Euro 2024 Player of the Tournament Power Ranking: Spain stars dominate ahead of England final
England will play Spain in the final of Euro 2024 and the Player of the Tournament award remains up for grabs.
Gianluigi Donnarumma won the Player of the Tournament award last time out, following in the footsteps of Antoine Griezmann, Andres Iniesta, Xavi, Theodore Zagorakis, Zinedine Zidane and Matthias Sammer since the award officially being set up in 1996. But who will win it this year?
Following the conclusion of the semi-finals, here’s our final update of our Euro 2024 Player of the Tournament Power Ranking before the award gets announced on Sunday evening.
10. Cody Gakpo (=)
The Dutch forward had his fair share of critics last season at Liverpool, but he enjoyed himself a fine Euro 2024 in the Netherlands’ otherwise up-and-down run to the semi-finals.
He was well-shackled in the defeat to England but up until that point had been among the tournament’s most potent forwards, deservedly finding himself joint-top of the scoring charts.
We’d be amazed if the award goes to a player who’s not Spanish or English, but we can’t look beyond Gakpo if it is to end up in the hands of someone already eliminated.
9. Marc Cucurella (NEW)
It was a big call from Luis de la Fuente to keep faith in Cucurella, as opposed to Alejandro Grimaldo after an exceptional unbeaten domestic campaign with Bayer Leverkusen.
But Grimaldo played more of a wingback role and De la Fuente’s call to go with more of a conventional, proven left-back in Cucurella has proven a masterstroke. The curly-haired defender has looked solid at the back and been involved going forward.
Let’s be real, though. Team of the Tournament, sure. But the Player of the Tournament award is not going to a left-back, is it?
8. Harry Kane (NEW)
Let’s get the elephant out of the room: Harry Kane has not played well at Euro 2024. He’s looked lethargic, often hampering England’s efforts in the final third. There’s a strong tactical case to be made for Ollie Watkins coming in for the final.
And yet the current European Golden Shoe holder has a very good chance of claiming the first trophy of his career to England’s half-century wait for silverware – all the while claiming the Golden Boot in Germany.
Following his well-taken penalty against the Netherlands, Kane is now the all-time top knockout goalscorer in European Championship history and England’s record major tournament knockout goalscorer.
Funny old game.
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7. Bukayo Saka (NEW)
The Arsenal attacker has consistently been England’s best player for some time and that has not changed at Euro 2024.
The Three Lions struggled to get the best out of him as they stuttered and tinkered through the opening stages, but a system change against Switzerland saw Saka burst into life, demonstrating his true world-beater quality.
Saka’s equaliser against Switzerland was a real moment of quality, while he continued to look dangerous in the semi-final. He’s Exhibit A in the argument that Southgate’s side are growing into the tournament.
6. Jude Bellingham (↑1)
Let’s get the elephant out of the room (part two); Bellingham – for the most part – has not played especially well in Germany this summer. He kicked things off in fine fettle with a match-winning, talismanic performance in England’s opener against Serbia. Since then, he’s been largely ineffective in a series of performances that haven’t entirely convinced.
But his wonderful overhead kick against Slovakia is the reason England are still here, and he possesses that classic Real Madrid clutch quality to be in the right place at the right time at the most vital moments.
We wouldn’t bet against him capping off his unbelievable 2023-24 by coming up with something big in Berlin. Do that and the Ballon d’Or will be calling his name, following Real Madrid team-mate Vinicius Junior’s ignominious Copa America exit.
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5. Dani Olmo (↑1)
It’s some going from Olmo to be the current front-runner in the Golden Boot rankings (thanks to assists), given that he didn’t start a match of consequence for Spain until the semi-finals.
Losing Pedri is a blow for La Roja, but there’s certainly an argument to be had that they’re a better team with Olmo in behind the front three. He took his match-winner against France superbly and averages a direct goal contribution (three goals, two assists) every 68 minutes, which is a ratio streets ahead of anyone else.
4. Fabian Ruiz (NEW)
We could and perhaps should have included Ruiz from the start.
The PSG midfielder has been outstanding from day one, but he faced a lot of competition from his many eye-catching team-mates, plus the likes of William Saliba and Toni Kroos, who were in the running until they weren’t.
Now that Ruiz has helped eliminate the likes of Germany and France, he deservedly takes his place towards the top end.
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3. Nico Williams (↑1)
The Athletic Bilbao winger treated us to an early hint that this would be a special tournament, with an eclectic display in Spain’s 1-0 group-stage victory over Italy. That remains a high watermark, but standards have barely slipped from thereon.
With such a direct and dynamic attacker in their forward line, plus young Lamine Yamal on the opposite flank, Spain look to have unlocked a new dimension.
It’s impossible to look at the way their wingers have wreaked havoc against some of the best sides in the tournament and accuse La Roja of playing a sterile possession game any longer.
Chairmen across Europe’s elite clubs are surely taking a look at Williams and licking their lips over the 21-year-old’s reported €50million release clause.
2. Lamine Yamal (NEW)
We’d left out Yamal throughout the tournament, reasoning he’s a shoo-in for the Young Player award instead.
At just sixteen years of age (have you heard?), Yamal is already producing performances of a standard worthy of seasoned, elite veterans. What’s especially scary about Yamal is his fearlessness, seemingly getting better as the games get tougher and the stakes get higher.
That unbelievable strike against France sums up what a special talent we’re dealing with. Forget his age, by any measure he’s among Euro 2024’s very best.
1. Rodri (↑2)
Completing our all-Spanish top five is the man that makes Spain tick. Forget the best midfielder in the world, of which there can be no question, there’s a genuine argument that Rodri is the best footballer in world football full stop.
Just as he’s been at Manchester City over the past couple of years, Rodri is immensely influential in making Spain look the best team at the tournament. How many other players at the elite level can you say that for?
Pulling the strings in midfield as he’s done throughout Euro 2024 so far, it’s no wonder that Rodri (almost) never loses. He’s probably Spain’s most important player and the one world-class, best-in-his-position individual that they’ve got in their squad.