The Summer of Soccer on FOX is here with the European Championship in Germany, followed by the United States-hosted Copa América on June 20. The tournaments, which will both conclude on July 14, will feature some of the biggest soccer stars in Europe, South America and North America.
[Check out our 2024 Euro and Copa América previews]
Here’s who made the cut:
*Notes players have been injured since the start of the countdown.
Country: FranceClub: Real Madrid (Spain)Position: StrikerAge: 25
When he won the World Cup as a 19-year-old back in 2018, becoming the youngest player to score in a final since Pele in the process, it was natural to wonder what Mbappé could do for an encore. He showed everybody four years later in Qatar, where he led the World Cup with eight goals. That brought Mbappé’s World Cup total to 12 — just four short of all-time leader Miroslav Klose of Germany, who appeared in almost twice as many matches — before he’d even turned 24. France lost that World Cup by the slimmest of margins, though, in a penalty shootout to Argentina.
Mbappé will be extra motivated to win his first European Championship, especially after missing a spot kick as Les Bleus were stunned by Switzerland in the tiebreaker in their first knockout match at Euro 2020. A strong showing in Germany would put Mbappe on pace to win his first Ballon d’Or. It would also give him momentum heading into his maiden season with Real Madrid, which the superstar will officially join from hometown side Paris Saint-Germain on July 1.
Country: EnglandClub: Real Madrid (Spain)Position: Central midfielderAge: 20
When he left Borussia Dortmund for Real Madrid last summer for a club record transfer fee north of $100 million, nobody truly knew if Bellingham would be worth the gaudy nine-figure pricetag. After all, Real had dropped a similar ransom on Eden Hazard four years earlier. Hazard retired from soccer in 2023 having scored just seven goals in four seasons in the Spanish capital. Right away, though, Bellingham showed what all the fuss was about. He led the club in scoring, helped Los Blancos win both the Spanish and European titles, and was named La Liga’s MVP.
He’s a surefire Ballon d’Or candidate – perhaps the frontrunner – and now he’ll try to maintain lights-out form for his country as England’s men go for their first major trophy in 58 years. Turns out Bellingham might have been a bargain in the end.
Country: BrazilClub: Real Madrid (Spain)Position: Left wingerAge: 23
What hasn’t Vini Jr. accomplished before the age of 24? He’s won every trophy imaginable at the club level, including three La Ligas, two Club World Cups, two Champions League and the Copa del Rey. Individually, he was just named the Champions League’s top player during the 2023-24 campaign. The only success that has eluded the Rio de Janeiro-area product is with his country. He was left off Brazil’s victorious Copa America team in 2019. He made the team two years later, only for the Selecao to lose the final on home soil to blood rival Argentina. And while he starred at the World Cup the following year, his team was upset by Croatia in the quarterfinals. Now, as Vini Jr. enters another major international tournament, he’s surely hoping the third time’s a charm.
Country: EnglandClub: Bayern Munich (Germany)Position: StrikerAge: 30
Although he didn’t accomplish his main goal – finally winning a trophy – during his first season in Germany, Kane sure scored a lot of them. The longtime Tottenham man was the most prolific scorer in Europe in 2023-24 with an astounding 36 tallies in just 32 Bundesliga games and another eight goals to lead the Champions League as Bayern reached the semifinals before falling to eventual winners Real Madrid. But Kane, who also finished as the Golden Boot recipient at the 2018 World Cup, won’t care about his lack of silverware at club level if England’s captain can fire the Euro 2024 favorites to the country’s first major men’s title since 1966 – on German soil, no less.
AL KHOR, QATAR – DECEMBER 10: Harry Kane of England celebrates scoring their goal from the penalty spot during the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022 quarter final match between England and France at Al Bayt Stadium on December 10, 2022 in Al Khor, Qatar. (Photo by Julian Finney/Getty Images)
Country: BelgiumClub: Manchester City (England)Position: Central midfielderAge: 32
With his 33rd birthday on June 28 fast approaching, it’s fair to say that De Bruyne – arguably Belgium and Manchester City’s best player for almost a decade – is entering the twilight of his decorated career. That doesn’t mean he’s not still one of the planet’s top players. Once considered a bust as a youngster at Chelsea, De Bruyne has been Mr. Consistency for club and country since 2015. City has won six Premier League titles since his arrival from Wolfsburg that year, plus two FA Cups, one FIFA Club World Cup and the Champions League in 2023. The only thing that has been able to slow De BMes
Country: SpainClub: Manchester City (England)Position: Defensive midfielderAge: 27
When global soccer’s governing body published the votes of national team captains, coaches and designated media members at its “Best FIFA Football Awards” show in Janaury, the obvious candidates — Erling Haaland, Kylian Mbappe, Lionel Messi — filled out the top three on most of the ballots. But another, much lower-profile name kept popping up, too: Rodri. The Spaniard may not be as famous as the game’s superstars, in part because of the unglamorous position he plays. But the respect his peers have for the slick-passing destroyer Rodri proves that Rodri plays it as well as anyone, which is why his teams tend to win. Man City’s four consecutive Premier League titles plus the 2023 Champions League prove it, as does the UEFA Nations League crown he helped La Roja claim last year.
Country: ArgentinaClub: Inter Miami CFPosition: ForwardAge: 36
The GOAT is back at Copa America after ending Argentina’s 28-year title drought at the tournament in 2021, in addition to his personal drought of not winning a major international trophy. A lot has changed for Messi since then. But, as he showed at the 2022 World Cup, he’s still capable of being the best player on the pitch in any match. With his international retirement looming — he’ll turn 37 years old midway through the group stage — there’s no reason to believe he won’t leave it out all there for his country.
Country: PolandClub: FC Barcelona (Spain)Position: StrikerAge: 35
Scoring goals is the hardest thing to do in soccer. Unless, that is, you happen to be Robert Lewandowski. Lewandowski has put the ball in the net more than 600 times at the club and international level since making his senior debut for Polish team Znicz Pruszków in 2006. He eventually moved to Germany, where he led Borussia Dortmund to a pair of Bundesliga titles before landing at Bayern Munich a decade ago. By the time he left for Spain in 2022, Lewandowski was second on Bayern’s all-time scoring chart and had led Europe in goals for two years running. He’s been every bit as prolific at Barca, with 42 goals in 69 La Liga appearances so far. So it’s no surprise that the 6-foot-1 forward is also his country’s top marksman. Poland’s all-time cap-winner and captain, too, he’ll be looking to pad those stats this summer in what would could be his last major international tournament.
Country: NetherlandsClub: Liverpool FC (England)Position: Center backAge: 33
There were 100 million reasons why Southampton accepted Liverpool’s record-busting transfer offer that brought the gigantic Dutchman to Anfield in 2017. At the time, the fee was the highest ever paid for a defender. For the Reds, the outlay has been worth every cent and them some. It’s no coincidence that Liverpool’s return to the top of both the English Premier League and UEFA Champions League coincided with Van Dijk’s arrival.
The iconic club reached the final of the latter in 2018, won Europe’s most coveted trophy a year later, then topped it off with their first English title in 30 years in 2020. Van Dijk was the anchor for Jurgen Klopp’s team through all of those successes. Liverpool even returned to the Champions League final in 2022, only to narrowly lose to Real Madrid. A decade after his first senior international callup to the Oranje, this summer’s Euro in Germany will somehow mark Van Dijk’s first career trip to the quadrennial event. The Netherlands didn’t qualify for the 2016 tournament in France, while injury ruled him out last time.
Country: FranceClub: Atletico Madrid (Spain)Position: Striker/MidfielderAge: 33
It says plenty about Griezmann’s all-world ability that, after leading Les Bleus in scoring deployed exclusively as a striker when France won the 2018 World Cup, the diminutive attacker reinvented himself as an elite, two-way, playmaking central midfielder as Didier Deschamps’ squad came within a penalty shootout of becoming just the third nation ever to repeat as champions. Pretty good for a guy nobody thought would make it as a professional. C
onsidered too small by soccer academies in France, Griezmann left his home near Lyon as a teenager and moved across the border to Spain to join Real Sociedad’s youth program. It took him four years to break through with the senior team. Griezmann was ready when the opportunity came. He scored 46 goals in 180 La Liga appearances before joining Atletico Madrid in 2014. He’s now the club’s all-time top scorer despite a three-season sojourn to Barcelona. Griezmann finished third in the Ballon d’Or voting in 2016 and ‘18.
