24 Football Stars of Euro 2020 Teams

The UEFA Euro 2020 Football Championship has just started and 24 national teams are battling on the green pitch for the winning title. While fans all over the world can expect a month full of exciting matches and amazing football actions on the field, players have the chance to show just what they’re made of and shine in front of a global audience. 

All 24 teams have in their ranks some of the best players in the world but let’s see which ones stand out the most and have the power to impact the flow of the game on the field.  

One of the European football legends, Cristiano Ronaldo has already proven to be a player people will remember for decades to come. After all, he has the most appearances (21) in the UEFA final competitions and as well as all-time record for the most goal scored (9), which he shares with Michel Platini. 

For the last 3 seasons, the 36-year old has been playing for Juventus and, this season alone, he managed to score 29 goals and take home the Capocannoniere award. His team is defending the UEFA European Championship title which they won in 2016 by defeating France (1:0).  

At the age of 21, Jardon Sancho is a footballer that is already showing a lot of promise to rank as one of the best on the international stage in the near future. The young Borussia Dortmund’s player is known for his great assistants on the field (41), Thomas Muller and Lionel Messi being the only 2 footballers that are better than him in this regard. 

Often described as a creative force on the field and a highly technical player who is amazing in one-on-one situations, many see his participation for the English national team in Euro 2020 as a golden chance to show people what he’s really capable of. Although he was not able to participate in the World Cup qualifiers earlier this year due to an injury, his performance during the UEFA tournament this year can solidify his position on the global football scene.   

One thing is certain, Locateli’s performance on Euro 2020 will impact his future career. Part of the Sassuolo team since 2018 and a member of the golden generation in Atalanta’s academy, he plays as a midfielder. He is definitely the name that stands out in Mancini’s amazing Azzuri team due to his amazing talent and playing style. 

During the World Cup qualifiers, Locatelli was featured in all 3 games and managed to score his first goal on the international scene against Bulgaria. His performance was especially noticed on Wednesday in the game against Switzerland scoring twice and helping its team book its place in the top 16 of Euro 2020. “Players like him don’t come along very often. They're very rare in Italy,” said Roberto De Zerbi.       

The oldest and most experienced player in the Spanish selection this summer is Sergio Busquets. Alba and Busquets are the only 2 players playing Euro 2020 that were also part of the Spanish selection in 2012 when the Spaniards took home the title.  

Busquets is very often described as one of the best defensive midfielders of all time. At the age of 33, he demonstrated amazing passing accuracy and the ability to break the opponents’ attacks. He plays a crucial role in FC Barcelona.  

The 28-year-old central defender was described as "one of the most exciting players from Bundesliga 2" when he was transferring to Leipzig back in 2015. In the last several years, Orban was able to establish himself as the cornerstone of the famous Bundesliga club. Although he had to spend many of the club games on the bench due to injury during the 2019/2020 season. 

However, Orban managed to bounce back and played 40 out of 48 games during the last season. Not only did he played but he also scored 4 goals. During the Euro 2020 qualifiers, he was the top scorer for his national team.        

Gareth Bale has made football history a few times. He became the world’s most expensive footballer when he signed for Real Madrid for 85.3 pounds back in 2013. At the age of 16, Bale was also the youngest player ever to perform for Wales. And with his performance on Wednesday against Turkey, he made European Championship history by creating 5 clear-cut chances for his team, the first player to create so many big chances ever since 1980.   

Bale (31) has spent his last season on loan at Tottenham from Real Madrid and the speculations about his future given the fact that his deal with Real is nearing the end. Some even think that he will announce that he’s retiring after Euro 2020 ends. Whatever his decision might be, he definitely has shown that the fire for the game in him is still strong.  

After having an amazing goal-scoring season at Inter, it’s clear that Lukaku is in the form of his life. Known for his accuracy, this Red Devil was able to score 22 goals in 15 competitive matches since World Cup in 2018. He managed to hit the back of the net in every qualifying game for Euro 2020.  

