It’s been 10 days since the 2024 European Championship ended. And while it’s a cliche to say that the memories will certainly linger for a long time, we saw unforgettable things. It was a tournament that had a 16-year year old do things no one had ever done at his age, a legendary ‘mentality monster’ break down in tears after missing a penalty in extra time, the three forwards with the best odds to win the golden boot fail to score from open play, Kante’s unbeaten record fall at the feet of teenagers and more tears for England fans. Everybody took something away, whether lessons or a feeling of fulfilment and pride at surpassing expectations. However, it was only Spain who left with the glory. The Spanish national team beat all comers, with only Germany managing to stay level with them in regulation time. Perhaps the most remarkable thing about their triumph was that they finished the final without their starting 3 midfielders – Rodri, Pedri and Gavi, who missed the tournament through injury – and still managed to be assured in possession and dominant across the pitch. Many countries can learn from this, and the tournament provided numerous other valuable insights. So, what did we learn? **Bravery is Still Rewarded in Football** There is so much talk about “tournament ball” and how it is a necessity because of the fine margins that exist in international tournaments. The focus on maintaining solidity out of possession and keeping a compact structure has gained traction with every new tournament. The prevailing approach pre-EURO 2024 was: “be a conservative team relying on defensive solidity and extra time, penalties or the odd goal”, like the 2016 Portuguese team or France’s 2018 World Cup winners. As a result, the focus was rarely ever on destroying the opposition with a proactive approach but rather, on becoming impossible to beat. Thankfully, that was not the case as EURO 2024 as we got to see more teams rewarded for their brave, proactive approaches. From Georgia to Turkey, and Spain, teams who showed up and committed to positive football were the highlights of the month-long tournament. Debutants, Georgia in particular, would never have made it past the group stage if they did not choose to be proactive and brave.
Belgium’s exit was, perhaps, the biggest example of the problems that can arise due to a reactive-conservative approach. Coming up against France in the second round, their manager, Domenico Tedesco, opted to surrender all initiative to the French, who genuinely didn’t even want the ball. His decision to play Kevin De Bruyne, the world’s best creator, in a deep 2-man midfield role and completely nullify the threat Jeremy Doku posed by forcing him to chase shadows out of possession cost his team dearly. By the time they were forced out to try to make something happen, after conceding, it was too late. Of course, no team enjoyed the rewards of bravery quite like the Spanish team. They showed that bravery can yield rewards, along with the right execution. No matter the opponents they went up against, they were always the braver side, the proactive ones forcing their opponents to react, always the side looking to make things happen, always the ones taking the initiative even when in the lead. The most fruitful fulltime prediction of the entire tournament was “Spain to win” and it’s easy to see why. **If You’re Good Enough, You’re Old Enough** At club level, “you can’t win anything with kids” has long been disproved by Sir Alex Ferguson. But at international level, that stereotype has stuck, despite the performance of youngsters like Michael Owen and Wayne Rooney at international tournaments. At EURO 2024, Lamine Yamal, Arda Guler, Nico Williams, and Kobbie Mainoo lit up the tournament and stood out with scintillating performances. For so long, international tournaments have been discussed in terms of superstars, with young players rarely given responsibility or consideration. If there is any long-term effect this tournament will have, international managers will now have the audacity to take more chances on young players.
Southgate came into the tournament poised to play Trent Alexander-Arnold beside Declan Rice in midfield but quickly integrated 18-year old Kobbie Mainoo in midfield instead, to good effect. Absolutely no one could have seen him starting the Euro final, just two months ago. Yet, it happened. Despite an underwhelming show in the final, it is clear that the United youngster has promise and should be a mainstay in the England team for years. Arda Guler was another youngster who finally showed the world what the hype was all about, playing a key role in getting Turkey to the quarter finals. His goal against Georgia was one of the goals of the tournament and cemented his standing as one of the potential leaders of the next generation. Whenever Turkey needed inspiration, it wasn’t just experienced vet, Hakan Çalhanoğlu, they turned to. Guler, who is something of a national sensation, also carried their hopes. There simply aren’t enough superlatives to describe how excellent Lamine Yamal and Nico Williams were at EURO 2024. The winners of the Euros relied primarily on a 16-year old and a 21-year old, running everything through them. Before the tournament, no bet guru could have foreseen those two being frontrunners for the Player of the Tournament award or the players who would win Man-of-the-Match in the semifinal and final. It was simply unthinkable. Yet, it happened. Their ages didn’t matter here. What mattered was what they had to offer Spain, which was so good it brought home the trophy. If you are good enough, you are old enough.