Country: UruguayClub: Real Madrid (Spain)Position: Central midfielderAge: 25
Over the last 15 years or so, La Celeste has been best known for its parade of all-planet attackers. From Diego Forlan to Luis Suarez to Edinson Cavani to current star striker Darwin Núñez – all have all fronted Uruguay at World Cups or Copa Americas or both for the better part of two decades. Heading into USA 2024, La Celeste’s undisputed best player is Valverde.
Blessed with the ability to play as a winger or fullback in addition to his natural spot in central midfield, the Montevideo native helped Real Madrid win both the Spanish and European titles 2023-24. He now has three La Liga wins, three FIFA Club World Cups and a pair of Champions League winners medals. This will be the third trip to a Copa America for Valverde, who was a key member of Uruguay’s 2022 World Cup squad.
Country: BrazilClub: Liverpool FC (England)Position: GoalkeeperAge: 31
Brazil’s No. 1 is also the highest-rated keeper on our list, and for good reason. Becker – better known simply as Alisson – is everything a modern backstop ought to be. He’s a highly athletic elite shot-stopper who commands his area, positions himself perfectly, organizes his defenders in front of him and controls and passes the ball like a field player, allowing both the Selecao and Liverpool to play a possession game that starts from the back. His former goalkeeper coach at Italian club Roma called Alisson “the Lionel Messi of goalkeepers,” and while he doesn’t have a World Cup winner’s medal, yet, his list of honors includes the 2019 Copa America title in addition to Champions League and Premier League crowns with the Reds.
Country: EnglandClub: Arsenal (England)Position: Right wingerAge: 22
Then 19-year-old Saka had every reason to shrink when his missed penalty shootout attempt in the Euro 2020 final at Wembley Stadium gave Italy the title and ended The Three Lions’ dream of winning a major tournament for the first time since 1966. Instead, the West London native has gone from strength to strength, being named England’s top player in 2022 and 2023. He’s helped Arsenal finish second in the Premier League in each of the last two seasons, and was the Gunners’ best player as they advanced to the Champions League quarterfinals last term. Saka’s 16 league goals in 2023-24 made candidate for Prem player of the year, an honor he narrowly lost to international colleague Phil Foden of Manchester City. He won’t mind if England can go one step further this summer.
Country: EnglandClub: Manchester City (Spain)Position: Central midfielderAge: 24
Recently voted the Premier League’s player of the 2023-24 season, Foden is looking to take another important step in his rise toward superstardom this summer. Leading the Three Lions to their first senior international title since 1966 would go a long way toward that end. The lightning-quick attacker has already collected an obscene amount of silverware during his young career; after leading England to the FIFA under-17 World Cup title in 2017, he debuted with City’s first team and has since gone on to win 14 trophies, including four consecutive Premier League crowns. He’s set to play a far bigger role for Gareth Southgate’s side in Germany than he did at Euro 2020, when the Sky Blues man made just three appearances over England’s seven games.
Country: SpainClub: FC Barcelona (Spain)Position: Central midfielderAge: 21
If there’s a natural heir apparent to legendary central midfielders Xavi Hernandez and Andres Iniesta, Pedro González López is probably it. Often deployed alongside fellow blue-chip youngster Gavi for both Barcelona and the Spanish national team, Pedri will have to go it alone this summer in Germany, as Gavi will miss what would’ve been his first European Championship. Fortunately for La Roja, Pedri is more than capable of running the show by himself. Having made more than 100 appearances for Barca, he’s got the experience. He’s also played at the Euros before; three years ago, the Tenerife-born playmaker became the youngest man in tournament history to appear in a knockout match. He started all six of Spain’s matches as the three time continental champs lost in the semifinal to eventual winner Italy.
Country: ArgentinaClub: Inter Milan (Italy)Position: StrikerAge: 26
Already a Copa America and World Cup-winner and Inter Milan’s captain, Martinez’s credentials were well-established heading into the 2023-24 Serie A campaign – especially after he led the Nerazzurri to a surprise appearance in the Champions League final the season before. What did a guy who’d also guided Inter to one Scudetto and two Coppa Italias have to prove? Plenty, as it turned out. The Buenos Aires product scored a career-best 24 league goals this season as Inter won the Italian title for the second time in three years. Afterward, the former central defender was named Serie A’s MVP. USA 2024 will be Martinez’s third Copa tournament.
Country: PortugalClub: Manchester City (England)Position: Center backAge: 27
Four years at Manchester City, four Premier League titles for Dias, who has also won a FIFA Club World Cup and the Champions League during his stay in England. The Benfica product has been a mainstay in manager Pep Guardiola’s lineup through it all, averaging almost 30 Prem appearances a season and being named City’s MVP in 2021. Dias has now represented the Sky Blues almost 400 times in all – an astounding number for a guy who only celebrated his 27th birthday last month. The stout defender also won a league title in Portugal, and helped his country hoist the inaugural Nations League trophy 2019, too.
Country: SpainClub: FC Barcelona (Spain)Position: Right wingerAge: 16
A starter for Barcelona at 16, Yamal is nothing short of the heir apparent to the Culers’s golden generation of Andres Inesta, Xavi Hernandez and Lionel Messi. He became Barca’s youngest player in more than a century when he debuted at 15 in April 2023, and he’s continued to topple records since: youngest player to start a La Liga or Champions League match, youngest to score in La Liga, youngest to score for Spain. No wonder the release clause in his contract is worth north of $1 billion, more than four times the all-time transfer high water mark. Yamal was in La Roja’s starting lineup for their Euro 2024 opener against Croatia, becoming the youngest to appear in the competition. He celebrated the occasion by setting up a beautiful goal for Dani Carvajal in the 3-0 rout.
Country: PortugalClub: Manchester City (England)Position: Attacking midfielderAge: 29
With an understated style off the field and on, Silva hasn’t always gotten the recognition he deserves with his club or his country. But underneath that classy and gentlemanly demeanor beats the heart of a warrior. Silva has won everywhere he has played. His trophy haul – the Champions League inaugural UEFA Nations League in 2019, club titles in France (with Monaco) and his native Portugal (with Benfica) in addition to his six in the Premier League – proves as much. Silva’s consistency has been otherworldly, too. Since arriving in England in 2017, he’s appeared in 200 of Man City’s 233 Prem games. He’s played 355 matches for the club in all. He also has 88 caps for his country, one shy of Ricardo Carvalho for 10th all-time in Selecao das Quinas history.
Country: GermanyClub: Bayern Munich (Germany)Position: Attacking midfielderAge: 21
When Jamal Musiala made his Bundesliga debut a little less than four years ago, he did it with distinction. At just 17 years and 115 days old then, he was and remains the youngest player in Bayern Munich’s long and successful history in Germany’s top division.
Musiala has only padded his resume since. The Stuttgart born, London raised multi-national (he also has English and Nigerian citizenship through his father) won four German titles in his first four seasons with Bayern, plus a FIFA Club World Cup. While Bayern finished second in the Bundesliga this year, Musiala was named to the circuit’s team of the season — as he was in 2022-23. He’s played for Germany almost 30 times since choosing Die Mannschaft over the Three Lions in early 2021. At that summer’s Euro a few months later, Musiala made more history. Almost a year to the day after his maiden appearance for Bayern, he entered off the bench in a group stage match against Hungary and became the youngest German man ever to feature at a major tournament.
Country: SwitzerlandClub: Bayer Leverkusen (Germany)Position: Central midfielderAge: 31
When Granit Xhaka joined Bayer Leverkusen in 2023, expectations were high for the Swiss midfielder, who spent seven years in the Premier League with Arsenal. Not only did he live up to them, but he exceeded them, starring for Leverkusen during their unbeaten 2023-24 Bundesliga campaign. He’ll hope to keep that momentum going in the Euros with Switzerland.
Country: GermanyClub: FC Barcelona (Spain)Position: GoalkeeperAge: 32
Ter Stegen was still a teenager when he burst on the scene for Borussia Monchengladbach back in 2010, a year removed from winning the under-17 Euros for Germany. He made more than 100 Bundesliga appearances for his hometown club before Barcelona came calling a decade ago. Ter Stegen has backstopped Barca to 15 trophies since, a haul that includes five La Liga titles and one Champions League crown. Success at the senior international level has been harder to come by. Still, the fact that Ter Stegen has amassed 40 caps for Die Mannschaft despite mostly playing second fiddle to 2014 World Cup-winning hero Manuel Neuer speaks to his ability.
