The Calm Before The Storm

England are potentially 90 minutes away from lifting their first trophy since 1966. It will be a nervous evening for all those involved, but those players have a chance to etch their names into the history books. But before we get ahead ourselves, we should acknowledge those fallen comrades who have fallen by the wayside. So, before the final takes place, let me provide my picks for some of the key awards.

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Best Player: Fabian Ruiz

With Spain being the best team at these finals, I’ve gone for Fabian Ruiz as the EURO 2024 MVP. Some of his teammates may grab more of the headlines, but the PSG midfielder has put together a string of strong performances. Right from the first game against Croatia, he’s been the engine in the Spanish midfield. What has surprised me is how good he’s looked on the ball as well as his attacking prowess. Known for being slightly more defensive-minded, he has displayed that cutting edge in and around the box which is often missing when he plays for his club. The way Spain play, he’s been crucial to their press, regaining the ball high up field, enabling Spain to do what they do best: dominate. If Spain are to beat England on Sunday, best believe he will be a key reason why.

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Best Young Player: Lamine Yamal

This one is a slam dunk, the only right answer is Lamine Yamal. Not to toot my own horn, but I predicted he’d be the breakout star, and we can all agree I’ve been proven right. He’s been electrifying for Spain. The fact that he hasn’t even turned 17 yet and he’s doing what he’s doing in his first major international competition is nuts. He, alongside Neco Williams on Spain’s left wing, have wreaked havoc on full-backs. His four goal involvements in six matches demonstrates his impact. The goal against France in the semi-final was a thing of beauty, but something that no longer surprises us. These days, we as fans and the media are very quick to crown the next big thing. The biggest complement I can pay to Yamal is this. He’s not the next anybody, he’s the one and only Lamine Yamal.

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Surprise Team: The Netherlands

One could make the argument that Spain have surprised people as I doubt many thought they’d get to the final. Instead, I’ve opted for the Dutch. If it wasn’t for an Ollie Watkins last-minute winner, they could have been facing Spain in the final. Despite this, I think the Netherlands can be content making it to the semi-finals as their record at tournaments over the last twenty years or so has been wretched. They can look back at their time in Germany and be proud. Cody Gakpo has looked like the player Liverpool fans had been crying out for. Bart Verbruggen, the Brighton goalkeeper who’s only 21 had a solid tournament.  There are positive signs that they can remain competitive. Sure, they were in the easier half of the draw, but you can only beat what’s in front of you.

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Biggest Flops: Portugal

There was a part of me that wanted to say Italy, as whenever the reigning champions go out early, it’s usually considered a shock. However, them losing to Switzerland in the last sixteen was far from a surprise. The only other team that I think has underperformed is Portugal. With all the talent they have, their limp exit at the hands of France was a missed opportunity. Their unwavering persistence to keep Cristiano Ronaldo in the starting line-up was baffling when they had other attacking options to choose from. Roberto Martinez is used to under-delivering when blessed with a talented crop of players. We saw it when he was the Belgium manager, and it seems like a case of déjà vu with the Portuguese. With the level of expectation within the Portuguese ranks, they must be the biggest disappointment of EURO 2024.

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Best Game: Turkey vs Georgia

The football over the past month hasn’t been fantastic by any stretch. There have been a few games that stand out though. The Netherlands’ dramatic 3-2 victory over Austria, Spain’s thrilling win against Germany and even their semi-final triumph over France. But for me, the standout match was Turkey versus Georgia. It was a game filled with chaos, entertainment and goals. This was Georgia’s first ever match at an international tournament, and they came to play. We witnessed two contenders for best goal at these finals from Mert Müldür (Turkey’s right-back) & Arda Güler. Following a Georgia corner in the last minute of the match, Kerem Aktürkoğlu raced towards an open goal and sealed the win. Sometimes international football can be very cagey, but this match was the perfect demonstration of two teams playing with no fear, going head-to-head, punch for punch.

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Best Goal: Jude Bellingham vs Slovakia

If we consider both the goal itself and the circumstances, Jude’s overhead kick is the one. England had played an abysmal 90 minutes against the Sokoli and heading into the 95th minute, were staring down the barrel of an embarrassing elimination. Up steps Bellingham to say, allow me to reintroduce myself, and produce something out of nothing. He’s shown for Real he’s the main for the big occasion, and he delivered when his nation needed him most. The technique required to produce such a finish is of such a high level. What makes that moment even more special is that he wasn’t having the greatest tournament and then he goes and does that, crazy. If England go onto be crowned European champions, they’ll point to that moment as the stroke of genius (and a little bit of luck) they needed.

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This Week’s Hot Take

Watching the events in Germany has made me realise that the quality of international football has really dropped. There are few good international teams, on paper at least, but if you examine them closely, they don’t compare to the best teams of the last 10 to 15 years. It might be a bigger issue of the quality of football as a whole declining, who knows.