When it comes to any talk about the world’s best center-forward, it has to include Lukaku. Although his time in England was not what many expected in terms of his performance on the field, his arrival to the Italian Serie A changed the minds of those who thought he will never play at the highest level. Lukaku is a well-rounded player now in both club and national teams that fully understand his strengths on the field and they encourage him to use them. 

Elvedi is the player that stands out in the national team of Switzerland due to its reliability and accuracy on the football field. He became an important part of the Swiss squad ever since Vladimir Petkovic took over, playing every competitive match since 2019/20. 

Center-back for Bundesliga club Borussia Mönchengladbach, Elvedi was born in 1996 in Zurich and at 24 years of age, he’s a talented defender that’s going to catch the eye of the wider public and scouts during this championship.    

Kjaer is the captain of the national team of Denmark and a defender for the A.C. Milan. He has played over 100 games for Denmark, including FIFA World Cup in 2010 and 2018 as well as UEFA European Championship in 2012 and 2020. Ever since the beginning of his professional career in 2007, ha had changed several clubs and now has a contract with Milan until the end of June 2022. 

Simon Kjaer has become a stable central defender in Milan, where his experience as a veteran player anchors the younger team members. His swift reaction to his teammate collapsing Eriksen collapsing during the game against Finland made him a hero in the eyes of fans and media and in that difficult moment it was clear why he holds the title of the team captain.       

The Bayern Munich striker and the captain of the Polish national football team, Lewandowski is having a great year so far. On the club level, he did something which was thought of as impossible in Bundesliga for a really long time - he broke Gerd Muller’s record, 40 goals during one season. 

Hopefully, his performance at Euro 2020 will be equally good. During Euro Cup in 2016 and World Cup in 2018, he wasn’t able to shine, scoring only 2 goals in 11 matches. So, in 2021 he has the opportunity to show himself in a much better light while playing in the national jersey.    

Sasa Kalajdzic made his debut in the Austrian team in October 2020 and in a short time managed to position himself as an important member of the team. During World Cup qualifiers in March 2021, Kalajdzic scored 3 goals, 2 of which were against Scotland. 

VfB Stuttgart striker is only 23 years old but also the tallest player in Bundesliga (2 meters). Kalajdzic made good use of his height and 8 out of 16 goals he scored were headers.   

Yilmaz is an experienced footballer that was well-known within the Turkish League but that all changed with his mighty debut in France. With 16 goals, he managed to become a top goalscorer for the current champion of the Ligue 1 Lille. 

Although his contribution for the Euro 2020 qualifiers of his team wasn’t that big, the situation was quite different for the 2022 World Cup qualifiers back in March. Yilmaz scored 3 goals against the Netherlands, becoming the first footballer to manage this against the Dutch since 1980.     

The Scottish left-back of Liverpool FC was one of the best players of the club this last season. Robertson is the captain of the national team and he played a crucial role during the qualifying game against Serbia (won on penalties). 

Robertson’s senior career started back in 2012; in 2014 he was asked to join the national team and in 2018 he started wearing the Scottish captain armband. The Euro 2020 is Scotland’s first appearance in the major tournament since 1998.  

Born in 1996 in the southern part of Siberia, Golovin is at the moment playing as an attacking midfielder for Ligue 1 club Monaco. He’s also the first Russian to score a hat-trick in the French top division. 

Golovin is an amazing dribbler and precise passer who knows to spot an opening in the opposition defense. He’s a quick player who handles the ball equally well with both feet making him dangerous on either side of the field. He hit the back of the net in the game against Ukraine, becoming the first Leeds player to do so in European Championship in 29 years. 

The Leeds United’s winger Alioski had a huge role during Euro 2020 qualifiers last year when his country North Macedonia managed to enter the first major tournament ever.  

Also known as Gjanni, he was born in Prilep in 1992 and started playing for the senior side in Macedonia in 2013, scoring his first international goal in 2016 during FIFA World Cup against Albania. Alioski has been part of the English club Leeds United since 2017 but all reports suggest that he will be leaving this summer. He is adored by the fans, pretty reliable on the court, and although North Macedonia is not going to pass to the knockout stage, he is surely an integral part of the team.     

