Spain dominate Opta's Euro 2024 Team of the Tournament after Sunday's 2-1 final victory over England, a result that clinched a record-breaking fourth European crown.
Five Roja players find themselves in Opta's stats-based XI, but they also contribute the most surprising omission, with Player of the Tournament Rodri missing out.
England only have one representative despite reaching their first tournament final on foreign soil, with Harry Kane's share of the Golden Boot and Jude Bellingham's stunning overhead kick versus Slovakia not enough to warrant a place.
Here, we run through those that did make the cut, highlighting a couple of standout stats for each player.
Giorgi Mamardashvili (Georgia)
Georgia shot-stopper Mamardashvili conceded more goals than any other player at the tournament (eight), but four of those came in a last-16 defeat to the eventual champions, and he finds his way in between the sticks.
Starring as Georgia surprisingly escaped Group F, Mamardashvili made 30 saves and prevented 4.76 goals according to Opta's expected goals on target (xGoT) model – the best figure at the tournament.
Joshua Kimmich (Germany)
Germany were dumped out in the last eight by Spain, and winning their group via a last-gasp Niclas Fullkrug goal versus Switzerland may actually have harmed the hosts as they wound up on the more challenging side of the draw.
Kimmich was fielded at right-back by Julian Nagelsmann and was instrumental going forward. In fact, only Lamine Yamal (17) bettered his 16 chances created from open play in just five games.
Manuel Akanji (Switzerland)
Akanji's tournament ended in despair as he was denied by Jordan Pickford in Switzerland's quarter-final penalty shoot-out defeat to England, but he was crucial for one of the competition's best defences.
Switzerland faced just 2.4 shots on target per game at Euro 2024, fewer than any other side, and conceded less than one expected goal per game (0.95).
Marc Guehi (England)
England's lone representative is a man who most would have deemed unlikely to start before the tournament began, Crystal Palace centre-back Guehi.
In for the injured Harry Maguire, Guehi contested (29) and won (13) more aerial duels throughout the tournament than any other England player and completed 93.5% of his passes.
Marc Cucurella (Spain)
When Luis de la Fuente named Cucurella in Spain's starting lineup for their opening game versus Croatia, there were plenty left open-mouthed by the exclusion of Bayer Leverkusen star Alex Grimaldo.
However, just three defenders were involved in more open-play attacking sequences than Cucurella's 31, and it was his low cross that led to the tournament's decisive moment; Mikal Oyarzabal's 86th-minute final winner versus England.
Toni Kroos (Germany)
Kroos may not have enjoyed a dream send-off ahead of his retirement, but a series of metronomic midfield displays left many fans wishing he would extend his career.
He made the most line-breaking passes (141) of any player at the tournament, also completing 94.3% of his passes under pressure, the best rate of any player (minimum 100 passes attempted).
Fabian Ruiz (Spain)
Fabian contributed two goals and two assists throughout the tournament, his driving runs from midfield making him the perfect foil for enforcer Rodri and silky playmaker Dani Olmo.
No player won possession more often than the Paris Saint-Germain man (46 times), while he also recovered the ball seven times in the final third, setting the tone for De la Fuente's high press.
Lamine Yamal (Spain)
The Young Player of the Tournament, Yamal recorded four assists to go with his semi-final stunner against France, with no player on record (since 1980) ever teeing up more goals at a single edition of the European Championships.
One day after his 17th birthday, he surpassed Pele (17 years, 239 days) as the youngest player to play in a Euros or World Cup final, and he made his mark despite some solid work from England left-back Luke Shaw, teeing up Nico Williams' 47th-minute opener.
Dani Olmo (Spain)
Olmo is entitled to feel a little miffed at UEFA's decision to share the Golden Boot between all six players that managed three goals. Under the old tie-breaking method, his two assists would have earned him the prize outright.
His most telling contribution, like that of Yamal, came in the last four, a sumptuous first touch setting him up to finish across Mike Maignan for Spain's winner.
Five goal involvements is the joint-most by a Spain player at a European Championship, along with David Silva in 2012, and all the more remarkable is the fact he only started three games.
Nico Williams (Spain)
The final Spanish representative, Williams opened the scoring in the final to become the second-youngest player to net in a Euros showpiece match (22 years, two days, behind Italy's Pietro Anastasi in 1968 at 20 years, 64 days).
Williams posted a higher expected assists (xA) total than any other player (2.06), and was La Roja's standout attacker when it mattered most against England.
Cody Gakpo (Netherlands)
The Netherlands may have suffered 90th-minute heartbreak against England in the semi-finals, but it was largely thanks to Gakpo that they made it that far.
Only Olmo and Yamal (five each) bettered his four goal involvements (three goals, one assist) as he earned a share of the Golden Boot. Only Yamal (15) and Kylian Mbappe (11), meanwhile, bettered his 10 chances created following a ball carry.
Atletico shift Saul out on loan to LaLiga rivals Sevilla
Saul Niguez has moved from Atletico Madrid on loan to Sevilla with the option of an extension after the 2024-25 campaign.
