This summer Cristiano Ronaldo is set to play at a record-breaking sixth European Championship. To emphasise just how long he has been on the scene, in Portugal’s Euro 2004 quarter final he scored past England’s David James, who is now 53. Two decades on, a new generation is ready to emerge at Euro 2024. Ronaldo will be up against players who were in nappies – or not even born – when he was helping Portugal reach the final in 2004. These young players can only dream of the success and longevity that international football’s record goalscorer has enjoyed, but nonetheless they have the potential to light up the tournament in Germany.
Below, we have picked out five rising stars who could make an impact at Euro 2024, with analysis from our UEFA-licensed coaches. Regardless of how they fare this summer, they are all footballers whose talent has made Europe’s biggest clubs take notice.
Xavi Simons
Attacking midfielder, Paris Saint-Germain and the Netherlands
Xavi Simons is a right-footed, versatile attacker with experience playing in both wide areas and as a number 10. On loan at RB Leipzig (from Paris Saint-Germain) in the 2023/24 campaign, Simons was mostly used as a winger in a 4-4-2, registering the third-most dribbles in the Bundesliga.
As he drifts infield to attack inside the opposition full-back, he has the agility to twist and turn away from pressure. He can also carry the ball forward during central counter-attacks – a key component of the Red Bull model.
From this narrowed position, the 21-year-old also has a superb range of passing in the final third, where he can create a variety of chances. At Leipzig he has benefited from having two centre-forwards ahead of him, increasing the amount of passing options between and around opposition centre-backs (below).
Centrally, Simons can break the last line with delicate through balls, combine in tight spaces – using his dribbles and agility when needed – or bend crosses in behind. He sometimes achieves this with a less conventional outside-of-the-foot delivery.
During his season with PSV Eindhoven in 2022/23, he was used as a winger in a 4-2-3-1, but also as the number 10. In the Eredivisie, he demonstrated the quality of his final-third passing, often after moving inside from wide, as well as starting centrally as the number 10. In the latter position he was a goal threat, ending the season as second-highest scorer in the Dutch league with 22 goals. That year he worked well off PSV’s target man, Luuk de Jong, with well-timed runs, rotations and finishes.
António Silva
Centre-back, Benfica and Portugal
António Silva is a right-footed defender who usually plays as the right-sided centre-back within a back four. At the age of 20, he is particularly strong at reading the game and intercepting passes. His initial patience and positioning allows him to protect key spaces, before he jumps out to steal the ball from the feet of his direct opponent. Silva has ranked among Benfica’s top three for interceptions in the past two seasons, and respectively sixth and seventh for duels.
Adept at regaining and then keeping possession, he is a calm, composed presence in the back line, but capable of duelling with aggression when necessary. After regaining the ball, he can find his closest teammate or those in advanced positions, to build and play away from pressure, or to start counter-attacks (below). He is comfortable hitting diagonal balls to progress forward, but has a particularly strong pass in behind when connecting with runners on the right side. He can bend balls in behind, either to forward runners across the back line or midfielders running from deep.
Although he duels on the ground less than some of his Benfica teammates, Silva regularly engages in aerial duels. His aerial-duel success rate for Benfica, of just over 55 per cent, shows his aggression with that part of his game. As well as attacking the ball in the first contact, Silva has also demonstrated the ability to cover around his centre-back partner, forming a strong understanding at Benfica with the veteran Nicolás Otamendi.
Benjamin Šeško
Forward, RB Leipzig and Slovenia
Benjamin Šeško is a right-footed centre-forward who has been linked with a move to Arsenal in the 2024 summer transfer window. Playing for RB Leipzig, within their 4-4-2 shape he has benefited from the narrow support provided by teammates Dani Olmo and Xavi Simons moving inside. Often partnered with Loïs Openda in Leipzig’s front line, Šeško has looked to threaten in behind, working between the opposition’s centre-backs for as long as possible. There, his penetrative movements have worked with central slider passes through or around – especially when Openda has taken his opponent away, which has allowed Šeško to isolate his own marker (below).
His intelligent positioning helps him to score goals by working off the second phase, cut-back deliveries or simple sets back. The 21-year-old will also attack crosses in the air or on the ground, timing his movement well so that his direct opponent is not marking him for too long.
At Red Bull Salzburg, between 2021 and 2023, Šeško operated in a front-line pairing as part of a 4-4-2 diamond. With only one number 10 underneath, there was more space for him to drop towards the ball, or drift to the side and attack from the inside channel. He favoured the left inside channel, where he linked up well, varying his movements to get into goalscoring positions. Once in and around the penalty area, he has the ability to finish powerfully, with minimal backlift.
Johan Bakayoko
Winger, PSV Eindhoven and Belgium
Johan Bakayoko is a right-footed left winger who registered 12 goals and seven assists in PSV’s exceptional 2023/24 Eredivisie campaign. A particularly strong dribbler, he is able to weave in and out of pressure, dropping his shoulder to drive inside. The Belgian often holds a wide position on the right side, creating room to move inside, with or without the ball. His ability to attack from a slow, even standing start, is a key attribute of his 1v1 play. Indeed, he recorded the second-most dribbles in the 2023/24 Eredivisie.
Once he has moved inside from the right, Bakayoko can score goals via direct shots inside his full-back opponent (below). In an almost identical movement, he will also run inside to meet through balls, or passes over the back line. At PSV, he has worked particularly well off De Jong, who has led the line within PSV’s 4-2-3-1 and 4-3-3 shapes.
Bakayoko’s output with goals and dribbling 1v1 hasn’t noticeably differed whether PSV are playing 4-3-3 or 4-2-3-1. However, when creating chances for others in a 4-3-3, there has been more room for the 21-year-old to drive inside. From here, number-eight runs from deep create opportunities for through balls in the right inside channel. Alternatively, he has looked to find De Jong – who links play particularly well – or the opposite winger.
With a 4-2-3-1, Bakayoko has another central teammate to work off, with the number 10. He also attacks the back post more effectively within the 4-2-3-1, as the nine and 10 pairing occupy both opposing centre-backs.
Kenan Yildiz
Forward, Juventus and Turkey
Kenan Yildiz is a right-footed attacker who can play as a winger, but also as secondary support underneath a single centre-forward. In his breakout 2023/24 season at Juventus – with the Italian club mostly playing a back three – he supported underneath Dusan Vlahovic or Arkadiusz Milik in a 3-5-2 shape.
The 19-year-old’s dribbling and 1v1 attacking are standout attributes. When central, he works well around a centre-forward partner, driving through the heart of the opposition. He receives well under pressure and in the spaces between the lines, drawing opponents – especially opposing centre-backs – to the ball. This creates gaps for penetrative runners and opportunities to connect with teammates ahead (below). Yildiz has combined well at Juventus with Vlahovic and Milik in the central spaces, as well as with wider runs when the wing-backs have moved high up the pitch.
When Juventus have used a 3-4-3 structure, he has operated from the left side, driving inwards and cutting inside with the ball, showcasing his dribbling. He draws fouls particularly well, and is improving his ability to create shooting opportunities after cutting inside. Once he has beaten the right-back he has shown a more direct side to his game, while still combining and creating for others. When dribbling inside isn’t optimal, he will cross. Here, he often uses inswingers from his right side, looking for the centre-forward, far-side winger or a central midfielder making the box from deep.
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