How the UEFA EURO 2024 Player of the Tournament will be decided

The UEFA EURO Player of the Tournament award has been given to the standout performer at every UEFA European Championship since 1996, and the list of previous winners includes some of the very best players to ever grace the game.

As we approach the final of UEFA EURO 2024, with Spain and England facing off at the Olympiastadion Berlin on Sunday night, the question is: who will join them?

Here, we explain how the winner is decided and look back on the illustrious history of the award.

How is the Player of the Tournament chosen?

The Player of the Tournament award is decided by a team of UEFA technical observers, who have been closely analysing every game at every EURO since 1996.

Technical observers for EURO 2024 include Fabio Capello, Rafael Benítez, Frank de Boer and Ole Gunnar Solskjær, and they have been compiling data-driven reports on each game which are then circulated among the football community to provide detailed explanations of current coaching trends and tactics.

Another aspect of their role is selecting the Player of the Match for each game, before coming together after the final to decide on four further awards – Team, Goal, Young Player and Player of the Tournament.

Technical observers are supported by an expert team of analysts based in Nyon, with access to video and data for every game. This allows for more detailed analysis and decisions to be made.

When choosing the Player and Young Player of the Tournament, technical observers take individual performances and the player's impact on his team into account, as well as if they played with a positive attitude and respect towards the opposition.

According to Olivier Doglia, UEFA's head of technical education and development, the current focus on the action in Germany will also provide significant lessons for player development.

"The work provided by UEFA's technical observer group also form part of a strategy of translating findings from the EURO into actionable insights at all levels – be it elite youth, coach education or grassroots," says Doglia. "By looking at trends from the EURO, these articles can serve as an engine for player development across the European landscape."

Former Manchester United, West Ham and Everton manager David Moyes is in Germany as part of UEFA's team of technical observers, and agrees that the programme has benefits for the wider football pyramid.

"The ideas you get from watching the amazing coaching at the top level can be exploited all the way down to junior teams," he says.

Who are the previous winners?

Matthias Sammer was the first EURO Player of the Tournament after his commanding presence at the back, along with two goals – including the winner in the quarter-final against Croatia – powered Germany to the EURO '96 title.

The outstanding player at EURO 2000 was Zinédine Zidane, who scored two important goals in the knockout stage – including a beautiful free-kick against Spain in the last eight – to help France win their second crown.

He was followed by Greece's captain and defensive midfielder Theodoros Zagorakis, whose influence on their shock EURO 2004 victory cannot be forgotten as they kept clean sheets throughout the knockout phase.

The winners in 2008 and 2012 were two Spanish midfield magicians. Xavi Hernández was imperious in 2008 and opened the scoring in the semi-final win against Russia before delivering the through ball from which Fernando Torres struck the deciding goal against Germany in the final.

Andrés Iniesta claimed the honour at EURO 2012, a tournament in which he also picked up three Player of the Match awards.

Antoine Griezmann's six goals earned him the award at EURO 2016, making him the only winner so far to have not also won the tournament, with France losing out to Portugal in the final.

The most recent winner is Gianluigi Donnarumma, who became the first goalkeeper to claim the award after his three clean sheets and crucial penalty shoot-out saves in the semi-finals and final helped Italy win EURO 2020.

Young Player of the Tournament

Also up for grabs is the Young Player of the Tournament award, which has been accorded to the best player aged 22 or under since EURO 2016.

Renato Sanches was the first winner of the award after Portugal triumphed in that tournament, before Pedri claimed the crown at EURO 2020 with his impressive performances for semi-finalists Spain.

To qualify this year, players must be born on or after 1 January 2002.

Team of the Tournament

The final decision to be made by the technical observers is Team of the Tournament.

This features a recognisable formation that reflects the prominent tactical trends throughout the tournament, with an outstanding player chosen for each position.

Again, a player's individual performances and impact on their team are considered by the technical observers when making their decision.

Be sure to check out EURO2024.com in the days following the final to find out who makes the XI this year!