Former DFB players and costly Englishmen: European Championship milestones
The 2024 European Championship in football has commenced, bringing the usual spectacle of events on and off the field. There are 24 participating teams, and a total of 51 games will be played until the final on July 14th. Notably, a fourteen-year-old and a forty-one-year-old are among those taking part in the event. Historical records and statistics of the Euros.
In Germany, the eighteenth European Championship will be started at 9 p.m. This will be the second Euro in the country, with the last one having taken place on the west side of the now-unified nation. Moreover, the German Football Association (DFB) has participated in this Championship more than any other team, with fourteen appearances. As a result, the DFB has played the most games and secured the most wins. Their statistics include the most goals scored (78) and the most goals conceded (55).
Two rookies make their debut in this tournament: Georgia and Serbia. Additionally, Albania and Slovenia are set to appear for the second time.
With three titles, the DFB team and Spain lead the list of teams with the most wins. However, Italy is the current titleholder, and on the 14th of July, in Berlin, the new champion will be crowned. During this period, it's not just the locations of the Euro, but also smaller towns in the country that will be relevant. Some locations such as Herzogenaurach in Bavaria, Blankenhain in Thuringia, Neuruppin in Brandenburg, and Donaueschingen in Baden-Württemberg are significant. They all host the 24 teams, which are mostly accommodated outside of the large cities.
The organizers of the Euros are promoting an eco-friendly tournament, urging teams and fans to travel as little as possible to the games. Flying is to be avoided. The German team, sponsored by Adidas, will be staying in Herzogenaurach and traveling by bus for the three group stage matches in Munich, Stuttgart, and Frankfurt.
Each team strives to cover the shortest possible distance for the Euro group stages. Slovakia's distance is less than 600 km, while Austria has to travel to Berlin for two games, where their base is located. Conversely, Spain's squad has a highly demanding schedule, traveling to Berlin, Gelsenkirchen, and Düsseldorf. For the group stage alone, they will cover roughly 3,600 km, equating to 1,800 km outwards and another 1,800 km back.
As for the athletic competition side of the Euros: A record can still be broken. The list of players with the most appearances is led by Cristiano Ronaldo, scheduled to play for Portugal in their match against the Czech Republic on June 18th. The thirty-nine-year-old has participated six times in the Euro. He has scored numerous goals, with a total of fourteen across all Euros, making him the undisputed leading goalscorer. Michel Platini follows with nine goals. It's noteworthy that Platini achieved all 9 goals in one Euro in his native France in 1984 and led his team to victory.
When Portugal faces the Czech Republic during the EURO, two records may be broken. Ronaldo could shatter the record, but so could defender Pepe. If Pepe plays against the Czech Republic, he'll be 41 years and 113 days of age, making him the oldest player in EURO history. The age record is currently held by Gabor Kiraly, a Hungarian-born GK playing for Hertha, at 40 years and 86 days during EURO 2016. Pepe would surpass this record during subsequent group matches against Georgia and Turkey.
On the other end of the age spectrum, Lamine Yamal could represent Spain in their Euro opener against Croatia on June 15th, becoming the youngest player in EURO history. At 16 years and 338 days, he'd surpass Kacper Kozlowski, who played in EURO 2021 but was not included in the squad this time. Yamal became the youngest player and goalscorer to represent Barcelona in the Spanish league when he was only fifteen years old, and the youngest to score for the Spanish national team at sixteen.
Considering age, the German team has the oldest average age since Emre Can was considered eligible to play. The German players have an average age of 28.5 years. The oldest among them is Manuel Neuer, age 38, while the youngest is Florian Wirtz, who's only a few weeks older than Jamal Musiala, both of whom are gifted dribbling magicians and 21 years of age. Strangely, the Germans have now surpassed the Scottish team for the oldest team accolade. The beginning match, therefore, pits the two oldest teams at this tournament against each other. On the other end of the spectrum, the Czech Republic is the youngest team, with an average age of 25.3 years.
When it comes to top-rating teams, England stands out. As per the saying "money talks," this would be accurate. The England squad, as per the industry platform Transfermarkt.de, holds the highest value during this championship. The team's worth is 1.52 billion euros, and France (1.23 billion euros) and Portugal (1.05 billion euros) also exceed the 1 billion euro mark. Germany's team is valued at 831 million euros and takes the fifth place. Rumania is the poorest team with 92.1 million euros.
The most expensive players are the English - and most of them are playing in the best league globally. 24 of the 26 squad members are part of the United Kingdom's domestic Premier League, while only 2 are playing abroad. Harry Kane is a striker for Bayern Munich, while Jude Bellingham is striving with Real Madrid.
There's a similar trend in Italy, where most players are domestically based. Out of the 26 players, 3 serve abroad. Gianluigi Donnarumma is a goalkeeper for Paris Saint-Germain, Guglielmo Vicario is a reserve goalkeeper for Tottenham Hotspur, and Jorginho plays for Arsenal. The German team? It's opposite - 20 of the 26 DFB players are part of the Bundesliga. Marc-André Ter Stegen is the goalkeeper for Barcelona, Ilkay Gündoğan, Antonio Rüdiger, and Toni Kroos have recently won the Champions League with Real Madrid, Kai Havertz came close to the English championship with Arsenal and is a Premier League competition for DFB teammate Pascal Groß from Brighton & Hove Albion.
The majority of EM (European Championship) players come from Europe's top five leagues, while others play a lesser role. The portion of foreign players from Denmark and Albania is a hundred percent. Only two professionals from the Swiss and Georgian teams play in their home country.
By June 26th, all teams and players will join together in Germany. However, eight teams will leave for home only after the group stage. Throughout this championship, more statistics and potentially records will be made.
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The German National soccer team, who have participated in the European Football Championship more than any other team with fourteen appearances, aims to defend their records in the 2024 edition. In preparations for the tournament, they are staying in Herzogenaurach and traveling by bus for their group stage matches, demonstrating their commitment to the organizers' eco-friendly promotion.
To add to the excitement, the European Football Championship 2024 records may also include the oldest player in EURO history. If defender Pepe from Portugal plays against the Czech Republic, he could surpass Gabor Kiraly's record, currently held at 40 years and 86 days during EURO 2016.