Country: PortugalClub: Manchester United (England)Position: Attacking midfielderAge: 29
Few midfielders in the world are as complete as Fernandes who, in addition to his ability to maintain possession and make plays and defend at an elite level can also score goals with the best of them. His breakout season came in his first full campaign with United in 2020-21, when he found the net 28 times across all competitions. Two years earlier with Sporting Lisbon, he had 33 goals in all. Fernandes won his first cap for Portugal in 2017, played in the 2018 World Cup, helped his country claim the inaugural UEFA Nations League title in 2019 and was a starter at Euro 2020. But his breakout for the national team didn’t come until two years ago. First, his brace in the decisive playoff sent them to Qatar. With three goals and three assists, Fernandes then starred at the main event as Portugal advanced to the quarterfinals.
Country: PortugalClub: AC Milan (Italy)Position: Left wingerAge: 25
While he may have finished third on the Rossoneri in scoring this season, there’s a reason Leao is still considered Cristiano Ronaldo’s natural successor with Portugal’s national team when he’s at his best. The previous two Serie A campaigns showed that potential; in 2022-23, the Sporting Lisbon alum scored a career best 16 goals across all competitions as AC Milan advanced to the UEFA Champions League semifinals. Leao was also named Serie A’s MVP in 2022 as Milan won its first Scudetto in more than a decade. He’s enjoyed success at the international level, too, helping his country win the under-16 European Championship in 2016. This is Leao’s first trip to the Euros with the senior team.
Country: EnglandClub: Chelsea FC (England)Position: Right winger/Attacking midfielderAge: 22
It’s not exactly accurate to say that Palmer came out of nowhere to finish second to goal machine Erling Haaland on the English Premier League scoring charts last season. After all, Palmer was a coveted prospect at Manchester City before moving to London and joining the Blues last year. City manager Pep Guardiola didn’t see the Manchester native as a starter in his side, though; Palmer made just 19 Prem appearances over three seasons with his hometown team, which he joined as a seven-year-old Manchester United fan. Playing time wouldn’t be an issue at Chelsea, which Palmer joined for a cool $50 million. The rich transfer fee spoke to his potential, but few would have predicted the breakout season that followed. With 15 assists in addition to his 27 goals across all competitions, Palmer forced his way onto Gareth Southgate’s England squad. He was also a finalist for Prem’s player of the year award.
Country: PortugalClub: Al Nassr FC (Saudi Arabia)Position: StrikerAge: 39
Ever since the living legend left top-flight European club soccer for the relative (if extremely well-paying) backwater of the Saudi Pro League following his disappointing performance at the 2022 World Cup, Ronaldo has mostly been out of sight and mind. Sure, he’s scored a ton of goals for Al Nassr. With less than a year to go before he turns 40, though, it’s easy to think that the Portuguese superstar is finished at the highest level. Think again. With 10 goals for Portugal during Euro 2024 qualifying, Ronaldo finished second in the Golden Boot chase, finishing one spot above France’s Kylian Mbappe and two clear of England’s Harry Kane. He should play a major role for Selecao das Quinas’s manager Roberto Martinez in Germany, where the Euro 2016 winner will no doubt be hugely motivated to exit the international stage with another trophy.
Country: FranceClub: AC Milan (Italy)Position: Full backAge: 26
He used to be best known as the younger brother of Les Bleus’ 2018 World Cup winner Lucas. Theo Hernandez has now made a name of his own.
The dynamic Rossoneri left back has emerged in recent years as one of the best outside defenders in the game, even if it took him a while to get there. The son of a Spanish pro, Hernandez left France at 9 to join Atletico Madrid’s academy, but never broke through with their first team. A successful loan to Alaves prompted Real Madrid to swoop, but he made just 13 La Liga appearances over two seasons. But Hernandez has found a home in Milan, where he now serves as captain after leading the Serie A titan to its first Scudetto in over a decade two years ago and to the Champions League semifinals last season. Hernandez has also emerged a key contributor for the national team; he scored the goal that sent France to the 2022 World Cup final, where Didier Deschamps’ squad lost on penalties to Argentina.
Country: CanadaClub: Bayern Munich (Germany)Position: Full backAge: 23
The only Canadian ever to score in a World Cup, Davies is hoping for more team success as Les Rouges embark on their first ever Copa America. A former FIFA Best XI selection at left back, former Vancouver Whitecaps academy player is the key to his country’s hopes of surviving a group that contains Chile, Peru and World Cup holder Argentina. Davies has a capable supporting cast that includes proven European-based strikers Jonathan David and Cyle Larin. But the Bayern standout, who, despite being a 23-year-old defender is already a Top 10 scorer for Canada, is clearly his country’s X-factor. He’s also a proven winner, having claimed five Bundesliga titles plus Champions League and Club World Cup crowns.
Country: GermanyClub: Arsenal (England)Position: Attacking midfielderAge: 25
After three up-and-down years at Chelsea, Havertz is finally starting to put all of his talent to good use at another London-based club, Arsenal. The 25-year-old tallied 20 goal contributions (13 goals and seven assists) during Arsenal’s second-place-finish 2023-24 Premier League campaign. A strong showing at the Euros with host-country Germany might put him in the conversation as an elite midfielder once and for all.
Country: GermanyClub: Bayern Munich (Germany)Position: Central midfielderAge: 29
Germany 2024 will mark the sixth major international tournament for Germany and his third trip to the European Championship. At Euro 2016 in France, the versatile midfielder/fullback was named to the post-tourney Best XI. Kimmich was the Die Mannschaft squad that won the FIFA Confederations Cup in 2017. He has Tk Bundesliga titles with Bayern Munich. But after seven barren years with the national team – a stretch that included a pair of embarrassing World Cup group stage exits – he’ll be counted on to help Germany break that trophyless streak in front of their own fans this July.
Country: CroatiaClub: Real Madrid (Spain)Position: Central midfielderAge: 38
After a decade at the absolute pinnacle of the sport, Euro 2024 will almost certainly be Modric’s international swan song. The former Ballon d’Or winner – the only player other than Lionel Messi, Cristiano Ronaldo and Karim Benzema awarded soccer’s most prestigious individual honor since 2008 – has long helped Croatia punch above its weight on the global stage. Can Modrid cap his career by heading his country to its first trophy after a bronze medal at the 2022 World Cup and runner-up finishes in 2018 and in the 2023 UEFA Nations League? Either way, the five-time Champions League winner has enough silverware to last a lifetime. He just helped lead Real to another La Liga crown, Modric’s fourth, and he’ll vie for a sixth European club title when Los Blancos meet Borussia Dortmund on June 1 in the 2024 Champions League finale.
Country: BrazilClub: Real Madrid (Spain)Position: ForwardAge: 17
Widely considered the next great Brazilian star, Endrick Felipe Moreira de Sousa has so far lived up to the billing. The striker, who won’t turn 18 until after this Copa America is over, already has three goals in six appearances for his country since making his debut last year, including a game-winner in a friendly against England in London in March. Three days later he scored again, this time versus Spain at Real Madrid’s famed Estadio Bernabeu – his future home. After Copa, Endrick will join the 15-time European champions after scoring 18 goals in 66 appearances for Palmeiras and winning back-to-back titles in Brazil’s top league.
Country: SloveniaClub: Atlético Madrid (Spain)Position: GoalkeeperAge: 31
The longtime Atleti keeper has been counted among the world’s best since joining Madrid’s other La Liga titan a decade ago, backstopping the club to the Spanish title in 2021 and reaching the 2016 UEFA Champions League final. Success while wearing his country’s colors had been harder to come by, however – at least until until last fall. That’s when Oblak captained Slovenia to its first successful qualification for the Euros in almost a quarter century. He and his compatriots will be looking to reach the second round of a major tournament for the first time in program history at Germany 2024.
Country: GermanyClub: Bayer Leverkusen (Germany)Position: Attacking midfielderAge: 21
Want to know why Leverkusen rolled to its first German title this season, snapping Bayern Munich’s 11-season run as the Bundesliga’s lone champion? Look no further than Florian Wirtz. As of early May, the young attacker had 11 goals in 31 appearances under manager Xabi Alonso’s club this term, both career highs. Wirtz will be counted on to be similarly productive this summer for national team boss Julian Nagelsmann, who has capped the player twice since taking over Die Mannschaft last fall. Wirtz scored his first goal for Germany in March in a 2-0 friendly win over France in Lyon. Euro 2024 will be his first major tournament, as Wirtz missed the last World Cup with a long-term knee injury.
