Euro 2024 under-21 XI features one England star, Arsenal target as Man Utd duo snubbed
An XI consisting of players at Euro 2024 aged 21 or younger. It is quite the team and there is absolutely no hiding how attacking this line-up is.
It is reminiscent of a Football Manager player’s formation when chasing a goal late on and we have no shame whatsoever. Just imagine how bloody entertaining it would be to watch.
GK: Bart Verbruggen (Netherlands)
Expected to start in goal for the Netherlands in Germany, Brighton shot-stopper Verbruggen is a keeper with loads of potential but rarely showed it in a difficult – and odd – debut season in the Premier League when he shared the No. 1 shirt with Jason Steele.
This Netherlands team has the potential to be dark horses at Euro 2024. Dark orange horses.
CB: Zeno Debast (Belgium)
Our extremely attacking team has three centre-backs starting with Belgium’s Debast, who is reportedly en route to Portugal to play for Sporting. We did say he might earn a move to the Premier League but Sporting seem poised to land him.
It is not clear if Debast will start for Belgium but we like him a lot nonetheless.
CB: Illia Zabarnyi (Ukraine)
Another player we love is Bournemouth centre-back Zabarnyi, who has been a constant in the Ukraine team since making his debut at 18. That is absurd for any player but for a centre-back? Wow.
With all due respect to Bournemouth, the Ukrainian is destined for bigger things. He has a big future in the game and can show everyone that with a strong tournament in Germany.
CB: Antonio Silva (Portugal)
The three-at-the-back-with-no-wing-backs system is an unusual one and means Nuno Mendes misses out. He is a superb young player so that stings a little but with no decent right-back/right-wing-back options, it is a case of needs must; especially when you consider the attacking prowess to come and the attackers that missed out.
Instead, Mendes’ Portugal team-mate Silva completes the defence. He has been linked with plenty of big European clubs including Bayern Munich, Real Madrid, and unfortunately for him, Manchester United, but his stock has reportedly not risen as much as Benfica would have liked, leaving them contemplating the sale of wonderkid midfielder Joao Neves.
CM: Eduardo Camavinga (France)
While we are on Neves, it is worth mentioning that he is not included in this team, which feels harsh yet immediately fair when you consider who is there in his stead.
Kicking the midfield off is Real Madrid’s Camavinga, who is still only 21 despite having been around for what feels like a decade. That’s what happens when you make your Ligue 1 debut at 16.
Camavinga has been a key player for Los Blancos under Carlo Ancelotti and is already a two-time Champions League winner.
CM: Pedri (Spain)
Neves, England’s Kobbie Mainoo and Belgian playmaker Arthur Vermeeren all miss out on a spot with Camavinga and Spaniard Pedri favoured, giving us an El Clasico pairing.
Pedri inspired an emphatic comeback win over Northern Ireland in Spain’s final warm-up friendly, scoring two first-half goals to swiftly turn things around. He will be crucial to any potential success for the Spaniards.
RW: Jamal Musiala (Germany)
There are some fine players missing out at the expense of Musiala, who can play anywhere across the three behind the striker before you claim we have done a Garth Crooks.
Johan Bakayoko, Bradley Barcola and Nico Williams are all pipped to a place on the right by the Bayern Munich and Germany star, who will probably be named Young Player of the Tournament if Germany win the whole thing.
AM: Florian Wirtz (Germany)
Our incredibly dynamic attack includes Bayer Leverkusen playmaker Florian Wirtz, who is being linked with a move to Real Madrid ahead of Xabi Alonso’s potential move to the Bernabeu at the end of 2024/25.
Off the back of an outstanding season for double winners Leverkusen, Wirtz will enter the tournament in form and ready to punish Scotland in what could be a bloodbath in Friday’s opening fixture.
The brilliant Xavi Simons misses out, as does the slightly less unfortunate Arda Guler and Heorhiy Sudakov.
EURO 2024 CONTENT ON F365
👉 Bellingham omitted, Saka over Ronaldo and France defenders dropped in one-per-number Euro squad
👉 England have an 80% chance of ‘huge disappointment’; welcome to hype week
👉 Euro 2024 snubbed XI features two Champions League finalists but not ‘the best England goalkeeper’
AM: Jude Bellingham (England)
This one was inevitable. Bellingham’s career has been like a bloody movie so far. What better way to sign off a historic season than bringing football home, eh?
And if he does – the Ballon d’Or beckons.
LW: Lamine Yamal (Spain)
It’s easy to forget Yamal is a 16-year-old boy when you watch him play. It is positively absurd and quite frankly a bit vile. People his age are supposed to be playing Xbox all day, every day, not starring for Barce-f**king-lona and Spain at a European Championships.
Will Yamal v Endrick reach the same heights as Lionel Messi v Cristiano Ronaldo? Probably not. Never say never though.
📣 TO THE COMMENTS! Would you change anything in our Under-21 XI? Join the debate here.
ST: Benjamin Sesko (Slovenia)
Picked ahead of Manchester United and Denmark striker Rasmus Hojlund – who joins Red Devils team-mate Kobbie Mainoo on our bench – is reported Arsenal and Chelsea transfer target Sesko, who has been brilliant in 2024, banging in the goals for RB Leipzig.
Replicating that at Euro 2024 will be difficult given Slovenia’s slim chances of going far but there is still a chance Sesko’s performances are so impressive that the Gunners stop messing around and trigger his release clause.
👉 More: Every Euro 2024 squad | Top scorers of 2024 | Who will win the Ballon d’Or?
