Euro 2024 has been resplendent with bangers, long-range rockets that have lit up games and had us out of our seats. In the group stages alone 13 goals were scored from outside the box.
With the contests mostly being engrossing and of a high standard we are therefore being spoilt this summer, and more drama is to come with the semi-finals honing into view.
For now though sit back and enjoy, as we revisit the ten best goals of the tournament to date.
10) Donyell Malen v Romania
Romania were pushing up and leaving gaps by the time Malen got his head down and motored across half the pitch to settle matters in this last 16 clash.
That’s not to take anything away though from the clinical nature of the counter.
Three minutes into added-on time, Holland defended a floated ball into their box, protecting their 2-1 lead. Virgil Van Dijk headed clear and the ball was nudged further forward by Xavi Simons.
That set the Borussia Dortmund winger free who hared down the left before cutting inside and finishing with aplomb.
9) Ruben Vargas v Italy
The flying wide-man found himself in and out of FC Augsburg’s side last season and was dropped for Switzerland’s preceding game against the Germans.
With a point to prove therefore he duly put in a Man of the Match performance in the Nati’s last 16 besting of Italy.
First he assisted cleverly for Remo Freuler to break the deadlock. The other side of the break the 25-year-old curled a lovely effort into the far corner.
8) Nicolo Barella v Albania
Shell-shocked after conceding just 23 seconds in against Albania, Gli Azzurri recovered well, with Alessandro Bastoni heading an equaliser soon after before Barella fired home what ultimately proved to be the winner in the 16th minute.
The Inter midfielder’s strike may not be as spectacular as some of the others on the list but it was no less impressive, requiring improvisation and quick-thinking.
As a decent, intricate Italian move broke down the ball was semi-cleared to the 27-year-old who swung his foot at it instinctively.
7) Dani Olmo v Germany
Spain’s 16-year-old sensation Lamine Yamal deserves half the credit for this one, the winger standing up his full-back before slide-ruling a pass across the edge of the box.
It was an atypical delivery, an intelligent pass over a straightforward cross.
But then you see the replay. You see Olmo racing into the space and pointing to where he wants the ball to be.
Perfectly teed up, his finish was as cool as they come.
6) Morten Hjulmand v England
A big talking point concerning England in their group games was how much space they were affording opponents on the edge of their box.
This came to pass against Denmark in their second outing when Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg fired a warning shot across the bows just a minute in, then Christian Eriksen did likewise soon after.
Lessons clearly were not being learned because after half an hour, an abysmal pass by Harry Kane found Victor Kristiansen who squared it for Hjulmand.
With England’s defence slow to respond he unleashed an Exocet missile that flew through a forest of legs and went in off the post.
Someone on social media blamed Jordan Pickford for the concession. It’s scary that such people can vote.
5) Nico Williams v Georgia
Williams has been a revelation in Germany, as too has Yamal on the other flank, but it wasn’t until Spain’s comprehensive victory over Georgia that we saw end product, the Athletic Bilbao winger producing a goal and an assist.
His goal was La Roja’s third of the night, a devastating counter-attack that began in their own penalty area.
Fabian Ruiz calmly dealt with danger and lofted a long ball to Williams’ feet and though there was much to do he made short work of it, ghosting past a defender and blasting the ball high into the net all in a heartbeat.
4) Xherdan Shaqiri v Scotland
Now at Chicago Fire and 125 international caps deep, it feels like the squat, energetic scheming of Shaqiri has been around forever. It surprises to learn that the Swiss legend is still ‘only’ 32.
Still, this could well be his last major tournament, and very likely his Euro swansong, so it was fitting that a player who has conjured up so many big moments for Switzerland was responsible for their best goal of the summer.
A loose pass by Anthony Ralston was pounced on by the former Liverpool man who curled a beauty past Angus Gunn in nets.
3) Nicolae Stanciu v Ukraine
Romania’s opening 3-0 victory over Ukraine was arguably the shock result of the tournament, the Tricolorii very much unfancied in the football odds to progress from Group E.
And it all began with a thunder-thwack, Stanciu benefiting from sloppy defending to receive the ball 25 yards out with the keeper not ‘set’.
Running onto a ball already laced with pace, the midfielder redirected it with an extra touch of venom smack into the top corner. As the cliché goes, you don’t stop them.
2) Jude Bellingham v Slovakia
Given how underwhelming they have been throughout the tournament it surprises that England are still well backed in the sports betting to lift the trophy in Berlin. Patriotism and optimism is a heady brew.
Or perhaps people are sensing that something feels fated in Germany, with Gareth Southgate’s strugglers somehow finding a way through each and every time.
In the quarters a penalty shoot-out was negotiated. In the last 16, facing an ignominious exit at the hands of Slovakia, and with mere seconds remaining, a player who had been anonymous to that point pulled off an unbelievable bicycle kick to equalise.
It was a special goal by a special talent who has elsewhere not been especially special at all.
1) Arda Guler v Georgia
With the Euros just four days old, Turkey and Georgia played out the game of the competition, each on the front foot throughout.
At the half-hour mark Georgia’s Mikautadze cancelled out Mert Muldur’s superb volley, a goal only omitted here so that no game is featured twice.
And then, entering stage right, Turkey’s greatest young talent for at least a generation took possession 30 yards out, was given far too much time, and took full advantage of it, wrapping his boot around a shot that fizzed low and hard beyond the reach of the despairing keeper.
It was a goal that announced Guler’s genius to the world. It was a coronation.
*Credit for the main photo belongs to Alamy*
