History beckons

16-year-old soccer sensation and Spanish catalyst Lamine Yamal is on the verge of smashing the record for the youngest Player of the Tournament at the Euros.

Yamal already became the youngest goalscorer in the history of the competition with his thunderous strike in the semifinal against France at 16 years and 338 days old. He’s also been one of Spain’s most influential players throughout the tournament and is the odds-on favorite to win Player of the Tournament. 

The Barcelona wunderkind is one win away from cementing himself as an all-time legend at an age when most kids are only halfway done with high school, and according to the oddsmakers, it’s more likely than not.

Lamine Yamal for Euros Player of the Tournament

Yamal plays right-wing for a Spain team that has won all six of its matches at Euro 2024. He has recorded four goal contributions (three assists, one goal), which is tied for the second-most on Spain and only one off the team lead of five, set by Dani Olmo.

Spain entered the tournament third in odds to win the title of the best team on the continent. Their excellent play, combined with disappointing performances from pre-tournament favorite England, allowed them to move up the odds board and take the title of favorite after just a few matches.

La Roja will now face England on Sunday in the Final of Euro 2024. FanDuel sportsbook marked the former as a -136 favorite to win the match, while the latter is a +116 underdog.

Although the Euros were first held in 1960, the Player of the Tournament honor was not awarded for the first time until 1996. Since the award’s inception, six of the seven recipients played on teams that won the Final. The lone exception was Antoine Griezmann in 2016, whose France team was defeated by Portugal 1-0 in the final.

gives him a decent gap over Rodri (+400) and Olmo (+650)

Lamine Yamal, per FanDuel, is a +150 favorite to win the Player of the Tournament. That gives him a decent gap over Rodri (+400) and Olmo (+650), who are second and third in the list of odds.

Jude Bellingham (+850) is the top Englishman before a steep drop-off to Bukayo Saka (+1800) on the odds board.

Ahead of his years

Spain winning the Euro 2024 Final against England would go a long way to helping Yamal win the Player of the Tournament award. But even if they lose, his performances throughout the competition have been outstanding.

A 16-year-old winning the honor of best player at the Euros would be nothing short of unprecedented. The reigning award winner, Gianluigi Donnarumma, shattered the previous youngest recipient record of 25 (Griezmann) when he won the honor at just 21. Before 2016, no player younger than 28 had ever been handed the award.

ten years younger than the average age of all previous Player of the Tournament winners

To put this in perspective, Yamal was just finishing up sixth grade the last time the Euros were held. He’s only been alive for three tournaments and is more than ten years younger than the average age of all previous Player of the Tournament winners.

He was born in 2007, the year:

• The first iPhone was launched.
• The final Harry Potter book was published.
• Irreplaceable by Beyonce was number one on the charts.
• Ratatouille hit theaters.
• Usain Bolt hadn’t won an Olympic medal.

All eyes will be on Lamine Yamal on Sunday as he hurtles toward the Player of the Tournament and as Spain looks for its record-setting fourth win at the Euros. 

Betting splits from VSiN (Vegas Sports and Information Network) show that 75% of bets and 75% of the money is on Spain winning the Final. If the public is correct, the tournament will likely finish by establishing a near-unbreakable record for the youngest winner of the Player of the Tournament award.