Does Cristiano Ronaldo still have what it takes to run with the best in European soccer?
A Goalkeeper named among Euro 2024’s most exciting players?
Some of the best soccer players will be in Germany this summer among the players to watch for Euro 2024.
From a betting perspective, there are two player markets of major interest: the top goal scorer (also known as the Golden Boot award) and the Player of the Tournament.
As the competition has changed format many times over the years, it is hard to find reliable patterns in the top scorer market. However, in the two 24-team editions – Euro 2024 will be the third – the Golden Boot was claimed by a player with at least five goals. Cristiano Ronaldo won the award at Euro 2020, after Antoine Griezmann did so in 2016.
The player of the tournament is easier to identify. Since the award was formally introduced in 1996, six of the seven winners played for the team that won the competition, with the exception – of Griezmann in 2016 again – a beaten finalist.
Award winners or not, there will be a lot of top talent on display in the 17th edition of the European Championship. Here are ten players to watch at Euro 2024.
Kylian Mbappé – France – Forward
The favorite in both the Best Player and Top Scorer betting markets is France forward Kylian Mbappé.
He was strangely subdued at Euro 2020, failing to score in four matches and missing the decisive penalty in a shootout loss to Switzerland. Perhaps Mbappé just needs to pretend this tournament is the World Cup, as he won that competition in 2018 and scored a hattrick in the final two years ago.
The Frenchman has had the best season of his club career, at least in terms of the number of goals scored. Mbappé broke the 40-goal barrier for the third time and hit double figures for assists. If he is one of the best Euro 2024 players, as expected, France will be very tough to stop – as reflected by their position in the Euro 2024 odds.
Harry Kane – England – Forward
2018 World Cup Golden Boot winner Harry Kane is second behind Mbappe in the two-player award market this summer. So much of what England does going forward flows through the Bayern Munich man, meaning he will need to perform if the Three Lions are to end a 58-year trophy drought.
Up to the end of 2023, Kane had scored in nine of his previous ten starts for his country, amassing 11 goals in those matches. Similarly, England has not won a match in which he started without him scoring since the Group Stage of the 2022 World Cup.
Like Mbappe, the 30-year-old has enjoyed his highest-scoring campaign in club soccer, contributing 50 goals in all competitions. Kane has thrived in Germany this season and should do so again in England colors this summer.
Romelu Lukaku – Belgium – Forward
Belgium striker Romelu Lukaku is a relative outsider to be the top scorer or best player at Euro 2024. Yet he was named in the team of the tournament in the previous edition and was the top scorer in the qualification process this time around.
With 14 goals, Lukaku scored five more in qualifying than Mbappe and six more than Kane. He also has 11 goals in 22 major tournament appearances, so he has the pedigree to deliver.
Belgium is not among the five favorites in the outright market. With concerns at the back, Lukaku will need to score plenty to have a good tournament. But he has done it before, and having had his best club season for goals in three years, he can do it again.
Cristiano Ronaldo – Portugal – Forward
Runner up in the qualification goal scorer charts was Cristiano Ronaldo, the only player other than Lukaku who reached double figures. He is third favorite in the top scorer market, and as the holder of that award, he will not give it up without a fight.
Portugal should go far in the tournament. It is in the easiest group per April’s FIFA rankings and will not face another group winner until the semi-final if it tops Group F.
There are two question marks against Ronaldo’s potential impact. While potent in qualifying, he scored three goals in 10 Nations League or World Cup games in 2022, so can he contribute at a higher level? And is playing club soccer in the Saudi Pro League suitable preparation considering its low standard?
Only a fool would dismiss Ronaldo’s chances of making a key contribution or two though.
Jude Bellingham – England – Attacking Midfield
While there may not be a betting market for the Young Player of the Tournament, UEFA has such an award. It goes to the best player who is at most 22 years old, so England’s Jude Bellingham is a leading contender.
He only scored three times in his first 29 appearances for his country, but that says more for the youthful age at which he came into the team. Far more relevant is the fantastic debut campaign the 20-year-old has had with Real Madrid.
The final tallies aren’t known at the time of writing, but Bellingham should end 2023/24 as the top-scoring under-21 in Europe’s big five leagues, a La Liga winner, and maybe a European champion. The Englishman glides across the pitch and through the gears, helping his side up the pitch. His combination with the likes of Kane could be electric this summer.
Florian Wirtz – Germany – Attacking Midfield
If Bellingham isn’t the best young player at Euro 2024, Florian Wirtz might be. Another high-scoring youngster, the Bayer Leverkusen man, has won the Bundesliga this term. He might have added another trophy or two to his CV by the time you read this.
