They captivated the whole of Europe with their play: top discoveries at Euro 2024

The final has passed, the tournament is over, and now we can soberly look at the best performances of the players and determine who we would like to get to know better. OBOZ.UA presents its own selection of Euro 2024 best players: here are those we knew little about before the championship, and now we will read their biographies and watch their cool transfers.

Giorgi Mamardashvili (Georgia/Valencia)

The goalkeeper showed the highest quality at the Euros. Mamardashvili has won the hearts of the entire continent and right now fans are defending his candidacy for inclusion in the list of the best Euro team instead of Mignolet, Pickford and Simon. And for a good reason: thanks to his efforts in particular, Georgia became the 29th participant in the history of the UEFA European Championship playoffs in its first year at the championship. Mamardashvili made 29 saves in four matches of the tournament, which is 11 more than any other goalkeeper in the same period. Most of all against Spain - 13 times at once. If it wasn't for him, the score could have been obscene. After such an enchanting performance, the goalkeeper is definitely preparing to move to a stronger team.

Stefan Posch (Austria/Bologna)

The Austrian national team itself was a surprise in the group stage, although it collapsed under pressure from the Turks in the playoffs. One of the best players in this team was Posch, the right winger of the sensational Bologna. Needless to say, he is the second footballer with the most scores after the forwards Sabitzer and Baumgartner. And this is despite the fact that he was simply required to do the most defensive work! Stefan had time for everything: after the shots, he made interceptions, clearances and tackles. Even though Austria was eliminated very quickly, Posch remained in the top in many respects, beating even Laporte, Walker, Kroos or Pepe, so he deserves to be included in the tournament team at least on the bench.

Kobbie Mainoo (England/Manchester United)

Here he is - the main star of the center of England on a par with Rice. One of the brightest players in Southgate's dull team was remembered for his courage. The 19-year-old midfielder made a steady start from a reserve player. This was helped by his excellent vision of the field, the linking role between Guéhi and Kane and 92% passing accuracy in 7 games (4th in the national team). The best match was against Switzerland, where the midfielder's pass accuracy reached 96% in 78 minutes on the field. Among midfielders with at least a hundred assists, this is the highest figure in the history of the Euros. In the final, Mainoo was not memorable. Due to Spaniards' understanding of his importance to the team and all the above characteristics, the player was tightly closed. However, after the championship, the European media actively sold the defender to Barcelona and Real Madrid.

Nico Williams (Spain/Athletic)

This is only the second major tournament for Williams (after the Nations League), but the winger's indispensability for Furia Roja is incredibly clear: every second Spanish attack went through Nico. The Athletic representative was so important that he missed only the match against Albania all in order to make a goal + assist against Georgia in the playoffs. Regular danger, bold tackles, dribbling - this is what we wanted to see from the youth at the championship. And Williams did not disappoint either Spanish fans or neutral spectators. In this tournament, the reassembled Spain deserves the status of "opening team" because it is a real highlight to conquer such a mix of age and experience that de la Fuente has gathered.

Arda Güler (Turkey/Real Madrid)

Güler played only 10 games for Real Madrid in his first season, but 6 goals earned him a ticket to the national team camp. His bold performance continued at the Euros, so we remember him of all the players from the explosive Turkey. Güler scored a goal in his debut match at the European Championships and showed that he could be trusted. And then the incredible happened: in the match against the Netherlands, when Demiral and Kökçü were disqualified, the 19-year-old midfielder became the leader of the Turks himself. Turkey's coach Montella summarized Arda's performance, "He did very well in the tournament because he has never shown his stability at this level before. This is a great experience for him. He is not yet 20 years old. And with experience, he will become even better."

Lamine Yamal (Spain/Barcelona)

This is the Euro highlight that we already know very well, but Yamal showed a new side of himself at the tournament. He played confidently as a team player. The winger collected as many as 4 assists, and his combination with Carvajal and Williams easily stretched the opponent's defense with quick and accurate transfers to the other flank. And when he had the opportunity, Lamine took a shot on his own and did it quite well. His goal against France (which was his debut at the European Championships) is an example of a reasonable assessment of the situation on the field and the location of defenders in a particular episode. Barcelona has once again made sure that it has a trump card up its sleeve. He also became the youngest scorer in the history of the European Championships.