Both LaLiga clubs confirmed the transfer agreement on Monday, with each side referencing the "possibility of an extension" past the upcoming season.
The 29-year-old has started just 25 La Liga games across the last two seasons for Atletico, who are reportedly keen to reduce their expenditure on their first-team squad salary.
Reports in Spain suggest the midfielder has a three-year offer from league rivals Sevilla, though a complex transfer means the deal cannot be described as a purchase option with the possibility of a return to Atletico.
Saul made 49 appearances for Diego Simeone's men last season, though starts were limited as Atletico finished fourth in the Spanish top flight.
He has been capped 19 times by Spain and made 23 appearances for Chelsea, his last loan spell in the 2022-23 season before returning to Simeone's team.
Saul's addition marks the fourth arrival in Andalusia, with Arsenal's Albert Sambi Lokonga also loaned, along with moves for Chidera Ejuke and Peque Fernandez.
Ten Hag slams 'not good enough' Man Utd after surprise friendly defeat to Rosenborg
Erik ten Hag slammed Manchester United as "by far not good enough" after their shock friendly defeat to Rosenborg on Monday.
The Red Devils suffered a late 1-0 loss at Lerkendal Stadion after Noah Holm's 93rd-minute winner.
An underwhelming performance in their first pre-season game was in stark contrast to their last outing before that, a 2-1 victory over rivals Manchester City in the FA Cup final.
Rosenborg were denied by the woodwork on four separate occasions while attempting 22 shots to United's meagre five.
Ten Hag started the likes of Casemiro, Jonny Evans, Marcus Rashford, Aaron Wan-Bissaka and Mason Mount, leaving the United boss somewhat furious with their efforts in Trondheim.
"The result is not secondary. We play pre-season but at Manchester United, there's a standard," said Ten Hag to MUTV after the game.
"You win games. Definitely, you don't lose games. If you can't win, don't lose the game as we did at the end, the last second of the game.
"The performance is more important. The performance was below standard."
Radek Vitek, United's 20-year-old goalkeeper, was forced into seven saves in a one-sided pre-season meeting as the only Red Devils player to impress.
"Let's say he got the opportunity from the team to make some very good saves because our performance as a team is by far not good enough," Ten Hag responded when asked about Vitek's showing.
"I have seen this is not the standard for top football. Top football, you have to achieve much higher standards. It starts with any individual, make sure you are fit.
"I know we can't be match fit in this moment, therefore, you need these games. I know we are playing an opponent who are in their league, they have a much higher fitness level.
"But still we are Man Utd and players and teams from Man Utd must perform better."
Ten Hag's only credit from the game was placed on the youngsters who came on at half-time in wholesale changes.
"They always listen, they try to transfer. We didn't succeed today," the Dutchman said of his younger players.
"But the attitude, they want to transfer the coaching play model, they are always willing to do it. But it is clear today we didn't transfer it to the pitch."
Lionesses captain Williamson reminds Three Lions of successes despite Euro 2024 agony
England responding to their Euro 2024 heartbreak with success in the future will taste "even sweeter", according to Lionesses captain Leah Williamson.
The England Women's star launched a staunch defence of Gareth Southgate's men's side after their 2-1 defeat in the European Championship final to Spain.
Southgate's Three Lions are the first side in history to lose two consecutive Euros finals, while the England manager is the first to suffer defeat in two separate showpieces of the tournament.
Having lost the Women's World Cup final to Spain last year, Williamson can somewhat relate, but reminded England supporters of the good times under Southgate, whose future remains uncertain.
"Devastated, especially knowing some of them personally as well," Williamson told reporters ahead of Tuesday's clash with Sweden in qualifying for the Women's European Championship in 2025.
"What Gareth and his team have done over the last three, four years, reaching finals and bringing that dream closer to reality, we are very lucky as fans of England, men's and women's, to be in the position that we're in.
"They didn't quite get over the line to a fantastic Spanish team, I know they'll be devastated about it, it will take a while for them to get over it.
"But us as a country, we've been blessed with incredible tournaments. And when those wins come, which I do believe they will, then they'll be even sweeter."
England Women's boss Sarina Wiegman led her side to Euro 2022 glory against Germany before the agony against Spain the following year.
Therefore, Wiegman knows all too well about suffering from setbacks.
"Takes about three weeks, it took me three weeks to get over it," an honest Wiegman said on how Southgate and Co. will recover.
"It's very hard ... when you have given your everything, then you hope you win and when you don't, you are really disappointed.
"But then you start thinking: Okay, did we get everything out of ourselves? Did we do everything that we could that was in our control?
"And then you have to accept it. It's easier to accept a win than to accept a loss but yeah, for me that takes it took a while."
SportsMax is the Caribbean sports channel of choice, committed to providing sporting content of the highest quality to the Caribbean, delivered by a team of highly innovative, passionate and qualified professionals.
(876) 619-7629
digitalmedia@sportsmax.tv