Wirtz is very creative. At the start of May, he was one of only two players in England, France, Germany, Italy, and Spain’s top leagues to have 11 in both the goals and assists column. He was the top creator under the age of 21 in these countries too.
He has yet to deliver too much for Germany, though scoring in a 2-0 win over France in March wasn’t a bad way to open his international goal account. Wirtz is one of the players to watch at Euro 2024 without question.
If there is a young player who will emerge from relatively under the radar, it could be Netherlands’ Xavi Simons. He didn’t score or assist in his first 13 caps, but his club record suggests he will soon contribute on the international stage.
Simons was joint-top scorer in the 2022/23 Eredivisie, despite only being 19 for most of the campaign. He has spent this season on loan with RB Leipzig and has been its second-top player for goal contributions.
It will be interesting to see if Simons gets a prominent role at parent club Paris Saint-Germain next term after Mbappe leaves this summer. Making a splash as one of the top Euro 2024 players would certainly state his case.
Gianluigi Donnarumma – Italy – Goalkeeper
It is easy to focus on attacking talent when considering star players but defenders and goalkeepers are just as important. Gianluigi Donnarumma was in the team of the tournament when Italy won Euro 2020, and he may need to reach similar heights if it is to retain its crown.
His record in 2023/24 suggests he can. The Paris Saint-Germain goalkeeper has been the top-performing shot-stopper in Europe’s leading five leagues in conceding fewer goals than expected.
Italy no longer has the central defensive duo of Leonardo Bonucci and Giorgio Chiellini to rely upon. While it has other fine defenders, such as Alessandro Bastoni, Donnarumma will need to be on point in Germany.
Dominik Szoboszlai – Hungary – Midfield
Bookmakers expect Hungary’s interest in Euro 2024 to end at the Group Stage. If it is to upset the odds, then captain Dominik Szoboszlai will be vitally important.
He was WhoScored’s third-highest-rated player across the qualification process and the second-highest according to SofaScore. Only 10 players provided more assists than the Liverpool midfielder, and of those who did, only Bruno Fernandes and Kylian Mbappe also scored more goals.
After a flying start to Premier League life, Szoboszlai’s form dropped off following an injury in 2024. If he returns to his peak powers, Hungary might upset the applecart in host Germany’s group.
Spain has won the European Championship twice and lost a semi-final on penalties across the last four editions. If the joint-most successful nation in the competition’s history, alongside (West) Germany is to take the lead outright, it will be aided by a player who does not lose matches.
At the time of writing, Manchester City last lost a Premier League match in which Rodri played in February 2023, and he has only missed five games since. It was no surprise that he grumbled when Scotland beat Spain in qualifying. He isn’t used to losing.
A superb defensive midfielder, the 27-year-old can also play delightful through balls to set up chances and fire in fierce strikes from long range. Rodri can do it all, and he may be the best player at Euro 2024.
Toni Kroos, an iconic figure in German football, will be a pivotal force to reckon with in Euro 2024, potentially guiding Germany to a triumphant home performance. With an impressive feat of 33 titles to his name, Kroos has truly become an embodiment of brilliance and excellence on the field.
His game, characterized by exceptional finesse, surgical precision, and astute strategy, has been instrumental in moulding him into the formidable player he is celebrated as today.
As Euro 2024 draws near, Kroos’s form, skill, and leadership will prove integral to Germany’s performance on home ground. His influential presence on the pitch not only elevates the game of those around him but also boosts the morale of the entire team.
You probably don't need us to tell you this, but Toni Kroos is one of the key players you need to watch closely during #Euro2024 🇩🇪 🧠 pic.twitter.com/rk81MLRG06
Several elite soccer players will be notably absent from the Euro 2024 due to injuries. This list includes big names such as Serge Gnabry of Germany, Gavi from Spain, Austria’s David Alaba, Lucas Hernandes of France, and Nikolo Zaniolo representing Italy among others. These significant absences, compiled into a formidable starting eleven by Oddspedia, will undoubtedly impact this summer’s premier soccer event.
Soccer is big business for sportsbooks, the best sportsbooks in the US are primed for Euro 2024. They will be vying for your attention with some of the best sportsbook promos that will run in 2024. With so many games running over a short period – 51 games across 22 matchdays, there are lots of opportunities to make your first bet with a new sportsbook, then take advantage of their welcome offer by using bonus bets on other games in the days afterwards or by betting on the overall winner of Euro 2024.
Andrew has been a freelance soccer writer for over seven years, mostly covering the Premier League and UEFA Champions League. He has written betting previews and strategy guide articles for multiple outlets, as well as appearing on podcasts. As a stat head, he uses data to identify value in the market.