Modric has been playing for the Croatian national football team for the past 15 years and he’s by all accounts the best Croatian player of all time. Although he is not at the pick of his form like back in 2018 when he was proclaimed top player of the World Cup, Modric is still an amazing midfielder and a force to be reckoned with on the football pitch.    

Luka Modric plays for Real Madrid and in the last season, he was one of the club’s most valuable players. He is captain of the Croatian national football team and a vital figure in moving his squad forward in the Euro 2020 competition.    

Described as “a strong tackler who is quick to make clearances”, Skriniar is a 26-year old defender who plays for the newest Serie A champion. Born in 1995, he plays at the center-back position and is an important addition to the national teams of Slovakia. 

Euro 2020 is the second time Slovaks were able to enroll in the prestigious European football championship. Skriniar’s leading personality means a lot to the team that doesn’t have very big chances of qualifying to the knockout stage of the tournament.       

Quick, physical, and technical player, Kulusevski is a young and extremely talented player of the Swedish national team. Born in 2000, he made his senior debut for Atalanta in 2019 and then joined Juventus during the winter transfer (35 million). 

Although he is usually positioned as a right-winger on the field, Kulusevski is also able to play as an attacking midfielder, central midfielder, or center forward. He is also seen as one of the crucial players in the Swedish team that can contribute a lot to the Swedish qualification to the next tournament round.   

Aside from being a part of the Finish national team, Kamara also plays as a midfielder for Scottish Premiership club Rangers. He is going to have a crucial role in providing the rock-solid central figure to his team during the UEFA championship. Kamara is without a question a talented player and a rising star on the international football stage.    

After legendary Pele, Mbappe became the second-youngest goalscorer in the FIFA World Cup history back in 2018. During the last 3 sessions in the French Ligue 1, he has shown his football mastery, ending all 3 sessions as top scorer. 

So, it’s needless to say that both team and the fans expect a lot of him during Euro 2020. His national team is seen as one of the major favorites and there is no doubt many expect that he will be able to bury the ball in the back of the net more than once.       

In the German team, the name of Thomas Muller has a special place for various reasons. His stats in Bundesliga are the most significant as he is the only player with double figures when it comes to goals scored and assistance on the pitch. 

With 27 appearances in the finals, Muller is the most experienced player in Die Mannschaft this year and younger team members will certainly look up to him for guidance. 

When it comes to the national football team of the Netherlands, there is no shortage of talents. Frank de Boer has created a team that can go head to head with some of the best in the world. In this amazing squad, the name that certainly stands out is a 24-year old Frenkie de Jong. 

As part of Barcelona, the central midfielder was able to show off his skills playing in Spanish La Liga. He played 35 matches and demonstrated just how versatile and valuable player he actually is. These qualities were again shown during World Cup qualification matches in March rounds during which he was active all 90 minutes.    

Midfielder for the Italian Serie A club Atalanta, Malinovsky is known as a set-piece specialist on the football pitch with a powerful and pretty accurate shot with either foot. On 16 July 2019, Malinovskyi signed for Atalanta for €13.7 million and he was proven to be a very valuable player and successful addition to the team.

In the Ukrainian national team, lead by one of the best football players ever Andriy Shevchenko, he is thought of as an important player that can do a lot for the squad in their quest to end at the later stages of the European championship.  

Born in 1995, Saucek is a defensive midfielder for Premier League club West Ham United and the Czech national football team. Together with Patrick Berger, Pavel Nedved, and Karel Poborsky, Saucek is one of the key figures in the Czech squad. After a win against Scotland and a draw with Croatia, the Czechs are proven to be a much tougher opponent than many expected. 

Known for his strong presence on the pitch due to his 1.92 frame and amazing energy, Saucek is certainly a player to never let get out of your sight on the football field.