UEFA Euro

Euro 2024: Jude Bellingham headlines best XI from Matchday 1

Published Jun. 18, 2024 6:35 p.m. ET

Euro 2024 has been highly entertaining thus far.

On the latest edition of "FOX Soccer NOW," Jimmy Conrad, Melissa Ortiz and Chris "The Bear" Fallica gave their best 11 players from Matchday 1.

Goalkeeper: Martin Dubravka (Slovakia)

Jimmy Conrad on Dubravka: "He was excellent for Slovakia in their big 1-0 win against Belgium, made some big saves."

Defenders: Dani Carvajal (Spain), Alessandro Bastoni (Italy), Radu Dragusin (Romania), Erik Janza (Slovenia)

Jimmy Conrad on defenders: "[Carvajal] just decided to score his first ever goal for Spain against Croatia, no big deal. Bastoni, not only is he a stud center back, he scored the goal that got Italy back level against Albania and doing it on both sides of the ball. And then Dragusin, who plays for Tottenham these days in the Premier League, excellent for Romania and getting the clean sheet against Ukraine. And then Erik Janza, who I thought was very good at getting up and down the sideline for Slovenia against Denmark.

Midfielders: Jude Bellingham (England), N'Golo Kante (France), Toni Kroos (Germany)

Melissa Ortiz on midfielders: "Jude, coming up clutch to solidify this win against Serbia. He's literally everywhere. He's the youngest European player ever to appear in three major tournaments, but the way that he's just able to drop his shoulder at certain moments and just pop up out of nowhere, and defenders sometimes don't even know where he is and so hard to defend him [is impressive] … N'Golo Kante was absolutely everywhere in that game against Austria and, deservedly so, he won the Player of the Match in that game. He's just so crisp and sharp with his passing. As soon as he works his tail off to regain possession, it's what he does next that really makes him the player that he is and the way that he just sprays balls left and right …

"[Kroos] was, by far, one of the best players on that pitch in their first game in that 5-1 win against Scotland. He completed 101 passes out of 102 passing attempts, which, statistically, is crazy, and not only were they just passes, there were some that were completely change of direction, across the pitch, sideway pass."

Forwards: Cody Gakpo (Netherlands), Alvaro Morata (Spain), Kai Havertz (Germany)

The Bear on forwards: "Gakpo was fantastic up top, getting the goal, having a ton of other opportunities. We brought up Morata and his goal, finally finishing in elite form … I think one of the German attackers had to be up there. That was my big question about Germany coming into this tournament: did they have that ruthless attacker like they have in the past, that goalscorer who's just going to go out and be a menace? And I thought Havertz was that in the opening match against Scotland."