5️⃣ breakout stars to watch at Euro 2024 🤩 | OneFootball

The European Championship will offer some of the game’s younger talents a big chance to announce themselves on the international stage.

However, as a result of either club or country showings throughout the season, there are some young talents who have already taken the game by storm.

That’s why you won’t see the likes of Spain duo Lamine Yamal and Pau Cubarsí or France’s Warren Zaïre-Emery on this list, given how they’ve already established themselves in their young careers.

So who does make the cut? Let’s find out.

Adam Wharton (England)

When Crystal Palace spent £22m in January to bring the then-teenage midfielder in from Championship strugglers Blackburn Rovers, few would have expected him to be heading to the European Championship just six months later.

But Wharton has taken to the top flight like a duck to water and following the conclusion of the campaign, was handed an England debut against Bosnia and Herzegovina in the build-up to the tournament.

Midfield competition is tough for alongside Declan Rice, Jude Bellingham, Conor Gallagher, Trent Alexander-Arnold and fellow youngster Kobbie Mainoo, but if Gareth Southgate’s interesting comments are anything to go by, he believes the 20-year-old is unique in what he offers.

“He’s settled in really confidently with the ball and I like that he tries to play forward as quickly as he can,” the England boss said. “He sees pictures when he gets the ball and we’ve been short of that type of player for seven or eight years if I’m honest which has had an effect on the way we play.”

That would suggest he’ll have a part to play.

Arda Güler (Turkey)

In Güler and Juventus’ starlet Kenan Yıldız, Turkey have two of the most exciting teenage forwards in world football in their ranks.

Güler gets the nod for us on the back of becoming the first Turkish player ever to win the Champions League with Real Madrid, where he didn’t quite establish himself this year – understandably so given the quality of that squad.

Chances have been limited in his debut campaign in the Spanish capital as injury hindered his start but he showed glimpses of his undoubted ability in the run-in, netting six goals in the final seven games of the season to give Carlo Ancelotti food for thought going forward.

He is already off the mark for his country too. This could be the competition which sees the 19-year-old show the wider public exactly why Los Blancos are so excited about what he can offer their star-studded attack.

Heorhii Sudakov (Ukraine)

The performances of the Shakhtar Donetsk playmaker this season means he is already being touted to big clubs across the continent, following the path set out by Mykhailo Mudryk.

He finished the club campaign with 10 goals and six assists in all competitions and was also a standout in Europe, shining in a tough group in the Champions League and in the Europa League after his side were unfortunate to be eliminated.

An outstanding dribbler, it is Sudakov’s eye for a pass and execution of it from his No. 10 role with Shakhtar which have caught the attention of interested scouts, with sides in England, Spain and Germany already being credited with an interest.

Although he is just 21, he has already established himself as an important player for his country and has picked up 15 caps to date, scoring once and assisting three.

Certain to be a starter in Germany, this is his big chance to prove the hype is justified in front of a worldwide audience.

Maximilian Beier (Germany)

Germany aren’t exactly stacked in the natural striker department so don’t be surprised to see Julian Nagelsmann call upon the Hoffenheim forward on home soil.

The 21-year-old is coming off the back of an impressive individual season in which he managed 16 goals and a further three assists in a struggling side.

Perhaps viewed as a candidate not to make the cut for Germany’s final squad, Beier was exceptional off the bench in making his debut against Ukraine in a pre-tournament friendly, unlucky to hit the post but doing enough to capture the imagination and convince the coach to take him to the tournament.

“He’s very hard-working, not just in attack but defensively too,” Nagelsmann admitted when assessing his strengths. “He’s already training and performing much better than when he was with us in March.”

The development is clear for all to see.

António Silva (Portugal)

The most established player on this list, Silva already has nine caps for his country (including one World Cup appearance) and is coming off a season in which he made 50 appearances for Benfica.

However, outside of his native country, it seems that many still aren’t aware of the 20-year-old and his standing as one of the game’s elite central defensive prospects, which he is justifying with every outing.

Under Roberto Martínez, he has been in and out of the Portugal side, with the evergreen Pepe, Rúben Dias and Danilo Pereira rivalling him for minutes but he should feature over the course of the competition this summer.

Already being tipped as Benfica’s next massive money sale, some more stellar outings for the 2016 winners will only increase their potential income when he does indeed depart Lisbon because make no mistake, he is destined for the top.

Anyone we missed? Let us know in the comments below!