Euro 2024 has been thrilling so far and so many of the continent’s top players are performing at their best. Veterans such as Cristiano Ronaldo, Antoine Griezmann or Toni Kroos are proving once again just how special they are, while members of the new generation have also stepped up and demonstrated their skill. That includes Arda Güler, who is just 19 years old but already one of the most important players for Türkiye.
The attacking midfielder was the hero for his team in the opening matchday, as he scored arguably the goal of the tournament so far to give his team the lead in what ultimately turned out to be a 3-1 win over Georgia. After picking the ball up some 30 metres from goal, he struck the ball with all the confidence in the world and watched with glee as it squeezed into the top corner.
Many players will never score a goal like that in their lives, yet Güler has already produced a moment for the European Championship history books while still a teenager. The goal even made him the competition’s youngest debutant scorer, at 19 years and 114 days.
Güler, though, is simply focused on how he can help the team. After picking up UEFA’s Player of the Match award, he stated: “I don’t care about personal achievements. I’m all about the team and I’m delighted to play my part. It was a tough game and I congratulate my team for the win. It was great to get the win for the coach.”
Although Türkiye’s next match didn’t go to plan, as they lost 3-0 to Portugal, it was through no fault of Güler, who was only given 20 minutes. He is being looked after by coach Vincenzo Montella, following a season in which the teenager suffered multiple injuries after his transfer from Fenerbahçe to Real Madrid in summer 2023.
When the left-footed talent has been on the pitch, he has been excellent for club and for country. Güler netted six goals in his maiden LALIGA EA SPORTS season and now has another at Euro 2024, and what’s even more impressive is that he has reached this tally of seven goals in just 539 minutes. That means he is scoring one goal every 77 minutes on average.
In the final months of the LALIGA EA SPORTS campaign he was particularly impressive, as Real Madrid coach Carlo Ancelotti gave him more and more minutes. His two-goal performance in a 4-4 draw away at Villarreal CF truly stood out, while the Turkish player also netted against RC Celta, Real Sociedad, Granada CF and Deportivo Alavés.
Those goals were a well-deserved reward for a player who had suffered a number of injuries and who was being eased into the line-up by Ancelotti but who continued to work hard in training. Real Madrid fans’ expectations grew with every video clip of Güler magic that emerged from the training ground, and they were finally able to enjoy his talent in person in the season’s final weeks.
His goals-per-minute stats are reminiscent of his numbers at Fenerbahçe in 2022/23, when he topped the stats charts for assists per 90 minutes, key passes per 90 minutes and successful dribbles per 90 minutes. As a young player who has had a few injury issues and who is being carefully looked after by his coaches, Güler is not yet playing all that much. But, when he is on the pitch, he is often the best player on it.
