Getty ImagesThe tournament has created a platform for two young talents to burst into the mainstream spotlight.
In this age of widespread access to leagues worldwide, discovering young superstars truly shines during international tournaments. Lamine Yamal’s story serves as a perfect example.
There have been rumors circulating about the exceptional abilities of the 16-year-old for quite some time. However, unless you are a Barcelona fan or a dedicated European football enthusiast, you may not have had the opportunity to witness his live performances. The situation has drastically changed in the past few weeks during Euro 2024.
Given his biggest platform yet, Yamal shrugged off the pressure that came with becoming the youngest player in European Championship history in Spain's opener against Croatia. Dangerous throughout, he capped off an imperious first-half display by setting up Dani Carvajal – a team-mate literally twice his age – with a delightful cross.
This display has set the tone for a quite wondrous Euro campaign – one that reached legendary status during a semi-final victory over France. With his side 1-0 down and in need of inspiration, Yamal curled home an astounding, long-ranged effort to level things up, becoming the youngest-ever scorer in European Championship history.
Yamal is clearly destined for superstardom, but he is far from the first young gun to make a splash at the Euros. Below, GOAL has taken a trip down memory lane by ranking the other best European Championship campaigns from teenagers…