Country: EnglandClub: Liverpool (England)Position: Full back/Central midfielderAge: 25
The youngest player ever to start in back-to-back UEFA Champions League finals, the right back nicknamed “TAA” somehow still has his prime years ahead of him. He’s been pretty good already, winning the European title with the Reds in 2019 and the Premier League – Liverpool’s first in 30 seasons – the following year. England’s embarrassment of riches when it comes to right back depth has limited Alexander-Arnold to just 23 caps since his Three Lions debut nearly six years ago. But we’ll never know if he could have helped get Gareth Southgate’s side over the hump as Engalnd lost the Euro 2020 final to Italy at Wembley Stadium in London. TAA missed the tournament because of a thigh injury.
Country: GermanyClub: Real Madrid (Spain)Position: Central midfielderAge: 34
If there were any doubts about Kroos’ ability to impact a game at the very highest level as his 35th birthday approaches early next year, the veteran more than answered them last month, when his sensational performances over two legs of the UEFA Champions League quarterfinals helped Real eliminate trophy holder Manchester City. Kroos already has five European titles to his name at club level. He also won the World Cup with Germany in 2014, experience current German coach Julian Nagelsmann apparently considers invaluable. After retiring from international play in 2021, Naglesmann convinced Kroos to return to the sputtering Die Mannschaft earlier this year.
Country: GermanyClub: FC Barcelona (Spain)Position: Central midfielderAge: 33
In one of the most memorable recent mic-drop endings to any player’s club career, Gundogan walked away from Manchester City after eight seasons last summer, right after helping the deep pocketed Sky Blues capture their long coveted first UEFA Champions League crown. The heady, hard-tackling two-way playmaker also won five Premier League titles and two FA Cups with the Cityzens. For all that silverware, success has been far harder to come by with Die Mannschaft; Gundogan was a member of the German squads that were bounced from the 2018 and 2022 World Cups in the group stage and at the last Euro in the round of 16 to historic rival England. He’ll be hoping for a far different outcome when he captains Germany on home soil this summer.
Country: PortugalClub: FC BarcelonaPosition: Full backAge: 29
Perhaps the top right back in the game, Cancelo is also among its best-traveled. A graduate of Benfica’s academy, he’s now played for brand-name clubs in each of Europe’s top four leagues. The Benfica product moved to Valencia in Spain after making just one appearance in the Portuguese Primeira Liga. He moved to Italy three years later, lining up for Inter Milan and Juventus and winning the Scudetto as Serie A champs in 2019 before being recruited to Manchester City later that year by manager Pep Guardiola. Cancelo helped City to three Premier League titles, but a falling out with Guardiola in early 2023 ended with Cancelo loaned out to Germany’s Bayern Munich. He joined Barca last summer. Internationally, the speedster was on the Portugal squad that claimed the inaugural UEFA Nations League. Germany 2024 will be his first Euro, though; a positive Covid test cost him a roster spot last time.
Country: EnglandClub: Arsenal (England)Position: Central midfielderAge: 25
When the Gunners dropped a cool $30 million to buy Rice’s contract from fellow London club West Ham last summer, it made Rice the most expensive English player of all time. The defensive midfielder has been worth every penny so far. Rice has been a revelation for Arsenal this season; though the club was recently eliminated by Bayern Munich in the quarterfinals of the Champions League, they’re still in the running for a first English title since 2004 – largely because of Rice’s all-around contributions to Mikel Arteta’s side. This summer will mark Rice’s second European Championship. In 2021, he started all seven games for England as the Three Lions lost to Italy in the final at Wembley Stadium.
Country: BrazilClub: Juventus (Italy)Position: Center backAge: 27
A relative newcomer on the international scene, Bremer has made just five appearances for his country since winning his first cap in September of 2022. Two months later, he was named to the 26-player Brazilian roster for that fall’s World Cup. The former Torino center back occupied a supporting role in Qatar, playing in just two of the Selecao’s five games. But after helping Juve to an Italian Cup title in May, he’s expected to compete with 20-year-old Paris Saint-Germain prodigy Lucas Beraldo for a spot in Brazil coach Dorival Júnior’s starting lineup at the at the Copa America.
Country: BrazilClub: Paris Saint-Germain (France)Position: Center backAge: 30
PSG’s captain has been been a mainstay for the French titan for over a decade, with the resume to prove it: Before the age of 30, he’s already won nine Ligue 1 titles, six French Cups and is the all-time appearance leader for the club, which he led to the Champions League final in 2020. Marquinhos – born Marcos Aoás Corrêa – is hoping to win that trophy this year and add it to the silverware he’s accumulated on the international stage: a 2019 Copa America and an Olympic gold from the Rio Games in 2016. He’ll also be looking for a measure of redemption with the Selecao at USA 2022; it was Marquinhos’s missed penalty shootout attempt versus Croatia that knocked Brazil out of the 2022 World Cup in Qatar.
Country: UruguayClub: FC Barcelona (Spain)Position: Center backAge: 25
As much as Araujo struggled last month in high-profile losses to Paris Saint Germain and Real Madrid, the big centerback remains among soccer’s elite defenders. That’s what Barca hoped he could become when they plucked the raw then-teenager from Uruguayan side Boston River for a paltry fee and assigned him to their reserve squad in 2018. He’d become a first-team regular a year later. Last season, he backstopped the club to a surprising La Liga title. Araujo’s performances in Spain were good enough to land him on La Celeste’s rosters for both the 2021 Copa America and 2022 World Cup. But untimely injuries prevented him from appearing in either competition, meaning that USA 2024 would mark Araujo’s debut at a marquee international tournament.
Country: ArgentinaClub: Manchester City (England)Position: ForwardAge: 24
Nicknamed “Spider-Man” because of his Peter Parker-inspired goal celebration, Alvarez in some ways is already a superhero himself. In 2022, the diminutive striker helped Argentina break a 36-year drought to win the World Cup. The River Plate product had only made his senior international debut for the Albiceleste the year before, helping his country claim the 2021 Copa America title. And he was only a few months into his stay in England when national team coach Lionel Scaloni not only named him to his 26-man roster for Qatar, but played him in all seven games. Alvarez scored four times, including twice in the semis, making him the youngest player since Pele to accomplish that feat. He finished the season by winning the Premier League, Champions League and FA Cup crowns for City.
Country: BrazilClub: Arsenal (England)Position: WingerAge: 22
Already a World Cup veteran and Olympic gold medalist by age 21, the forward/left winger is one of the main reasons why the Gunners are leading the English Premier League withjust three games remaining in the 2023-24 campaign. Sure, foot and hamstring injuries mean Martinelli’s numbers this season are down a little from the career-best 34 starts and 15 goals he managed in the Prem in 2022-23. But the tricky, lightning-quick attacker remains one of Mikel Arteta’s most important players – a role he’s beginning to reprise for Brazil: Martinelli scored his first goal for the Selecao last November in a qualifying match for the 2026 World Cup.
Country: UruguayClub: Liverpool (England)Position: ForwardAge: 24
As Livepool’s most expensive signing ever, Darwin Nunez knows a thing or two about pressure. But presser has been a part of the big striker’s life since he was a poor child growing up in Artigas, a small city near the Brazilian border almost 400 miles north of Montevideo, Uruguay’s capital. Nunez’s older brother gave up his dreams of being a professional soccer player in order to provide for his family. But Darwin made good on his talent, overcoming severe homesickness and two knee surgeries as a teenager to break through with local side Penarol. He had successful stops in Spain and Portugal before arriving at Anfield in 2022. Nunez has been criticized for squandering some chances this season as the Reds’ title challenge faltered, but he’s still got a very respectable 33 goals in 93 appearances for the club. USA 2024 will be Nunez’s first Copa America; he missed the 2021 event because of injury.
Country: BrazilClub: Juventus (Italy)Position: Center back/Right backAge: 32
His club resume says plenty about the sort of pedigree Danio Luiz da Silva possesses: Before moving to Serie five years ago, he starred for both Real Madrid and Manchester City. Juve’s captain is a serial winner, having claimed league titles in Brazil, England, Italy, Portugal and Spain. He’s also won the Champions League twice (with Real) and a Copa Libertadores (with São Paulo-based club Santos), too. Danilo wasn’t on the Brazilian squad that won the 2019 Copa America on home soil. But he started the loss to Argentina in the 2021 final – meaning he’s got some unfinished business to attend to in the United States this summer.
