Fun facts about the Euro 2024 tournament

As Euro 2024 approaches, football enthusiasts are eagerly anticipating the excitement and drama that this prestigious tournament always delivers. From the oldest and youngest players to the most capped legends and standout coaches, here are some fascinating facts about Euro 2024 that you need to know.

Old vs Young

Pepe: veteran defender

At 41 years old, Kepler Laverán de Lima Ferreira, commonly known as Pepe, is the oldest player participating in this year's European Championship. The Brazilian-born Portuguese defender is set to embark on his fifth Euro tournament. Despite his age, Pepe remains a vital player, having captained FC Porto in 34 matches last season and leading Portugal to a 5-2 victory over Sweden in March.

Lamine Yamal: talent

On the other end of the age spectrum is Lamine Yamal, who will celebrate his 17th birthday just one day before the Euro 2024 final. There will be an age gap of 24!!! years between Pepe and Yamal. This FC Barcelona prodigy made his La Liga debut at the tender age of 15 on April 29, 2023. Last season, Yamal played 50 matches across all competitions, contributing seven goals and ten assists. He also made his international debut for Spain shortly after turning 16, scoring a goal against Georgia and providing two assists in a thrilling 3-3 draw with Brazil in Madrid.

Players with 100+ Caps

Euro 2024 features 30 players who have earned over 100 international caps. Leading the list is Cristiano Ronaldo, with 206 caps and 128 goals for Portugal. At 39, Ronaldo is also the oldest captain in the tournament, while Dominik Szoboszlai of Hungary is the youngest captain at 23.

Among the notable centurions are Luka Modric (174 caps), Jan Vertonghen (154 caps), and Robert Lewandowski (149 caps).

Player Contributions by league and club

England: Top contributor

England continues its tradition of being the top contributor to the tournament, providing 114 players, with 95 of them playing in the Premier League. Italy follows with 105 players, Germany with 83, and Spain with 61. Notably, the Saudi Pro League contributes 14 players, more than Belgium, Portugal, or Scotland.

Leading Clubs

Manchester City and Inter Milan, champions of England and Italy respectively, lead the way with 13 players each at Euro 2024. FC Barcelona, Real Madrid, and PSG each contribute 12 players, while Bayern Munich and RB Leipzig send 11. Surprisingly, Borussia Dortmund, despite being the Champions League runner-up, only sends six players to the tournament.

Italian managers

Out of the 24 national team managers at Euro 2024, five hail from Italy. These include Luciano Spalletti (Italy), Francesco Calzona (Slovakia), Vincenzo Montella (Turkey), Domenico Tedesco (Belgium), and Marco Rossi (Hungary). Other nations with multiple coaches are Germany (Julian Nagelsmann for Germany and Ralf Rangnick for Austria), Spain (Luis de la Fuente for Spain and Roberto Martínez for Portugal), and France (Didier Deschamps for France and Willy Sagnol for Georgia).

Managers old vs young

The youngest manager at Euro 2024 is Germany's Julian Nagelsmann, at 36 years old, while the oldest is Austria's Ralf Rangnick, who is nearly 66. The only non-European coach at the tournament is Sylvinho, the former left-back for Arsenal, FC Barcelona, and Manchester City, who now manages Albania.

Euro 2024 tickets

As the tournament draws nearer, these intriguing facts highlight the rich diversity and talent that will be on display. Euro 2024 is set to be a spectacle of football prowess, history in the making, and thrilling competition. Euro tickets are available via our online booking system.