Soccer-Euro 2024 team of the tournament

BERLIN - With only the Euro 2024 final between #England and #Spain remaining, the Reuters reporters and editors who have covered the event in Germany have selected their team of the tournament.

Goalkeeper: Giorgi Mamardashvili (Georgia) – One of the key players in Georgia’s thrilling tournament debut. His 30 saves were almost double the number of his nearest competitor (Netherlands’ Bart Verbruggen with 17), and his tournament save rate of 78.9% was ahead of some much bigger names.

Defenders:

Dani #Carvajal (Spain) – One of the most dependable defenders in the Spain squad, especially so due to the attacking nature of the wingers that often play in front of him. Not only has he been superb defensively, his goal against Croatia at the age of 32 years and 156 days made him Spain’s oldest scorer at the Euros.

Virgil van Dijk (#Netherlands) – The 33-year-old may have appeared a touch slower than at previous tournaments, but his coolness and ability to be in the right place at the right time saw the #Dutch make the semi-finals, where they lost to a 90th-minute goal against England. Still a sublime passer of the ball, the Dutch will face a major headache in trying to replace him.

Manuel Akanji (#Switzerland) – The 28-year-old’s versatility, calmness and passing ability have made him an indispensable part of the Swiss defence, and his superb one-on-one defending enabled them to play with three at the back and then adjust as the game went on, deploying him to the left or right as needed.

Marc Guehi (England) – Despite lining up alongside players with bigger reputations from bigger clubs, the Crystal Palace defender has had an extremely effective tournament, making a number of key blocks but more often than not snuffing out the danger before Jordan Pickford’s goal was threatened.

Midfielders:

Fabian Ruiz (#Spain) – A series of masterful performances alongside #Rodri in the midfield engine room saw Spain make it all the way to the final, and though his two goals have put him in the spotlight, it is his ability to win the ball back that has cemented his status in the Spanish team.

N’Golo #Kante (#France) – A brilliant return to tournament football for the diminutive 33-year-old. Having missed the 2022 World Cup due to a hamstring injury and then moved to play in Saudi Arabia, he showed he had lost none of his tenacity and timing and was back to his best in Germany, breaking up attacks and controlling the pace of the game in a France team that largely failed to impress.

Kobbie Mainoo (England) – The missing piece of England’s midfield puzzle, things started to click for Gareth Southgate’s side when teenager Mainoo was deployed. Since then, his metronomic passing has been reminiscent of Kante, while his all-round play, showing a confidence beyond his years, has allowed the likes of Jude Bellingham to flourish further up the pitch.

Forwards:

Nico Williams (Spain) – His teammate Lamine Yamal may have garnered more headlines, but Williams is the man Spain looked to more often than not as they made their charge to the final. Speedy, skilful and hungry to take on his man in almost every situation, Williams has been just as diligent in his defending in a series of very mature performances.

Arda Guler (#Turkey) - The Turkish teenager played like a seasoned veteran in some cauldron-like atmospheres, linking play cleverly. He was often the source of Turkey’s most dangerous attacking moves as they made the quarter-finals and orchestrated their win over Austria brilliantly.

Lamine Yamal (Spain) – Another teenage sensation at Euro 2024, #Yamal came into the tournament on a wave of hype and has surfed it all the way to the final. He scored a stunning goal against France – making him the youngest scorer at a Euros or World Cup, while his three assists and 16 chances created are the most of any player at the Euros. He turned 17 on Saturday.

Substitutes: Dani Olmo (Spain), Georges Mikautadze (Georgia), Rodri (Spain), Jules Kounde (France), Cody Gakpo (Netherlands)

-(Reuters)