maturity in his Euros debut.
Centre-back – William Saliba
France didn’t concede a goal from open play until Spain knocked them out in the semi-finals. Saliba justified fans’ claims that he is the world’s best defender by putting in some great defensive displays throughout the tournament.
Right-back – Dani Carvajal
Carvajal has had a fantastic season, winning just about every trophy available to him at a club level. The Real Madrid full-back was excellent again and will bring home further silverware in the form of the Euros.
Midfielder – Rodri
Man City’s Rodri won the Player of the Tournament award for good reason. The Spanish midfielder was key in his team’s success and is now a favourite to win the Ballon d’Or.
Midfielder – Jamal Musiala
There was a time when it seemed like Musiala was destined to be the Player of the Tournament. However, his Euros campaign was cut short by the Spanish. On the pitch, Musiala gave defenders a nightmare, showcasing world-class dribbling and goalscoring.
Midfielder – Fabían Ruiz
Fabian was equally brilliant when playing next to Rodri in the Spanish midfield. His four-goal contributions and excellent work on and off the ball made Spain dominant in every game.
Left-wing – Nico Williams
Williams deserved the Player of the Match award in the Euro 2024 final. He was also one of Spain’s best players throughout the tournament, adding his direct style of play, which terrorised defenders. He’s also available for just £58m this summer, with big clubs circling already.
Striker – Cody Gakpo
Without Gakpo’s goals, the Netherlands would not have reached the semi-finals. The Liverpool forward played brilliantly in an otherwise uninspiring side.
Right-wing – Lamine Yamal
Yamal celebrated his 17th birthday by winning the Euros, a feat never managed before. The Barcelona forward managed the most goal contributions out of any player, getting an assist in the final and, more notably, scoring a world-class goal in the semi-final against France. The European Championship is Yamal’s first major trophy of his career. It will not be his last.
Honourable mention – Dani Olmo
Olmo only managed game time in the Spanish set-up when Pedri got injured in the quarter-finals. From that point onwards, Olmo lit up the tournament. His five-goal contributions were crucial to Spain’s success.
Pictured above: Lamine Yamal and Nico Williams.
Source: Lamine Yamal/X
