Jamal Musiala, Lamine Yamal and GOAL's Euro 2024 Team of the Group Stage

Donnarumma was Italy's talisman during their run to the title three years ago, and although the Azzurri are not quite as strong collectively this time around, he is once again rising to the occasion. The Paris Saint-Germain No.1's brilliant late stop to deny Rey Manaj ensured Italy scraped past Albania, and he also made a vital contribution in their final group outing against Croatia.

He made three key saves and kept out a Luka Modric penalty before Mattia Zaccagni scored a last-gasp equaliser to earn Italy the 1-1 draw that sealed their place in the last 16. The prospect of Italy reaching another final seems unlikely given their lack of strength in depth, but with Donnarumma serving as the last line of defence they cannot be written off.

Fresh from landing his sixth Champions League crown at Real Madrid, Carvajal has helped provide the base for Spain's impressive start to the Euros. The 32-year-old racked up 12 ball recoveries across Spain's wins over Croatia and Italy, while also chipping in with a goal, and has led by example with his outstanding work-rate.

Carvajal is one of the best right-backs in the game because he always delivers on the grandest stage, and his experience will be vital as La Roja bid to win back the trophy they took possession of between 2008 and 2012. Spain have a host of more flashy players who will inevitably steal the spotlight, but Carvajal is their general.

To say that England have failed to live up to expectations at Euro 2024 would be a massive understatement. Watching Gareth Southgate's side negotiate their way through Group C was a painful experience, with Phil Foden, Harry Kane, Jude Bellingham and Declan Rice among those to underperform in spectacular fashion after stellar seasons for their clubs.

But Guehi can arrive in the last 16 with his head held high. England only ended up winning the group because the Crystal Palace man was so solid at the back, bringing much-needed composure and steel to a team desperately short on confidence. The Three Lions will have to improve significantly to end almost 60 years of hurt, but in Guehi they do at least have one player who looks up for the challenge.

Calafiori has had quite a year. The 22-year-old defender was colossal during Bologna's fairy-tale run to secure Champions League qualification in Serie A, which earned him a place in Italy's European Championship squad.

He could hardly made a better first impression either, as he drove out of defence at every opportunity against Albania, and although an unfortunate own goal ended up condemning Italy to a subsequent loss to Spain, he's shown real character to bounce back. It was Calafiori who provided the assist for Zaccagni's equaliser against Croatia, to cap a stellar all-round display, but he also picked up a booking, and will be a huge miss for Luciano Spalletti's side as he serves a suspension in the last 16.

Stuttgart finished second in the Bundesliga ahead of Bayern Munich last season, and Mittelstadt was one of the heroes behind that remarkable achievement. Mittelstadt played his way into Germany's starting XI in the process, and Julian Nagelsmann has seen his faith in the 27-year-old rewarded at the Euros.

Mittelstadt is equally as effective going forward as he is in defence, and has given Germany a proper outlet down the left-flank, linking up with Florian Wirtz and Toni Kroos to great effect. He even notched an assist in Germany's 2-0 win over Hungary, and will have an important role to play as Nagelsmann seeks to guide the hosts to their first Euros crown since 1996.

It's no easy feat to outshine Pedri and Rodri, but Fabian Ruiz has done exactly that as the third wheel of Spain's technically-gifted midfield. The 28-year-old produced a Player-of-the-Match showing against Croatia, setting up Alvaro Morata with a magical pass before scoring one of the goals of the tournament to double Spain's lead himself. The Paris Saint-Germain man displayed dazzling footwork to dance around three defenders before firing home what was only his third-ever goal for his country.

Ruiz also ran the show as Spain saw off Italy, and seems to have raised his game to new heights at this tournament, giving Luis de la Fuente's team a surprise X-factor.

Austria mean business under the guidance of Ralf Rangnick, who has admirably rebuilt his reputation after a disastrous temporary spell at Manchester United. He has a lot to thank another former United servant for, though, with Sabitzer stepping up as the main man with a trio of all-action performances in the Euros group stage.

Sabitzer, who was a lynchpin for Borussia Dortmund during their run to the Champions League final, is a dynamic midfielder with quick feet and an eye for goal, which he demonstrated again by netting Austria's crucial winner against the Netherlands. He also sets the tone for Rangnick's side with his relentless pressing, and there's every chance Austria can keep upsetting the odds if he continues on his current trajectory.

Musiala has been the face of Germany's Euros campaign, which brings a lot of pressure. Not many young players could cope with that level of scrutiny, but this is no ordinary 21-year-old; the Bayern Munich starboy is mature beyond his years and boasts the technical wizardry to make a decisive impact in the biggest games.

Scotland and Hungary found that out to their peril, as Musiala scored in both games and generally wreaked havoc with his incredible dribbling ability and incisive passing. Germany have what it takes to go all the way on home soil, and Musiala is on course to write his name in the history books, having seen his decision to choose Die Mannschaft over England pay off.

“Maradona, Messi and now Yamal.” After seeing Yamal step off the bench for a scintillating cameo in Spain's 1-0 win over Albania, Germany legend Lothar Matthaus gave him the ultimate billing. The 16-year-old is the youngest player to ever feature at a European Championship, but you wouldn't think it by the way he carries himself on the pitch.

Yamal also gave Croatia and Italy nightmares as a starter in Spain's first two wins, and although comparisons with all-time greats don't do the Barcelona wonderkid any favours, he is doing a remarkable job of justifying them so far. Spain's supremely talented teenager is quick, skilful and deceptively strong, and already has real end product, which makes him the most deadly weapon in De la Fuente's arsenal.

Heading into the last 16 of the Euros, many would have expected Kane, Kylian Mbappe and Cristiano Ronaldo to be fighting it out for the Golden Boot. But while those three men have only shared two goals between them, Mikautadze has stormed to the top of the charts while helping Georgia spring a huge surprise in their first-ever major tournament.

The 23-year-old was part of a Metz team that suffered relegation from Ligue 1 this past season, but he's looked every inch an top tier striker in Germany, scoring in all three of Georgia's group games. Willy Sagnol's unfancied outfit will be huge underdogs again when they face Spain in the first knockout round, but with Mikautadze leading the line alongside Napoli's Khvicha Kvaratskhelia they will carry a genuine threat on the break, and he might just have his eye on a high-profile summer transfer.

Athletic Club's historic Copa del Rey success in 2023-24 wouldn't have happened without Williams, who made eight goal contributions in six games and masterminded the downfall of both Barcelona and Atletico Madrid. And now the whole world is seeing what the 21-year-old can do in a Spain shirt.

Williams shone in La Roja's first two group games, especially against Italy as he ran Giovanni Di Lorenzo ragged down the left-wing, attempting a total of 12 take-ons and making the same number of runs in behind. Spain know they can rely on Williams to make things happen in the final third, and it's no surprise he's now being linked with a big-money move to Chelsea, because he looks like a player tailor-made for the intensity of the Premier League.