Country: ArgentinaClub: Atletico Madrid (Spain)Position: Right backAge: 26
Whether he’s playing for his club or the Albiceleste, the World Cup winner is one of the game’s most reliable right backs. A product of Boca Juniors’ talent mill in Buenos Aires, Molina left Argentina for Europe four years ago when he signed for Udinese in Italy’s Serie A. That’s where he caught the eye of Atleti manager (and fellow Argentine) Diego Simeone. Molina moved to the Spanish capital In the summer of 2022. A few months later, he helped his country snap its 32-year World Cup drought. Molina started six of seven games in Qatar, including the final, scoring his first international goal in the shootout win over the Netherlands in the quarters.
Country: SerbiaClub: Juventus (Italy)Position: StrikerAge: 24
The big striker who grew up revering Zlatan Ibrahimovic is now following in the footsteps of the legendary Swedish goal machine. After scoring 44 times in 98 Serie A appearances for Fiorentina from 2018-22, Vlahovic joined Juve – one of Zlatan’s former teams. He already has been more productive for the club than his idol, with 40 goals in 95 league appearances so far. Vlahovic’s strike rate for Serbia is even better: in 25 caps he has tallied 13 times, including four goals to help his country qualify for the 2022 World Cup and another at the main event in Qatar. Germany 2024 will be his first trip to the European Championship – and the Serbs’ first as an independent nation.
Country: ItalyClub: Inter Milan (Italy)Position: MidfielderAge: 27
The honors keep piling up for Barella: Less than year after the two-time Ballon d’Or finalist helped Inter go on a surprising run to the 2022-23 UEFA Champions League final, the technically sound central midfield playmaker led a Nerazzurri side that had lost several key figures to its second Scudetto as Italian champions since he joined the club in 2019. Barella has played more than 200 games for Inter since, earning a place on the Serie A team of the season in each of the last five years. Born on the island of Sardinia, his summer will mark Barella’s second trip to the Euros; he won the 2020 version with his country, for which he has since donned the captain’s armband.
Country: GermanyClub: Real Madrid (Spain)Position: Center backAge: 31
Regarded as one of the top handful of defenders in the world, what Rudiger probably does is win. Over five years with English club Chelsea, the 6-foot-3 center back helped the Blues claim the Champions League, Europa League, FA Cup, Club World Cup and UEFA Super Cup. He’s well on his way to winning La Liga with Los Blancos this season, his second in the Spanish capital, and could end up winning another Champions League title, too. That’s all well and good, but surely the trophy Rudiger wants to hoist most is the one on offer on home soil at Germany 2024. While the Berlin-born veteran has represented Die Mannschaft at two Euros and two World Cups, all of those ended in disappointment. If the Germans can go all the way this time and win it all in Rudiger’s hometown, his legacy as a champion will be cemented.
Country: NetherlandsClub: Bayer Leverkusen (Germany)Position: Right wingbackAge: 23
How blown away were scouts who witnessed Frimpong’s precocious talent as a child growing up in Amsterdam? So much so that Manchester City brought him to England to train in their academy before he had even turned 10. Frimpong never featured for the Sky Blues in the Premier League, though. And when he signed for Scottish club Celtic, where he made 36 appearances over two seasons, some surely considered him a bust. But the wingback broke out in a big way after moving to Germany in 2021. This season, he has emerged as a bona fide star, helping Leverkusen win the Bundesliga title for the first time in the club’s 119-year history and scoring 13 goals across all competitions. While it may not have happened right away, it sure looks like those scouts were right about Frimpong’s potential after all.
Country: NetherlandsClub: RB Leipzig (Germany)Position: Attacking midfielderAge: 21
If there’s really such a thing as a “modern footballer,” Xavi Simons is the prototype. At 13, the Amsterdam native had a sponsorship deal with Nike. At 15, he was cast in a commercial for the sportswear giant alongside the likes of Kevin De Bruyne, Neymar and Brazilian great Ronaldinho. By 16, a year before the winger/attacking midfielder even made his first team debut for Paris Saint-Germain, the former Barcelona academy product already had more than two million followers on Instagram. Simons spent a year back home with Dutch titan PSV Eindoven before resigning in Paris, then immediately moving on a season long loan to Leipzig last summer. For all the hype, there’s real substance to Simons’s game: he led the Eredivisie in scoring in 2022-23, and became the youngest player ever to play for the Netherlands in a World Cup knockout game when he came off the bench in a 3-1 win over the United States in the round of 16.
Country: BrazilClub: Real Madrid (Spain)Position: Center backAge: 26
It’s rare for a teenager to start at center back for any first division club, but that’s what MIlitao did for Sao Paulo in Brazil’s top flight league before moving to Porto in 2019 at the ripe old age of 20. Across the border in Spain, the 6-foot-1 defender’s stout, mature-beyond-his-years style quickly caught the attention of the most decorated club on planet futbol, Real Madrid. Just eight months into his European journey, the 14-time continental champs swooped, paying Porto $54 million for the defender and inking him to a six-year contract. MIlitao has since won two La Liga crowns, one FIFA Club World Cup and the 2022 Champions League with Los Blancos. He also played in two Copa Americas for Brazil, winning the South American title in 2019, and the 2022 World Cup in Qatar, where he started four of the Selecao’s five games.
Country: FranceClub: Paris Saint-Germain (France)Position: Right wingerAge: 27
Don’t let a poor outing in the 2022 FIFA World Cup final fool you: Ousmane Dembélé is one of the most dynamic and exciting attacking players in the tournament. The reason he’s not higher on this list is precisely what plagued him in Qatar and throughout his career: consistency. But if Dembélé is focused — and healthy — enough, he’ll add a unique element to a French front line that already features the magnificent Kylian Mbappe.
Country: TurkeyClub: Inter Milan (Italy)Position: MidfielderAge: 30
The German-born playmaker is one of the biggest reasons why Turkey is headed back to the Euros for the third consecutive tournament. Calhanoglu captains his national team, and the free kick specialist is a serial winner: In 2022, he helped Inter win the Coppa Italia, then led the Nerazzurri to last season’s Champions League final, which they narrowly lost to Manchester City. Calhanoglu will come full circle in the Crescent Stars’ final group stage match at Germany 2024: Turkey closes its first round slate against Czechia at the Volksparkstadion in Hamburg, where Calhanoglu played near the beginning of his 13-year professional career.
Country: ScotlandClub: Liverpool (Engalnd)Position: Full backAge: 30
The lone Scot in the Top 100, Robertson, long regarded as one of the sport’s premier left-sided defenders, is a worthy inclusion. The Glasgow native who also captains the Tartan Army has won all there is to at the club level with the Reds in recent years, including Champions League, Premier League, FA Cup and FIFA Club World Cup titles. His individual honors are as impressive, with multiple appearances on Prem and UEFA Best XIs. Now into his 30s, all that’s missing on Robinson’s CV is a deep tournament run with his national team – though just helping Scotland qualify for back-to-back Euros after a 24-year drought is a notable achievement all by itself.
Country: FranceClub: Real Madrid (Spain)Position: Defensive midfielderAge: 24
Tchouameni’s upward trajectory hasn’t slowed since the rangy, 6-foot-2 defensive midfielder broke into Bordeaux’s first team as an 18-year-old in 2018. He was off to Monaco 18 months later, before being snapped up by Real Mardid for a cool $85 million in 2022 on a deal that, including incentives, could eventually be worth nine figures. He’s been worth the investment so far. An automatic starter when healthy, Tchouameni helped Real reach the semifinals of the UEFA Champions League earlier this month. The club is also on pace to comfortably win La Liga. For Les Bleus, Tchouameni has already scored in a World Cup knockout match and played in the final, with his penalty shootout miss against eventual champs Argentina perhaps the lone blemish on his otherwise sterling resume.
Country: BrazilClub: Real Madrid (Spain)Position: ForwardAge: 23
For a guy who won’t turn 24 until January of 2025, the lighting quick Brazilian winger has already accomplished quite a bit. Rodrygo came through the ranks with Santos, Pele’s former club, located just outside his home city, Sao Paulo. After making more than 80 first team appearances (and scoring 17 goals) before his 19th birthday, he moved to mighty Real Madrid in 2019 and immediately established himself, scoring in his debut. Later that season Rodrygo became the second youngest player to bag a hat trick in the UEFA Champions League.
