EURO 2024: Top five milestones from a memorable group stage in Germany
Amid all the excitement on the pitch in Germany, there were plenty of records broken that will leave a lasting mark on European Championship history.
Using figures from UEFA's official website, Flashscore takes a look at some of the most notable milestones that have been set in the tournament so far.
Yamal dazzles on major tournament debut
Spain’s Lamine Yamal made history in his nation’s opening fixture against Croatia, becoming the youngest-ever player to feature in the European Championship at just 16 years and 338 days.
Despite his tender age, Yamal produced a superb individual performance against the 2018 World Cup runners-up, setting up Spain’s third goal to put the seal on a debut to remember.
The Barcelona youngster followed up that display with another electric showing against Italy on matchday two before being rested in Spain’s final group game against Albania with progression to the knockout stages already assured.
Yamal will surely return to the starting line-up as one of his nation’s key players when Spain come up against the tournament’s surprise package, Georgia, in the last-16 on Sunday evening.
Funnily enough, a new record for the tournament's oldest player was also set in the group stage when Portugal's 41-year-old Pepe played in their opening match against the Czech Republic.
Bajrami gives Albania flying start
Competing in the European Championship finals for just the second time in their history, Albania made a fairytale start against Italy in their group opener, finding the net inside 23 seconds.
The passionate Albanian fans had barely had time to find their seats in Dortmund’s BVB Stadion when Nedim Bajrami fired the underdogs into a stunning first-minute lead.
It was the fastest goal in the tournament’s history by some distance, and while Italy came from behind to win the match, Bajrami’s record-breaking strike will forever be remembered by his nation’s supporters.
Sesko tops charts with lightning pace
It might have been a frustrating group stage for Benjamin Sesko on the goalscoring front, but the RB Leipzig striker still had a vital role to play as Slovenia made it through to the European Championship knockout round for the first time in their history.
Sesko’s pace and directness provided his side with a constant outlet in their three draws against Denmark, Serbia and England. He also registered the fastest top speed of any player during the group stage, clocking an impressive 35.9 km/h.
Up next for Slovenia is a tricky last-16 tie against Portugal, so Sesko and his teammates will need to be at their very best to trouble Roberto Martinez’s star-studded side.
Revitalised Austria up there with the best
It was a memorable campaign for Ralf Rangnick’s Austria who topped Group D with six points, finishing ahead of France, the Netherlands and Poland.
Austria achieved this while playing some of the most exciting football of the tournament, adopting Rangnick’s high-intensity 'gegenpressing' to defeat Poland (3-1) and the Netherlands (3-2) in successive games.
As a team, Austria covered a total of 344.13 kilometres, putting them fourth amongst teams to qualify for the knockout stages. Only Italy (357.74 km), Spain (353.15 km) and Germany (344.43 km) managed further.
Key to that total was the relentless running of midfielders Nicolas Seiwald and Marcel Sabitzer. Both players were ever-present during the group stage, with Seiwald covering a distance of 33.7 km across the three matches and Sabitzer 32.6 km.
Modric makes history despite heartbreaking exit
In a must-win game for Croatia on matchday three, captain Luka Modric once again rose to the occasion, rifling home from close range to put his nation ahead just moments after missing from the penalty spot.
Not only was it a momentous goal given the magnitude of the situation, but it also provided Modric with a special piece of history as he became the oldest-ever European Championship scorer at 38 years and 289 days.
While Modric was left to rue a late equaliser from Mattia Zaccagni that eliminated Croatia from the tournament, the legendary midfielder can be proud of yet another stellar display on the international stage.
Will it end up being his 178th and final appearance for Croatia? If so, what a talismanic figure he’s been for his nation over the years.
There are two players who could yet break Modric's new record in the knockout stages: the aforementioned Pepe and his teammate Cristiano Ronaldo (39).
