Let’s be honest, the best part of Euro 2024 is now over.
Three matches a day, some sizeable mismatches and that early tournament excitement, the group stage cannot be topped. It’s football at its purest, usually providing many of the surprise results that turn into legend over the years.
However, while we will mourn the death of the group stage, it’s worth reflecting on its brilliance. It provided the drama we have come to expect, with plenty of narratives set up for the remainder of the tournament.
Here are five things we learned from the Euro 2024 group stage.
Before a ball was kicked at Euro 2024, there were two favourites for the Henri Delaunay Cup: France and England. The two most talented squads at the tournament, they were deserving of their tag. However, having witnessed both Les Bleus and the Three Lions play three times each in Germany, they may not be favourites any longer.
Both sides have had similar issues. They only managed a single 1-0 victory each, followed by a 0-0 and 1-1 draw. They struggled to create chances despite boasting some of the world’s elite forwards. They looked uninspired, slow and predictable despite being relatively solid in defence.
They are not the only European giants to have struggled at the tournament, with Italy, Netherlands, Belgium and Croatia all failing to excite – and qualify in the case of Croatia. However, pre-tournament expectations mean that France and England’s disappointing displays have been scrutinised more intensely.
Spain and Germany have impressed most at the tournament so far and they won’t be too alarmed by what they have seen from the ‘favourites’.
Heading into the tournament, fans feared for Georgia and Albania – the two lowest-ranked sides in the competition. In particular Albania, who were drawn into a fierce group alongside Spain, Italy and Croatia. They may not have qualified, but they certainly upset the odds.
A narrow 2-1 defeat to reigning champions Italy – in which they scored the fastest ever Euros goal – was followed by an epic 2-2 draw with 2022 World Cup semi-finalists Croatia. While their subsequent 1-0 defeat to Spain left them bottom of the group, they will cherish the memories made at only their second major tournament.
Georgia were officially the worst team at the tournament according to FIFA rankings, sitting 74th and having only qualified via the play-offs. Despite an opening defeat to Turkey, the minnows rallied to earn a hard-fought point against Czechia, followed by a truly sensational win against Portugal to book their spot in the knockouts. Not bad for a first ever major tournament appearance.
Plenty of other nations caught the eye by toppling more established sides. Romania managed to finish first in Group E ahead of Belgium after their 3-0 thumping of Ukraine in the opening match. Slovenia edged their way into the last 16 during their first Euros appearance since 2000, while Austria left France and Netherlands in their wake as they topped Group D.
While some bemoan the expanded Euros format, it offers smaller nations the chance to write new history.
Major international tournaments are always a fertile ground for young prospects. Countless superstars have announced themselves to the world with performances at the World Cup, Euros or Copa America.
That has proven to be the case at Euro 2024 with some of the finest individual displays coming from the tournament’s fresher faces. For Germany, there has been the Bundesliga duo of Jamal Musiala and Florian Wirtz in the final third, with Spain boasting the relentless Nico Williams and Lamine Yamal on their flanks.
Even England’s dire displays have not stifled some of the country’s brightest stars, with both Jude Bellingham and Marc Guehi coming out of the group stage with credit in the bank.
How influential Euro 2024’s wonderkids can be come knockout time remains to be seen, but they have laid solid foundations with some remarkable outings.
The early period of the group stage was characterised by two types of goal: 25-yard belters and comical own goals. In fact, Euro 2024’s Goal of the Tournament vote may be exclusively made up of group stage strikes.
Nicolae Stanciu, Arda Guler and Morten Hjulmand have all put their name in the hat for the award with an array of beautiful long-range efforts, with a total of 14 strikes from outside the box during the group stage. The tally at Euro 2020 was just 19 for the whole tournament.
You can have all the worldies you want, but you need some scrappy own goals to make them all the more beautiful. The fight for the best own goal of the tournament has been won already though, with Samet Akaydin’s misplaced pass beating teammate Altay Bayindir in the Turkey goal during defeat to Portugal. A proper stinker.
While no tournament will ever be perfect when it comes to fan behaviour, Euro 2024 has been overwhelmingly positive to date. Videos from Germany have shown supporters from different nations mingling in the street, sharing a joke and perhaps a pint.
That spirit has been prevalent within the stadiums as well, with some truly deafening clashes in the group stage. The likes of Albania, Georgia, Turkey and Slovenia have all likely measured on the Richter scale with fans creating some astonishing atmospheres.
Considering Euro 2020 limited crowd numbers due to the coronavirus, it’s wonderful to hear the beautiful cacophony of 60,000 passionate fans once more on the international stage.
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