da pinup bet： The tournament has provided a stage for two young guns to explode into mainstream consciousness
da cassino： Even in an era when every league on the planet is available to watch if you know where to look, there's nothing quite like an international tournament when it comes to a young superstar announcing themselves to the world.
Regardless of how much hype a starlet has been accumulating at club level, they've never truly arrived as the next best thing until they've done the business during a footballing summer.
The European Championship has a strong pedigree of providing these wonderkids with the platform to shine and Euro 2024 was no different, with both Arda Guler and Lamine Yamal taking their reputations to a new level in Germany.
Below, GOAL has taken a trip down memory lane by ranking the best European Championship campaigns from teenagers…
11Johan Vonlanthen (Switzerland, Euro 2004)
Switzerland did not give their supporters much to smile about at Euro 2004. After playing out a joyless 0-0 draw with Croatia in their group-stage opener, they were well beaten by England and then lost 3-1 to France.
But they did at least come away believing they'd found a great hope for the future. Having scarcely featured prior to the France clash, Johan Vonlanthen made a splash against Les Bleus. With 26 minutes on the clock, his perfectly-timed run was spotted by Ricardo Cabanas and the 18-year-old produced a pinpoint finish past Fabien Barthez.
The goal made Vonlanthen the youngest scorer in Euros history, a record he stole off Wayne Rooney and still holds to this day. Rooney had the last laugh, though, with the winger failing to deliver on his potential by enjoying a fairly middling career at a string of European clubs.
Advertisement10Paolo Maldini (Italy, Euro 1988)
Paolo Maldini was included in Team of the Tournament at three different European Championships during his storied career, and that honour was first bestowed on him back in 1988 when he was still a teenager.
Deployed at left-back by Italy boss Azeglio Vicini and wearing the number eight on his back, Maldini helped his side navigate a tricky group stage alongside the likes of Carlo Ancelotti, Franco Baresi and Gianluca Vialli.
Opening the tournament with a draw against hosts West Germany, the Azzurri would progress to the knockouts courtesy of victories over Spain and Denmark. But Maldini's journey would end in the semi-finals, with the Soviet Union besting them 2-0 in what was the defender's only shaky display of the entire campaign.
9Bukayo Saka (England, Euro 2020)
Bukayo Saka gifted us one of the defining images of Euro 2020 when he was just 19 years old. In the final, he scurried past grizzled veteran Gieorgio Chiellini and was swiftly punished for his insolence, with the Italian desperately grabbing his collar to prevent him darting away.
The moment was typical of Saka's joyful performances throughout the competition as the Arsenal starlet emerged as one of Gareth Southgate's key men. His one goal contribution came in the semi-finals against Denmark, but in truth he was dangerous throughout, regardless of whether he started on came on as a sub.
His tournament would ultimately end in heartbreak, in the form of a missed penalty in the final shootout, but the outpouring of love he received in the wake of the defeat rightly ensured this did not overshadow a strong showing.
8Cristian Chivu (Romania, Euro 2000)
Cristian Chivu is one of the best defenders in Romanian football history, with the peak of his club career coming when he helped Jose Mourinho's Inter clinch a famous treble in 2010. But it all began for him, on the international stage at least, back in 2000.
Entering the tournament aged 19, Chivu started every one of his side's games as Romania defied the odds to make it out of the 'Group of Death'. Kicking-off with a hard-fought point against Germany, they did everything right in their second game before having their hearts broken by a 94th-minute winner from Portugal midfielder Costinha.
This meant they had to beat England to get through, and Chivu sent Romania into dreamland inside 22 minutes when his cross-cum-shot deceived Nigel Martyn to put his side ahead. The two teams then traded blows in a classic encounter, before a late Ionel Ganea penalty earned all three points.
Chivu and Co would bow out in the quarter finals to eventual runners-up Italy, but the young defender had made a sizable contribution to one of his nation's finest footballing hours.