While most eyes will be fixated on the more established players representing their countries at the 2024 UEFA European Championship, a younger generation of starlets will be eyeing the opportunity to impress on the international stage.
The esteemed continental tournament is set to kick off on Friday night when Germany takes on Scotland in the opener. Right off the bat, two of the hottest prospects in world football Jamal Musiala and Florian Wirtz are likely to be in action with the aim of impressing those watching on and helping their nation try to win the competition for the fourth time in its history.
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Both players will be looking to transfer their club form into the international arena. Musiala is coming off of a good season that has seen him net 12 goals and create eight for his side in 38 appearances across all competitions, while Wirtz has amassed an impressive 18 goals and 20 assists in 49 games, equating to just under one goal involvement per game.
If Germany can get the duo firing on all cylinders and somehow find a way to incorporate both number 10s into the side at the same time, they will be quite the offensive force.
Musiala x wirtz https://t.co/NbcfT8jETC pic.twitter.com/sSPxMNHex8
— GIO JM10???? (@Gio_JM10) June 6, 2024
Portugal are a team who boast a star-studded line-up with the likes of Bruno Fernandes, Bernardo Silva, Cristiano Ronaldo and more, but two players who could play important roles in their campaign is 20-year-old defender Antonio Silva and 19-year-old midfield sensation Joao Neves.
Both players currently ply their trade in Liga Portugal for SL Benfica and have become crucial players for the side, with the centre-back making 50 appearances over the course of the 2023/24 campaign and the midfielder making 55.
Together, they have amassed over 8 000 minutes of game time this season, which may suggest that they carry considerable experience for players their age. It might just be a key factor in stepping up during those crucial do-or-die moments in a tournament such as this.
When it comes to France, most of the spotlight will be focused on Real Madrid star Kylian Mbappe, but we should not allow the undermining of 18-year-old wonderkid Warren Zaire-Emery. He's a tenacious midfielder who possesses all the tools required to impact a game when needed. It is perhaps why he has become an important member of Luis Enrique's Paris Saint-Germain side in such a short span of time. He has made 43 appearances in all competitions, including 11 in the UEFA Champions League of which 10 were starts, showing his importance.
He will be hoping to also become a crucial part of the France team. Although the competition in that impressive French squad will be tough, problem Didier Deschamps will be grateful to have, Zaire-Emery may just have the skillset to feature throughout the competition.
Xavi Simons will be dreaming of having a great tournament with the Netherlands as he is coming off of an impressive season with Bundesliga side RB Leipzig, who achieved a fourth-place finish in the league with the help of the 21-year-old who has reinvented himself.
Simons also helped the side reach the round of 16 in the UEFA Champions League. Over the course of the campaign, he netted 10 times while assisting 15 goals in 43 matches across all competitions. More recently, however, in the Oranje's 4-0 thrashing of Iceland in a friendly, the midfielder found the back of the net. He will be hoping for more goal involvements during the tournament as his creative abilities will serve as an advantage for the side.
SAGE MODE.???????? #TRUSTTHEPROCESS pic.twitter.com/F6pSrzgpWc
— Xavi Simons (@xavisimons) June 10, 2024
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Honourable mentions for starlets who will steal the spotlight at the upcoming tournament include England's Kobbie Mainoo, Jude Bellingham, Cole Palmer, and Adam Wharton. Turkey will also boast the Real Madrid star who has the best minutes per goal ratio in the five major European leagues this season Arda Guler, while Barcelona wonderkid Lamine Yamal will represent Spain at the tournament despite still being just 16 years of age.
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