He has played in more than 200 games for Los Blancos since, and already occupies a special place in club lore thanks to his two memorable goals in the 2022 Champions League semifinal win over Manchester City – a victory that paved the road toward the club’s record 14 European title. A member of Brazil’s World Cup team in 2022, one thing Rodrygo hasn’t done is represent his country at the Copa America: USA 2024 will mark his first crack at hoisting the historic trophy.
Country: EnglandClub: Newcastle United (England)Position: Full backAge: 33
Elite-level fullbacks aren’t always appreciated by fans. Elite-level clubs? They understand fully how important and rare they are. Which explains why perennial Champions League title contender Bayern Munich was willing to pay Newcastle almost $16 million to prise the 33-year-old defender away from Tyneside in January. That the Magpies rejected the offer despite Trippier’s advancing age and expiring contract speaks to how valuable the veteran has been for manager Eddie Howe since arriving from Atletico Madrid in 2022. Trippier won a Spanish title with Atleti (after helping Tottenham reach the 2019 Champions League final), and will be looking for his first international trophy this summer; he previously represented the Three Lions at one Euro and two World Cups. Newcastle is currently trying to sign Trippier to a contract extension.
Country: ColombiaClub: Liverpool (England)Position: WIngerAge: 27
This summer’s Copa America will mark Diaz’s third trip to South America’s continental championship. He’ll have a tough time out-doing his performance in 2021. The Liverpool man was red hot three years ago in Brazil, where he scored four times (including goals against host Brazil and eventual champ Argentina) and finished joint top scorer (along with Lionel Messi).
Diaz’ star turn continued when he returned to his then-club Porto. His 14 goals through the first half of the Portuguese season was enough to convince Reds manager Jurgen Klopp, with Liverpool dropping $48 million plus another $16 million in incentives to lure him to Anfield midway though the 2021-22 season. Diaz, the first indigenous Colombian to represent Los Cafeteros, hit the ground running in England, helping the Reds win the FA and EFL Cups and reach the UEFA Champions League final.
Country: PortugalClub: Liverpool (England)Position: ForwardAge: 27
This summer will mark Jota’s second trip to a European Championship, with Portugal once again a dark horse to hoist the trophy when all is said and done. An unused reserve on the Portuguese squad that won the inaugural UEFA Nations League in 2019, the striker/left winger played all four games for his country at Euro 2020, scoring in a group stage loss to Germany, and will be desperate to help his country contend for a title after a calf injury he suffered in a Premier League match on the eve of the 2022 World Cup in Qatar ruled him out of that tournament. Jota consoled himself by helping Liverpool win the FA Cup and finish as Champions League runners-up later that season.
Country: SpainClub: Atlético Madrid (Spain)Position: StrikerAge: 31
La Roja’s captain enters his third European Championship looking for Spain’s first title since 2012. But the well-traveled striker has won just about everything else during his decorated career, including the FIFA Club World Cup, Champions Leagues and La Liga (both twice) with Real Madrid, two Italian Serie A crowns and two Coppa Italias (with Juventus), and the FA Cup and Europa League (with Chelsea). Last June, Morata led the Spaniards to a memorable Nations League triumph over Croatia to go with his European youth titles at the under-17, U-19 and U-21 levels. The 2022 World Cup vet is hoping to hoist an even more prestigious prize for his country this July.
Country: FranceClub: Arsenal (England)Position: Center backAge: 23
Though he signed with the Gunners way back in 2019, Saliba has only really come into his own over the last two English Premier League seasons – his first two full campaigns in North London. The Saint-Étienne youth prospect, who was coached as a youngster by Kylian Mbappe’s dad, made only a handful of appearances for Arsenal’s first team inbetween three separate loan spells to Ligue 1 sides Marseille, Nice and Les Verts before returning to Emirates Stadium full-time. But the center back has been a rock in Mikel Arteta’s back line ever since, winning a spot on his country’s roster for the 2022 World Cup and helping his club contend for both Prem and UEFA Champions League honors this year.
Country: EnglandClub: Manchester City (England)Position: Full backAge: 33
Long considered one of planet futbol’s leading right backs, Walker has shown few signs of slowing down as his 34th birthday approaches in May. He’s still a key player for the defending European Champions. He’s still a physical specimen who still boasts the pace to keep up with lightning quick attackers barreling down his wing. And after winning every possible piece of silverware since moving to City from Spurs six years ago, this summer’s Euro might represent his best chance yet of hoisting a trophy for England. Despite the disappointment of losing the final at Wembley on penalties last time out, Walker was named to the tournament’s best XI.
Country: SpainClub: Bayer Leverkusen (Germany)Position: Full backAge: 28
If Alex Grimaldo wasn’t already in the conversation for the best left back in the global game, he surely is now after all but leading Bayer Leverkusen to an unlikely Bundesliga title this season – one that snapped Bayern Munich’s decade-plus-long stranglehold on Germany’s top division – his first with compatriot Xabi Alonso’s side since arriving from Portuguese titan Benfica last summer. That’s how instrumental to Leverkusen’s success the Spaniard has been. His national team noticed, finally extending a first callup last fall to the former Barcelona and Valencia youth product.
Country: BrazilClub: Newcastle United (England)Position: MidfielderAge: 26
It’s probably not a coincidence that in his first full season on Tyneside after joining Newcastle from French club Lyon in early 2022, the Magpies finally made it back to the UEFA Champions League for the first time in two decades. The string-puller in Eddie Howe’s midfield, Guimaraes almost immediately emerged as the manager’s most indispensable player. For all the talk about how hard adjusting to the Premier League is midseason, the Rio native settled right away, scoring in his full debut. His breakout 2022-23 campaign landed him on the Selecao roster for the 2022 World Cup, where he made two appearances. Guimaraes hoping to occupy a bigger role for his country at his first career Copa America.
Country: EnglandClub: Manchester City (England)Position: Center backAge: 29
If defense really does win championships, John Stones is living proof. Though the 6-foot-2 center back is often overshadowed by the attacking exploits of high scoring City teammates such as Kevin de Bruyne and Erling Haaland, Stones’s contributions at the other end of the field have been every bit as important. Since joining Pep Guardiola’s squad in 2016, Stones has helped backstop the club to its most successful-ever spell: five Premier League titles, two FA Cups plus a long-awaited first UEFA Champions League crown last season. Deployed as a defensive midfielder in the decisive win over Inter Milan, Stones helped the Sky Blues keep a clean sheet. Stones also started all seven of England’s games at the last Euro, where the three Lions conceded just two goals en route to a runner-up finish.
Country: GermanyClub: Bayern Munich (Germany)Position: WingerAge: 28
Like Gabriel Jesus, Sane left Manchester City despite a record of success: the crafty winger helped the Sky Blues win two Premier League crowns, three EFL titles and an FA Cup during his four years with the club. But Bayern Munich was determined to bring Sane back to Germany and he was willing to go, rejecting a contract extension from the Cityzens and signing for Bayern in 2020. The former Schalke youth product’s trophy haul continued back home; he’s won the Bundesliga three times, German Super Cup twice plus the FIFA Club World Cup. For Germany’s national team, this summer marks Sane’s third European Championship – where he’ll no doubt look to add another piece of prestigious silverware on home soil.
Country: ArgentinaClub: Manchester United (England)Position: ForwardAge: 19
Perhaps the only Argentine who actually prefers Cristiano Ronaldo to compatriot Lionel Messi, Garnacho is following in his idol’s footsteps at United, the club at which CR7 became a global superstar. He’s already made more than 70 appearances for the Red Devils, scoring 12 goals – including a sensational bicycle kick against Everton that was voted Premier League goal of the month last November. Also eligible to represent Spain, he made his senior debut for Argentina last June and is expected to play a key role off the bench at USA 2024, where he will be one of the top young players to watch.
