Francisco Conceicao, Arda Guler, Lamine Yamal: Who were the best young players in the European Championship?

The stars of tomorrow stepped up to the plate at Euro 2024.

From Jude Bellingham to Lamine Yamal, the next generation of elite players made fans sit up and take notice.

With the likes of Cristiano Ronaldo and Toni Kroos entering the twilight of their careers, it is time for new heroes to take their place on the European stage.

So, with that in mind, let's look at the best young players that were on show in Germany.

Jamal Musiala has always been tipped to make it to the very top, but the forward truly stepped on the world stage during Germany's 5-1 win against Scotland at the start of Euro 2024.

The Bayern Munich star scored Germany's second goal in the 19th minute and kept the Tartan Army's defence on the back foot from the word go.

He added further goals in a group stage win over Hungary, and last-16 success against Denmark, which both ended 2-0, but was unable to prevent his side from being eliminated by Spain in the quarter-finals.

Yamal was the name on everybody's lips ahead of the start of Euro 2024.

The electric winger only made his Barcelona debut in April 2023, but in just over a year, he forced his way into the strong Spain side that eventually won the tournament.

The 16-year-old set up Dani Carvajal's goal in first half stoppage time to make it 3-0 and take the game away from Croatia.

There was more to come, too, as after helping Spain through to the semi-finals, he became the youngest goalscorer in the history of the European Championships by netting a sublime goal against France in the last four.

He was impressive in the final against England, and fans can expect to see him shine in major tournaments for years to come.

What more can be said about Jude Bellingham?

The midfielder is only 20, but he already plays like a seasoned pro in his prime.

He scored England's only goal in the 1-0 win over Serbia despite joining up with the squad late following Real Madrid's UEFA Champions League triumph.

Bellingham followed that up with a dominant display in the heart of England's midfield, securing a clean sheet and the win.

But it was what he did in the last-16 win over Slovakia that really got tongues wagging, as he netted a remarkable overhead kick in the dying embers of a match that Gareth Southgate's side looked destined to lose.

Instead, they won in extra-time, before Bellingham was on target in a penalty shoot-out win over Switzerland in the quarter-finals.

The midfielder was excellent yet again in the semi-final, but even he could do nothing as Spain stormed to victory in the final.

Xavi Simons was an internet sensation from a young age, placing an immense amount of pressure on his shoulders.

He finally has the chance to show Europe what he can do this summer after an impressive campaign with RB Leipzig, and he got off to a solid start against Poland.

The 21-year-old helped the Netherlands to a 2-1 win in their opening game, and has featured in each of the Netherlands' games so far en route to the semi-finals.

Tottenham fans will be excited to see Radu Dragusin's performances for Romania this season.

The 22-year-old has only made nine appearances for Spurs, but he was sensational as Romania stunned Ukraine in Group E.

The former Juventus defender helped his side to a 3-0 win in that game, and they eventually reached the knock-out stages for the first time in 24 years, before losing to the Netherlands in the last-16.

Arda Guler had a fairytale end to the 2023/24 campaign with Real Madrid, and now he is taking that form into Euro 2024.

The 19-year-old joined Los Blancos from Turkish giants Fenerbahce last summer and has not looked back.

He became the youngest player to find the back of the net on his European Championship debut with a thunderous strike against Georgia.

Although he failed to add to his tally over the remainder of the tournament, Guler still played a pivotal role as Turkey made it to the quarter-finals, where they lost to the Netherlands.

Francisco Conceicao was Portugal's saviour against the Czech Republic.

The winger was brought on at the start of stoppage time with Cristiano Ronaldo and co drawing 1-1.

Portugal fans would have been forgiven for turning to the old war horse Ronaldo, but it was 21-year-old Conceicao who stepped up.

He turned the ball past Jindrich Stanek to secure all three points.

The Porto youngster, who is playing in his first major tournament, could not help his team get past the first knock-out round though, as the goals dried up and they were eliminated on penalties following a 0-0 draw with France.

Croatia may have struggled at Euro 2024, but Luka Sucic showed the future is bright during an impressive cameo against Albania.

The 21-year-old Red Bull Salzburg midfielder came off the bench just after half-time in Croatia's second match, helping his side to a 2-2 draw despite being a goal down at the break.

Sucic's deflected effort put Croatia 2-1 up with 15 minutes to go, and he impressed with an energetic all-round performance in the second half.

Albania may have equalised in the closing stages, but Sucic showed there will be life after Luka Modric and co retire.

Cole Palmer had to wait for his moment at Euro 2024, but when it came, he grasped it with both hands.

Fans were calling for the forward's inclusion from the start of the competition, but he only got opportunities off the bench as England reached the final.

He shined in the penalty shootout as the Three Lions beat Switzerland though, helping his side into the semi-finals as England scored five from five.

Then, in the climax of the tournament, he scored a stunner to get Gareth Southgate's side back on level terms after Nico Williams' opener.

England may have gone on to lose against Spain, but with players like Palmer in their squad, the future looks exciting.

- - -

TNT Sports presents the premium live sports rights previously carried by BT Sport including the Premier League, UEFA Champions League, UEFA Europa League, UEFA Conference League, Gallagher Premiership Rugby, Investec Champions Cup, EPCR Challenge Cup, MotoGP, Cricket, UFC, Boxing and WWE. The streaming home for TNT Sports in the UK is discovery+, where fans can enjoy a subscription that includes TNT Sports, Eurosport and entertainment in one destination. You can also watch TNT Sports through BT, EE, Sky, and Virgin Media