**International Tournaments Remain Legacy-Defining** There are certain debates that take years to be dispelled in club football, but when it comes to the internationals, a clear line is more easily drawn. This tournament saw a lot of disappointing performances, but one that stuck like a sore thumb was Phil Foden’s. He came in on the back of the Player of the Season award, with his reputation at an all-time high. He even acknowledged all the criticism about his performances in an England shirt, vowing to fully dispel them in this tournament. Many had already started seeing him as the new leader of the Man City team, a big boy in his own right, the heir who had already snatched the throne. It was his time. All the talk has now fallen apart after he delivered an embarrassing showing, leaving with no goals or assists and failing to be a game-changer for the team. It felt more like the team was carrying him along while he produced nothing for them in return. Even Cole Palmer, who didn’t get half his minutes, was significantly more impactful and actually produced decisive moments in the latter stages of the tournament. Of all the disappointing “big players” at EURO 2024, none was as underwhelming as Foden. At least Mbappe had the excuse of a broken nose and his physical conditioning, and he has already delivered at international tournaments. Cristiano Ronaldo claim to be past his physical peak and Romelu Lukaku is already Belgium’s record goalscorer. Foden simply has nothing, and the stench of this tournament showing will remain on him for the next two years, at least. Until the next World Cup, he will have to live with the damage to his reputation. No matter what he does at club level in the next two years, those question marks will continue to hang over him because national team tournaments are simply legacy defining. On the flip side, the likes of Rodri and Carvajal cemented their place amongst the greats with this tournament. Both can now enter certain conversations they previously couldn’t, after this triumph. In fact, Rodri’s Ballon d’Or odds have gotten a boost after he was named Player of the Tournament. He’s now the second-favorite to win the Ballon d'Or, just behind Vinicius Jr and ahead of Jude Bellingham. As always, we have the best odds for the ballon d’Or markets, you can book a bet now and put some money on him to win it.
**The Most Obvious Place to Shop** If there is one thing that an international tournament will show you, it is which players can handle pressure. As we already know, the pressure at these tournaments is more than at club tournaments. The extra spice of nationalism brings pressure with it, the type of which can make or break players. When a player stars in these conditions, one can reasonably assume that such a player is made for big occasions and clubs with big expectations. That said, as there are no sure odds in football and these things aren’t linear, there is certainly still an element of risk involved in making signings off 7 games. That does not deter clubs, however, especially the ones who are already impressed with the track records of the players they are observing. For a player like Georgian ‘keeper, Giorgi Mamardashvili, who finished with the most saves in the tournament despite exiting in the second round, this was merely an opportunity for visibility. He already had the attention of big clubs like Bayern and Chelsea, so this tournament will serve to raise his profile and transfer fee, giving them the assurance that he is worth the big outlay. [There are rumours about Nico Williams,](https://m.betking.com/blog/betting-tips/the-best-players-from-euro-2024-and-the-copa-america-that-can-improve-your-team/) who has garnered significant interest from Barcelona and Chelsea, as well as Marc Guehi who shone for England. If Nico were to join Barcelona, their odds of being La Liga winners next season would greatly improve. Many more rumours abound. If you think certain transfer moves will happen before September 3rd, you can make some easy money if you get your bet prediction correct. To do that, [create an account](https://m.betking.com/account/registration) and check out our [transfer specials! ](https://m.betking.com/sports/events/outright/football/special-offer/transfer-specials)