Ranking the 3 players at Euro 2024 who were not born when Cristiano Ronaldo made his European Championship debut
Cristiano Ronaldo will make a record-extending sixth European Championship appearance at Euro 2024. The legendary Portuguese striker made his competition debut in 2004, when the tournament was hosted in his native Portugal.
In the two decades since then, he has established himself as one of the greatest goalscorers in the history of football and inspired a generation to take to the pitch. The Portuguese superstar made his first appearance at the Euros on June 12, 2004, in a 2-1 defeat to Greece.
The Los Blancos legend has been a fixture at the top of the footballing pyramid for a lifetime, literally so for a new generation who was born after he began his international career.
In this list, we go through some of the players at Euro 2024 who weren't born when the legendary Cristiano Ronaldo made his debut at the European Championship:
Top three players at Euro 2024 who weren't born when Cristiano Ronaldo made his European Championship debut
#3 Kobbie Mainoo, 19 years old, Manchester United, England
Manchester United teenage sensation Kobbie Mainoo is one of the most exciting prospects in world football at the moment. The Carrington graduate burst onto the scene in the middle of a tough season and was one of the bright sparks in an otherwise poor Red Devils campaign.
The young Englishman might have grown up watching Cristiano Ronaldo, born on 19 April 2005, a year after Ronaldo's European Championship debut. The 19-year-old will feature for tournament favourites England at Euro 2024.
#2 Warren Zaire-Emery, 18 years old, Paris Saint-Germain, France
PSG's Warren Zair-Emery is one of the best young midfielders in the world at the moment. The French youngster has made over 70 appearances for the Ligue 1 giants and recently enjoyed his best season, with 10 goal involvements from midfield.
The 18-year-old has had three caps for Les Bleus and is younger than what Cristiano Ronaldo was when he appeared at Euro 2024. Zair-Emery features for a heavily fancied France in the tournament and will hope to be one of the youngest players to win the competition.
#1 Lamine Yamal, 16 years old, Barcelona, Spain
Barcelona's famed La Masia academy has done it again. The vaulted youth development programme has gifted the world a potentially great player in Lamine Yamal, and he has taken Spanish football by storm. The 16-year-old made over 50 appearances in his breakout campaign, bagging well over a dozen contributions.
Lamal is the youngest player to play, assist and score for La Roja in their history and will hope to be the youngest to do so in the history of the Euros at Euro 2024. The Blaugrana-trained winger might have grown up watching Cristiano Ronaldo play against his boyhood club for Real Madrid.