Some of the best midfield players in the world of football are coming to Germany for Euro 2024 to enjoy a football fiesta. Here is a list of the top 5 midfield players competing at the European Championships this summer, compiled by Sportsdunia.
Top 5 Midfielders in UEFA Euro 2024
1. Rodri (Spain)
Although Spain doesn’t have a golden age of athletes but Rodri would have fit right in during their trophy-filled era.
The midfielder for Manchester City is a multipurpose Swiss army knife who can be relied upon to score goals and generate opportunities while playing as a defensive midfielder. His expertise is in winning the ball and recycling it quickly.
Rodri is technically clever and physically intimidating. Despite the widespread lack of enthusiasm surrounding the City star, he will be essential to Spain’s aspirations in Euro 2024.
Spain will compete in Group B of this summer’s tournament where they will face Croatia, Italy, and Albania. Their matches are scheduled as follows: on June 15 Spain will play against Croatia at Berlin’s Olympiastadion; on June 20 they will face Italy at the Arena AufSchalke in Gelsenkirchen; and on June 24 they will go up against Albania at the Merkur Spiel-Arena in Düsseldorf.
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2. Kevin De Bruyne (Belgium)
There’s no denying that City has no shortage of dynamic, powerful midfield players. De Bruyne is usually regarded as a technical expert and with good reason. He is possibly the best ball-crosser the Premier League has ever seen, and the Belgian has the marksmanship to split defenses.
Apart from his skill with the ball at his feet, De Bruyne is a physically strong player in midfield who can quickly create space for himself to perform magic.
Before the tournament, De Bruyne has earned 100 caps for Belgium, scoring in more than a quarter of them (27), and providing an assist in nearly half (49) of them.
Belgium’s Euro 2024 campaign kicks off against Slovakia on June 17. The match will take place at Deutsche Bank Park in Frankfurt. Their second game is against Romania on June 22 in Cologne’s RheinEnergieStadion. Belgium will conclude the group stage against Ukraine on June 26 in Stuttgart’s MHPArena.
3. Jude Bellingham (England)
Bellingham seems to have relished his fast-forward career. With Real Madrid, the England international shot to fame after breaking through at Birmingham, taking charge at Dortmund, and lifting the Champions League trophy in June. Believe it or not, he is just twenty years old.
Bellingham’s versatility makes him an excellent ball-carrier who can make daring passes or take long shots, most of which end in goals. If the ball gets lost, he can also dive deep, hunt after it, and track it back. He gives the midfield a tonne of energy.
Bellingham has always impressed with his demeanor, intelligence, and winning mentality in addition to his physical and technical prowess. He will be thrilled to break the tie in any close knockout games and offer a strong dose of main-character enthusiasm to England.
England placed fourth in FIFA’s latest world rankings, will play at least three group-stage games at the 2024 Euros. England is placed in Group F together with Denmark (#21), Serbia (#33), and Slovenia (#57). Their first game, against Serbia, is on Sunday, June 16 in Gelsenkirchen.
Gareth Southgate’s squad faces Denmark, which they defeated in the Euro 2020 semi-finals. They then round up their group on Tuesday, June 25 in Cologne, against Slovenia.
4. Florian Wirtz (Germany)
During the 2023–24 season, Florian Wirtz stunned the world with his incredible performance while wearing the Bayer Leverkusen uniform.
The German attacking midfielder, who was instrumental in the team’s 2023–24 league and cup double triumph, was voted the Bundesliga Player of the Season.
The 21-year-old had a fantastic season that saw Leverkusen advance to the UEFA Europa League final, where they were defeated by Atalanta in Dublin. In all competitions, Wirtz scored 18 goals and assisted on another 20.
As the host nation, Germany was automatically assigned to Group A of the competition. The draw brought Scotland, Hungary, and Switzerland to the pool.
Nagelsmann’s team has the top FIFA ranking in the group (16th), ahead of Switzerland (19th), Hungary (26th), and Scotland (39th).
The host nation faces Scotland in Munich on June 14, Hungary in Stuttgart on June 19, and Switzerland in Frankfurt on June 23.
5. Bruno Fernandes (Portugal)
The Manchester United midfielder Bruno Fernandes started the preparation for the Euro 2024 campaign for Portugal with a 4-2 victory over Finland (a non-qualifier) after coming off the bench to score twice.
Bruno led all Man United players in 2023–24 in direct scoring contributions (28) thanks to his 15 goals and 13 assists in all competitions this season. The United captain scored more goals than anybody else, including Rasmus Højlund, and his 13 assists were sufficient to secure him United’s creativity title for a record-tying four seasons.
Bruno recorded the joint-most goals (10) and assists (8) of any Man Utd’s outfield players throughout his 35 starts in the Premier League.
Portugal is ready to make an impact at the tournament in Germany, with Fernandes leading the way and Conceição providing depth to the team. They are placed in group F alongside, Czechia, Georgia, and Turkey.
Martínez’s team will face Czechia in their opening game on June 18 at Leipzig’s Red Bull Arena.
Four days later, Turkey will face Portugal in a potentially critical match in Dortmund, with Georgia serving as Portugal’s last group opponent at Arena AufSchalke.
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