Euro 2016: 10 Players to watch
In no particular order, chibezzstarmedia.com as part of its special countdown to ‘Europe’s World Cup’ tournament brings you a star-studded list of 10 players to watch out for in France in the course of the week ahead
Cristiano Ronaldo, Portugal
Undoubtedly one of the greatest players of his generation — Ronaldo like always will be required to carry his country on the shoulders again
The 31-year old was to say the least phenomenal for Real Madrid all season and en route to claiming last month’s Champions League crown; scoring 51 times in 48 games.
Everyone knows about his pace, his brain, his passion for the game and while going all the way to the finals may be a tough call, many expect Ronaldo to make his presence count in France
While he’s often overshadowed by stars like Cristiano Ronaldo at Real Madrid, Bale will be the centre of attraction in the Wales team that surprised many including themselves during the qualifiers.
The 26-year old recorded four goals and one assist in his final seven appearances for the club, and he be keen to build on that form to take Wales into at least the knockout stages of the Euros.
Among other things, Wales will almost certainly look to capitalize on Bale’s mastery of free kicks on most days.
Already attracting a world record bid from Manchester United, Muller will sure be very key to the German side hoping to add the Euro title to their world crown.
The 26-year old is quite deadly in precision. He’s poacher-like inside the penalty area but also has an ability to create things for himself and teammates further out from goal. His movement on and off the ball is part of the reason why Germany’s game has evolved from machine-like to free-flowing over the last decade. It would not be surprising if Muller ends up as MVP in this tournament.
After Ronaldo, Lewandowski might be the best finisher at Euro 2016. His 42 goals for Bayern Munich this season speak volumes.
The 27-year-old’s five-goal performance against Wolfsburg late last year has still got tongues wagging.
The Bayern Munich forward recorded 13 goals for Poland during Euro 2016 qualifying and that gives Poland the most hope even though they are seen as black horses.
Beyond his soft feet and his obvious goal-scoring record, Ibrahimovic is regarded as one of the game’s biggest characters. The guy is a quote machine. He once said “a World Cup without me is nothing to watch,” according to the Telegraph.
While that’s a stretch, a major international tournament is certainly more interesting with this polarizing man.
Juventus midfielder Paul Pogba is often seen by many as the next big name that would take over from twin rivals Messi and Ronaldo. Standing 6-foot-3, the 23-year-old has extremely soft feet that allow him to beat first and second defenders before playing the final pass. In addition to playing provider, Pogba chips in the odd goal from distance. His ability to strike on the volley might be the best in the tournament. Playing at home, the weight of an entire country rests on Pogba at what’s probably the biggest tournament of his career.
A major actor in one of the biggest fairy tale run in football history, Vardy helped Leicester City to an unlikely Premier League title. The strength of his performance paved way for him in the Three Lions squad where the former Conference player now shares the stage with the likes of Wayne Rooney and Harry Kane.
Even though Vardy’s sparkplug style for a lack of sophistication, his well-timed runs in behind opposing back lines terrorize centre backs and England will need him come good in France.
Though often hampered by injuries, if 27-year-old Hummels is healthy, he and Jerome Boateng will form one of the strongest centre-back pairings at Euro 2016.
In Hummels, Germany has a rock solid centre-half who’s mistake-free and brings a certain calmness that’s paramount to a team with title-winning aspirations. People talk about Muller, Gotze and Kroos, but it’s Hummels’ outstanding work that often goes unnoticed.
The Real Madrid midfielder played a pivotal role in his club’s Champions League victory and will be looking to replicate that form for Croatia. The Blazers are in a tough group with Spain, Turkey and the Czech Republic, but if there is any group of midfielders that can keep up, it’s the Modric-led Croatians.
Despite earning a lower number of starts with Juventus this season, Morata is slated to start up front for the current European champions. The Juve forward scored a brace in a warm-up match against South Korea and looks determined to regain his spot with the Italian champions.
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