Introduction to Euro 2016, Players to Watch
This summer in France, there will be the most exciting soccer event of the year: Euro 2016, with teams from 24 countries, all come together and compete to become the one and only champion of Europe.
During the long history of the tournament, Euro has always been a unique event for soccer fans to see all the best players in Europe from all different generations at the same time. We divided these special players into three categories based on their generation: young players who come to Euro hoping to develop their career to the next level, super star players who are at the top of their careers, and old players for whom this may be their last chance to shine and achieve the precious Euro tittle. Therefore, we would like to introduce some players from each category to assist interested readers:
Young and Promising: There are several young players whom pundits are already calling will be the stars of the tournament despite their youth and inexperience on an international level. Who is going to come out and surprise the world on one of the biggest stages of soccer? We will focus on two of the brightest of such players: Marco Veratti of Italy and Raphael Varane of France.
Stars That Will Continue to Shine: Several of Europe’s most premier players will be heading into France this summer having played an extraordinary amount of minutes for their clubs this season. Which ones will be able to keep their up their incredibly high level of play to carry their teams through the group stage and knockout rounds? Here, we will examine David Silva of Spain and Gareth Bale of Wales.
One Last Go: Despite their remarkable club careers, some veterans have failed to obtain silverware on the European stage. For many such players, this summer may be their last chance for international glory. Who is going out with one final bang? This time, we will concentrate on Zlatan Ibrahimović of Sweden and Gianluigi Buffon of Italy.
By Kuber Madhok and Trung Can
How to cite this page: “Introduction to Euro 2016, Players to Watch”, written by Kuber Madhok and Trung Can (2016). European Cup 2016 Guide, Soccer Politics Blog, Duke University, https://sites.duke.edu/wcwp/tournament-guides/european-cup-2016-guide/euro-2016-players-to-watch/(accessed on (date)).