Country: HungaryClub: Liveropol (England)Position: MidfielderAge: 23
Not since all-time great Ferenc Puskás led his country to the 1954 World Cup final – winning the Golden Ball honors as tournament MVP along the way – has Hungary had a bona fide all-planet talent. That’s how highly regarded Szoboszlai is by many across Europe; last year, the Guardian newspaper ranked the box-to-box midfielder No. 52 on its list of the world’s Top 100 players. The former Red Bull Salzburg and RB Leipzig standout isn’t quite as high on our list; for Liverpool, he’s been limited by a series of minor injuries since joining the Reds last summer. But he should be fit fully fit by season’s end and ready to lead the Hungarian effort to reach the knockout stage for the second time in the last three Euros.
Country: BrazilClub: ArsenalPosition: Center backAge: 26
Looking back on it almost four years later, the $31 million fee the Gunners paid French club Lille to acquire a rangy young center back officially named Gabriel dos Santos Magalhães in September 2020 was a steal. Gabriel has since established himself as one of the very best central defenders in the world’s best domestic circuit: England’s Premier League. The Sao Paulo product’s height, speed consistency, durability and cultured left foot are among the main reasons that Arsenal has seriously challenged for the Prem title over the last two seasons, and why the Gunners have also reached the quarterfinals of the Champions League – another competition in which Mikel Arteta’s side are legitimate contenders this year – for the first time since 2010.
Country: ArgentinaClub: Chelsea (England)Position: MidfielderAge: 23
How integral was Fernandez to Argentina’s World Cup win at Qatar 2022, where his crucial goal in a group stage win over Mexico made him the Albiceleste’s second-youngest World Cup scorer after his childhood idol Lionel Messis? So much so that Premier League mainstay Chelsea dropped a British record transfer fee of $131 million on the hard-tacking central midfielder the following month. Fernandez, who was named after Uruguayan legend Enzo Francescoli, played for Portuguese talent mill Benfica and River Plate (Francescoli’s former club) in his native Buenos Aires before moving to London last year.
Country: GeorgiaClub: Napoli (Italy)Position: ForwardAge: 23
When you play in Naples and your nickname is inspired by local deity Diego Maradona, you’re doing something right. After witnessing his mesmerizing dribbling ability upon his 2022 arrival in the city, Kvaratskhelia was dubbed “Kvaradona” by fans of the all-time great’s former club. He scored a goal and added an assist on his Napoli debut, and was a key member of the squad that won the Scudetto last season as the top team in Italy’s Serie A – the club’s first title since 1990, when Maradona was the captain. For his country, Kvaratskhelia already has 15 goals in 29 appearances and helped the nation of just four million citizens qualify for its first major competition this summer.
Country: FranceClub: Real Madrid (Spain)Position: Defensive midfielder/Full backAge: 21
Though he doesn’t turn 22 until November, but Camavinga is already a key member of two all-world teams in Los Blancos and Les Bleus. Part of what makes him so valuable for club and country – he was France’s youngest debutant in over a century when he won his first cap in 2020 at age 17 – is his versatility. A natural attack-minded midfielder, the Angloa-born speedster can also line up in a deeper, ball-winning role, as a fullback or on the wing. A member of the French side that lost the 2022 World Cup final to Argentina, Camavinga has already made more than 100 appearances for Real Madrid since arriving from Ligue 1 side Rennes three years ago.
Country: ArgentinaClub: Atlético MadridPosition: MidfielderAge: 29
Another core member of the Albiceleste squad that won the 2021 Copa America and 2022 World Cup. One of the top midfielders in the game, De Paul is versatile enough to play either centrally (like last Copa, when he was named to the team of the tourney) or out wide (like in Qatar.. The Buenos Aires native is also a key figure for Atleti under Argentine manager Diego Simeone – one of De Paul’s predecessors as the Albliceleste’s hard-tackling midfield destroyer.
Country: ArgentinaClub: S.L. Benfica (Portugal)Position: ForwardAge: 36
Lionel Messi gets most of the plaudits when it comes to Argentina’s success in recent years, and rightfully so. Yet the Albiceleste might not have won either the 2021 Copa America or the World Cup a year later if not for the contributions of his fellow veteran and longtime international teammate. Di Maria bagged the Copa winner over host nation/blood rival Brazil to snap Messi’s trophyless streak, and he drew a tone-setting penalty that the GOAT converted to open the scoring in Argentina’s World Cup final triumph over France in Qatar.
Country: BrazilClub: FC Barcelona (Spain)Position: ForwardAge: 27
In the two years since he singlefootedly kept Leeds United in the Premier League, Raphael Dias Belloli has established himself as one of Barcelona’s best players. The winger has scored 15 goals in 78 games for Barca across all competitions. For Brazil, the former Rennes and Sporting Lisbon player has netted six times in 21 appearances since making his international debut three months after the 2021 Copa America. Raphinha started four of Brazi’s five matches at the 2022 World Cup.
Country: ArgentinaClub: Tottenham Hotspur (England)Position: Center backAge: 25
The World Cup and Copa America champion in back for his second Copa this summer; in 2021, Romero was named to the team of the tournament as Argentina hoisted the trophy for the first time in 28 years. This followed a Serie A defender of the year award-winning season with Altalanta, prompting Tottenham to recruit him to the Premier League. Romero is expected to resume his defensive partnership with veteran Nicolás Otamendi this summer. The pair started the Albiceleste’s final six matches, all wins, in the country’s 2022 World Cup triumph.
Country: ArgentinaClub: Liverpool (England)Position: MidfielderAge: 25
Perhaps no player in the global game boosted his stock more at the 2022 World Cup than Mac Allister, who was thrust into Argentina’s lineup by manager Lionel Scaloni after Saudi Arabia stunned the Albiceleste in its opening match and started the next six matches as Argentina went on to win its first world title since 1986. The central midfielder was no passenger en route to glory; his goal against Poland in the first round finale helped his country win its group, and he assisted on Angel Di Maria’s goal in the decider against France. Mac Allister parlayed his performance into a $70 million transfer to Liverpool last summer from Brighton & Hove Albion.
Country: ArgentinaClub: Lyon (France)Position: Left back Age: 27
A somewhat overlooked member of the Albiceleste squads that won the 2021 Copa America and 2022 World Cup, Tagliafico isn’t the flashiest left back around. He’s as reliable as they come, though – Argentina coach Lionel Scaloni used Tagliafico in six of his team’s seven games in Qatar, starting him in the final against France. That experience will be vital at this Copa, which marks Tagliafico’s fifth major tournament for his country.
Country: ArgentinaClub: Manchester United (England)Position: Center backAge: 26
Although he stands just 5 feet, 9 inches tall, the scrappy center back plays much bigger than that. Martinez first made his name in the European club game with Ajax, where he won two Eredivisie titles before joining the Red Devils in 2022. Hoisting trophies is just what the serial winner does: he also took home a Dutch Cup during his time in the Netherlands, won last season’s EFL Cup with United, and was a member of Argentina’s championship sides at both the 2021 Copa America and 2022 World Cup.
Country: BrazilClub: West Ham (England)Position: MidfielderAge: 26
Paquetá will be gunning for his second Copa America title with the Selecao this summer; he was part of the Brazilian squad that beat Peru in the final on home soil in 2019 and also played in the 2021 finale that the back-to-back Copa hosts lost to rival Argentina. The attacking midfielder/winger has also won at the club level, having helped the Hammers – which he joined in 2022 after stints at Lyon, AC Milan and Flamengo – claim the UEFA Europa Conference League title last year, the club’s first European trophy this century.
Country: EcaudorClub: Chelsea FC (England)Position: Defensive midfielderAge: 22
Growing up in a home with 10 older brothers and sisters, it’s no wonder that the defensive midfielder learned early how to fight for the ball. These days Caicedo is one of the leading players in the world at his position, which is why the London titan Chelsea dropped almost $130 million last August to lure him away from Premier League rival Brighton & Hove Albion. That’s more than the Blues paid for another South American central midfielder, World Cup winner Enzo Fernández of Argentina, just eight months earlier. Internationally, Caicedo has 39 caps for Ecuador and played every minute of his country’s three games at the 2022 World Cup, scoring in the group stage finale against Senegal.
Country: ArgentinaClub: Aston Villa (England)Position: GoalkeeperAge: 31
His penalty shootout save on France’s Kingsley Coman helped Argentina win the 2022 World Cup, but that epic match might not have gotten to the tiebreaker at all had Martinez not made an even more spectacular stop against Randal Kolo Muani in the final seconds of extra time to keep the scoreline level. Martinez was a brick wall throughout the Albiceleste’s stay in Qatar, winning the Golden Glove award at the conclusion of the tournament. He parlayed that career-defining performance into multiple individual accolades afterward: The Best FIFA Men’s Goalkeeper for 2022 and the Yashin Trophy awarded by France Football magazine in 2023. Not bad for a guy who could barely get a sniff in the Premier League until 2020, when he was already in his late 20s.
