Eriksen, Kvaratskhelia, Güler: Top 10 goals of the Euro 2024 group stages
Read on to find out which goals from the Euro 2024 groups Olympics.com have made our top 10.
Football
Euro 2024 has been a true football spectacle so far.
With the group stages concluding on Wednesday (26 June), the knockout rounds will begin on Saturday (29 June).
It will no doubt be home to yet more enthralling action, as teams begin to take things to the next level.
Before the round of 16 commences, Olympics.com is taking a look at the best goals of the tournament so far (in no particular order!)…
Christian Eriksen (Denmark v Slovenia)
Other than it being a very nicely worked goal, Eriksen’s opener against Slovenia was also a special strike for the Danish midfielder. Their tournament curtain-raiser was exactly 1,100 days from the moment their no.10 collapsed on the pitch at the postponed Euro 2020 three years ago, later confirmed as due to a cardiac arrest.
It therefore was only fitting that Eriksen be the one to open their account in an eventual 1-1 draw against Slovenia. A truly special moment for a man who defied the odds for a remarkable comeback to football.
Khvicha Kvaratskhelia (Georgia v Portugal)
Located in Eastern Europe, Georgia is home to a population of just over three million people. To then be the star of their football team carries a lot of responsibility, which Khvicha Kvaratskhelia has handled over the duration of the competition so far.
That all came to fruition in a must-win clash with one of the favourites to win the entire thing in the form of Portugal. Khvicha fired the Georgians ahead inside the opening two minutes, on their way to winning 2-0 and advancing into the last 16 for the first time.
Mert Muldur (Türkiye v Georgia)
In terms of goals, this is arguably one of the games of the tournament so far. A thumping win for Türkiye was kicked off buy an outrageous volley from Mert Muldur to open the scoring. The ball, headed away by an opposing defender, fell to him on the edge of the area, hitting it first time to send it flying into the top corner.
But he was somewhat outdone later by his teammate…
Arda Guler (Türkiye v Georgia)
19-year-old Guler was a difference maker against Georgia, and when they had levelled after Mulder’s sublime opener, Türkiye were once more in search of the go-ahead goal. Just after the hour mark, the Real Madrid sensation picked the ball up deep in the opposing half before curling one from range beyond Giorgi Mamardashvili between the sticks.
It is no doubt in contention for one of the goals of the competition, let alone the group stages, so far.
Morten Hjulmand (Denmark v England)
Group C made a name for itself during the initial stages of Euro 2024 with it’s less-than-inspiring matchups across the last two weeks. With just seven goals scored between the four sides, it was a tale of fine margins.
Hjulmand’s effort to level the score against the Three Lions was a welcome break from the mould, striking from range along the ground and into the bottom corner. It was also the last goal in the group, despite it coming on matchday two.
Marcel Sabitzer (Austria v Netherlands)
Austria’s win over the Dutch was a thrilling contest, coming out 3-2 victors after a game of end-to-end action. Out of the five goals, it was Marcel Sabitzer’s that stood out the most.
Not only was it the goal to seal the win and send the Austrians through as group winners, but it was also a slick piece of football. From Christoph Baumgartner's threaded pass beyond the back line to Sabitzer’s sheer composure before lifting it into the roof of the net. It was a worthy game-winner.
Nicolae Stanciu (Romania v Ukraine)
A sensational curtain raiser for Romania came from Stanciu, who kickstarted their 3-0 rout of Ukraine in their opening game of Group E. A simply unstoppable strike from the edge of the area, going across goal and into the top corner.
Postage stamp.
Xherdan Shaqiri (Switzerland v Scotland)
With an unbelievable one-time finish to level the score in a 1-1 draw against Scotland, Shaqiri became the only European player to score in each of the last six major tournaments (World Cup and Euros) since 2014.
That is some goal to cap an even better achievement.
Roman Yaremchuk (Ukraine v Slovakia)
Ukraine may have been knocked out of the competition after finishing bottom of their group, but Yaremchuk’s late winner against Slovakia is one of their more memorable contributions.
It was a masterclass in how to take your first touch. Mykola Shaparenko was the man to loft a pass over the top, into the oncoming Yaremchuk, who was able to take it down first time before poking it into the back of the net.
For a moment, at least, that win kept Ukraine’s hopes of progression alive.
Mattia Zaccagni (Italy v Croatia)
Zaccagni’s late equaliser for Italy against Croatia was the epitome of drama at the death. Facing down the barrel of defeat and the real possibility of crashing out, the holders needed something special.
A surging run forward from defender Riccardo Calafiori saw him play in Zaccagni, whose wonderfully curled effort rescued a point and sent Italy through to the last 16. Elation at one end, heartbreak at the other – football in a nutshell.