Euro 2024 has come and gone, with Spain not exactly pre-tournament favourites – but ending as expected champions given their performances as the summer progressed, beating England in the final. There were plenty of surprises along the way and while some were team-wide, others were tournament-based and could be measured in numbers – such as a remarkably low tally of three goals being enough to seal a share of the Golden Boot for six different players.
2012 was the last time that happened, back when there was still a proper ruling in place to award a single boot to one player – Fernando Torres – rather than this year’s strangeness of basically sharing a toe apiece.
While “own goals” officially got the most, with ten, that’s one shy of Euro 2020’s record. Arda Güler, meanwhile, set the record for youngest debutant goalscorer at 19 years 114 days, with Lamine Yamal of course breaking the all-time youngest scorer in the semi-finals against France at 16 years and 362 days.
One other anomaly from Spain’s triumph: Jesús Navas set a new record as the player with the most years between his two medals at the European Championship: a winner back in 2012 as well as this summer, his 12-year gap beats Rainer Bonhof’s West Germany wins in ‘72 and ‘80. That man remains the only non-Spaniard to win the Euros twice.
The fastest goal was set by Nedim Bajrami, gifted an Albania goal by Italy after 23 seconds, while Hungary’s goal ten minutes into stoppage time to kill off Scotland was the latest one ever scored at a Euros in 90 minutes.
Individually, though, and away from just goals, come some of the more surprising stand-outs.
There is, for example, the previously out-of-form Cody Gakpo turning up to fire Netherlands through to the semi-finals – not just with goals though, but also creativity. Had some of his teammates matched his finishing they might have gone further: Gakpo finished with four big chances created to go with his three goals – only Yamal created more than him. However, Gakpo registered just one assist from an xA of 1.9; Spain’s two wingers claimed five between them from 4.1 xA.
From creating to missing, the worst culprit at the Euros for spurning statistically defined big chances was Germany’s Kai Havertz. The centre-forward missed seven big chances, but as he had an overall 10.5% conversion rate, there’s perhaps less blame on his shoulders than two others for early exits. Romalu Lukaku, for example, missed six big chances. Cristiano Ronaldo missed five, to complete a big top three of worst offenders. But while Lukaku’s cumulative xG for the tournament was 1.7, Ronaldo’s was 3.6 – and both of them managed precisely zero per cent conversion, with zero goals. Compared to Havertz’s two goals from a 4.1xG, it makes the fading Portuguese forward the tournament’s worst offender by a distance.
It’s not all about big chances, though, with consistency of chance creation naturally leading to sustained pressure, a team being on top and still the opportunity to score.
That makes two players impressive from outside of the ranks of forwards: in the top ten for overall chances created, a succession of wide forwards and central midfield playmakers and set-piece takers crowd the list. However, two full-backs also appear: Joshua Kimmich of Germany on the right (15 total, 2.8 per 90) and Ferdi Kadıoğlu (12 total, 2.4 per 90). The latter was genuinely excellent at the tournament, defensively resilient as well as clearly impacting going forwards: better than 92% of players at chance creation as well as both cross accuracy and tackles won, above 89% for successful dribbles and above a massive 95% of players for duels won per 90. All this impact including the most tackles and duels attempted by any player at the tournament – and just one foul made, with no bookings at all.
Finally a word for the goalkeepers, though really it’s just for one as the top stopper in most regards. Giorgi Mamardashvili was of course kept busy as Georgia made it to the last 16 on their tournament debut, and they conceded plenty along the way.
But it would have been an astronomical value if not for him and certainly their story would have ended in the group stage.
Mamardashvili made an average of 7.5 saves per 90 minutes – the second-placed keeper in that regard made just 4.3. Across the whole tournament he prevented 4.7 extra goals going in across just four games (by their xG value), again well clear of Jan Oblak in second. He was top stopper for sure and this tournament will only add to him being in-demand at club level.
(Cover image from IMAGO)
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