Country: UruguayClub: Tottenham Hotspur (England)Position: MidfielderAge: 26
Only just entering his prime, Bentancur has already represented La Celeste at two Copa Américas and two FIFA World Cups. The imposing central midfielder also boasts an impressive resume at the club level, having made more than 100 appearances for Italian titan Juventus and winning three Serie A titles before joining Spurs for at the beginning of 2022. Serious knee and ankle injuries have limited him the past two seasons. But at his best, Bentancur has shown that he is among the top players at his position in the Premier League.
Country: BrazilClub: Aston Villa (England)Position: MidfielderAge: 25
Want to know why Aston Villa is on pace to qualify for the Champions League this season? One big reason is Douglas Luiz. Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola was well aware of the potential and quality of the Rio de Janeiro native, which is why he brought the then teenager England from Vasco da Gama back in 2017. Work permit issues prevented Luiz from ever playing a Premier League game for the Sky Blues; he was twice loaned out to Spanish side Girona, where he made 38 appearances over two seasons. He signed for Villa two years later. On the cusp of Brazil’s senior squad at that point, he was finally granted permission to play in the Prem and is now a regular for the nine-time Copa América champs.
Country: United StatesClub: AC Milan (Italy)Position: WingerAge: 25
The face of the USMNT since he was a teenager and now just entering his prime, Pulisic has been at the height of his powers at the club level throughout his first season in Italy following a roller-coaster four-year run with English club Chelsea that included a Champions League winner’s medal but not enough playing time, either because of injury or coaches’ decisions. But in Milan, “Captain America” has found both sustained health and a huge fan in manager Stefano Pioli, who starts him in just about every game. Pulisic has rewarded that faith, scoring a career-best 12 goals across all competitions (his previous high was 11 with Chelsea in 2019-20) with more than two months of the Serie A season still to go.
Country: ArgentinaClub: Benfica (Portugal)Position: Center backAge: 36
After playing every minute for Argentina as the Albiceleste won the 2022 World Cup, many expected the veteran center back to drop the mic and ride off into the international sunset. Not only did Otamendi decide instead to stick around, he continues to anchor his country’s backline with distinction even as his 37th birthday approaches. The former Manchester City, Valencia and Porto defender can also contribute on the other end of the field; last November, he scored the only goal as Argentina handed chief rival Brazil it’s first-ever World Cup qualifying loss on home soil.
Country: UruguayClub: Paris Saint-Germain (France)Position: MidfielderAge: 23
He’ll barely be 23 when the Copa America kicks off, but already Ugarte has gained a reputation as one of the world’s emerging defensive midfielders. PSG certainly noticed the six-foot destroyer’s take-no-prisoners approach during the 2023-23 UEFA Champions League, in which the Montevideo native led all players in combined tackles and interceptions in the group stage. The French champions paid Sporting Lisbon more than $65 million to acquire Ugarte last summer.
Country: ParaguayClub: Newcastle United (England)Position: WingerAge: 30
The Paraguayan livewire parlayed a stellar two-year run in Major League Soccer that concluded with a championship followed by an MLS record transfer to Newcastle United of England’s Premier League in 2018. Almoron has since made almost 200 appearances for the Magpies, scoring a career-best 11 Prem goals last season to help the club qualify for the Champions League for the first time in two decades.
Country: United StatesClub: Juventus (Italy)Position: MidfielderAge: 25
One year on from a disappointing half-season loan to then-Premier League club Leeds United, McKennie has established himself as one of the best central midfielders in Italy. The all-action Texan has been dominant on both sides of the ball for Juve during the 2023-24 campaign; he’s currently tied for second in assists in Serie A. McKennie has also shown the ability to dominate international games, having been an automatic starter for his country since he scored on his USMNT debut in 2027.
Country: MexicoClub: Feyenoord (Netherlands)Position: StrikerAge: 22
In the year and change since he was cut from Mexico’s 2022 World Cup team, the Argentina-born youngster has developed into one of El Tri’s top performers. Gimenez shook off the disappointment of his omission by helping Feyenoord win the Dutch title for just the second time this century, scoring 15 times along the way. He had 31 goals in all in the Eredivisie in 2023, breaking the calendar-year record set in 2009 by Uruguayan great Luis Suarez. Gimenez also had the trophy clinching strike for Mexico at last year’s Concacaf Gold Cup.
Country: United StatesClub: Fulham (England)Position: FullbackAge: 26
Known as “Jedi” to fans and teammates, the noted Star Wars fan has emerged as one of the top left backs in the Premier League this season, his fourth with the Cottagers. He’s been durable, too: Robinson has started all but one Prem game in 2023-24. No wonder top clubs have taken notice of the speedy English-born defender, whose stock would only rise with a strong showing at the Copa America. This will be Robinson’s second major tournament for the U.S., for which he played all four games at the 2022 World Cup.
Country: EcuadorClub: Brighton & Hove Albion (England)Position: Fullback/WingbackAge: 26
This Copa America will mark Estupiñán’s third for his country. At Brazil 2019, the fleet-footed left back/wing back was named to the post-tournament Best XI. He also played every minute of Ecuador’s three games at the 2022 World Cup. At rhe club level, Estupiñán has been a mainstay for Premier League Brighton over the last two years, helping the Seagulls to a surprising sixth place finish in his debut campaign — good enough for a spot in this season’s Europa League. Estupiñán spent seven years in Spain before moving to England.
Country: United StatesClub: A.F.C. Bournemouth (England)Position: Defensive midfielderAge: 25
Health will be a big concern for Tyler Adams, who was limited to just four appearances in all club competitions last season, going into the United States-hosted Copa América, but when he’s fit, he’s an invaluable piece of the roster on and off the pitch. Adams captained the USMNT at the 2022 World Cup in Qatar.
Country: MexicoClub: West Ham (England)Position: Defensive midfielderAge: 26
Álvarez has methodically climbed the ranks on his way to Planet Futbol’s most competitive domestic league. He began his pro career with Mexico City-based titan Club América, then spent four successful seasons in the Netherlands with Dutch powerhouse Ajax, where he became the first El Tri player to score in his maiden Champions League match. West Ham came calling for the defensive midfielder last summer with a $45 million transfer. Álvarez, a two-time World Cup participant, scored his first Premier League goal for the Hammers earlier this month.
Country: United StatesClub: Juventus (Italy)Position: Winger/Wing backAge: 24
The Brooklyn-born son of former Ballon d’Or winner George Weah is making his own name in Italy, where he’s in his first season with Juve — a fierce rival of his father’s AC Milan. Weah, who started every game for the U.S. at the 2022 World Cup and scored the Americans’ tournament opening goal, has shown off his versatility in Serie A: a forward for his country, he’s lined up as a fullback in many of his 22 games. Weah, a New York Red Bulls academy product, previously won Ligue 1 with Lille and Paris Saint-Germain and a Scottish title with Celtic.
Country: CanadaClub: Lille (France)Position: StrikerAge: 24
Arguably the best striker in CONCACAF, Jonathan David will star for Canada at Copa América alongside Alphonso Davies. David scored 26 goals in all competitions for Lille last season, including 19 in Ligue 1. Only Kylian Mbappe scored more goals in the French league last season.
Country: EcuadorClub: Bayer 04 Leverkusen (Germany)Position: Center backAge: 22
One reason Bayer Leverkusen is running away with the German Bundesliga title race is its stingy backline, which has conceded just 16 goals in 24 matches to date. Hincapié has been a huge part of that. After beginning the season on the substitutes’ bench, the big center back has started eight of Leverkusen’s last nine matches, seven of them wins. Hincapie made his international debut at the 2021 Copa América but is now a grizzled veteran despite his still-tender age: he played every minute of Ecuador’s three games at the 2022 World Cup.
Country: ChileClub: Inter MilanPosition: StrikerAge: 35
Sánchez’s best days might be behind him at the club level, but the former Barcelona and Arsenal star is still the face of Chilean soccer and will be heavily relied upon to get La Roja out of a group that’s headlined by Lionel Messi and Argentina. Sánchez recorded four goals and five assists in 33 appearances for Inter MIlan last season.
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