Goals are the be-all and end-all in football, but not every essential player delivers goals directly, which is why the question is “Who will be the best player of the EM 2021?” gets some attention.
For the best player of this EURO there are already numerous candidates in question and accordingly the EURO Bets & Odds also offer a lot.
Who are the hottest candidates, what chances do the German players have and which factors are relevant in the decision?
Betting & odds: who will be the best player of the Euro 2021?
Betting odds as of June 8th, 2021, 9.00 a.m. | This list is only an excerpt – the full list is available from the respective betting provider. 18+ | Terms and conditions apply.
The 7 favorites for the best EM 2021 player
Kylian Mbappe 
Many consider Kylian Mbappe to be the future Ballon d’Or winner, but his current performances can already be described as world class. Not surprisingly, the bookmakers are already treating him as a (co) favorite for the best player in the 2021 European Championship.
The calculation is simple: as a player in the “Equipe Tricolore”, the favorite of EURO Wetten, he is probably the best team. A perfect breeding ground for the 22-year-old to push his level of performance to the top.
At the 2018 World Cup, he already scored four goals and was voted young player of the tournament, so the Parisian is also performing at the highest level.
However, two circumstances speak against the child prodigy. On the one hand, France plays in Group F and there may be little to shine against Germany and Portugal.
On the other hand, Mbappe has enormous competition within the team, as the other favorites for the best EM 2021 player will show. But if Kylian Mbappe can shine despite these adversities, he has strong arguments for himself.
Kevin de Bruyne
Along with England, Belgium is one of the EM favorites this year. In conclusion, their possibly best player belongs to the possibly best players of the EM 2021.
The Manchester City playmaker has been among the best the sport has to offer for years. With nine goals and 16 assists in 33 games, he led his team to a superior league title and a CL final.
In the last three major events he scored three points each. Now, at the height of his work, De Bruyne wants even more. It will also be up to him to lead his nations to the hoped-for first title.
But his fitness is questionable. In the lost final, the 29-year-old had to leave the pitch early because of a broken eye socket and broken nose. Although he is there, the extent to which he can build on his maximum performance remains to be seen.
Harry Kane
While Harry Kane has six goals in as many games at the World Cup, he is at his only European Championship without a goal participation. But the figurehead of the “Three Lions” not only focuses on the top scorer, but also on the best player of the 2021 European Championship.
As a leader and possibly the best player in his nation, the chances are not bad. England has little competition in their group D and could start a run so early – with Kane goals included.
In addition, the 27-year-old has expanded his games again this season, not only scoring 23 goals in the Premier League, but also playing 14 more.
If coach Gareth Southgate can get the best out of his striker, there are some arguments in favor of a strong tournament for the striker. Especially since the players around him with Jadon Sancho, Phil Foden or Raheem Sterling are the perfect complement.
Cristiano Ronaldo
The question ‘Who will be the best player of the EM 2021?’ cannot be made without the best player in the history of the European Championships: Cristiano Ronaldo.
The now 36-year-old is both the best goalscorer (9) and the best assist giver (8) of the tournament. He will probably lead his nation to a major event for the last time and he feels like no other on the biggest stage.
On top of that, the “Selecao” is probably the strongest squad in the CR7 era. So it’s not unlikely that the reigning champion will bet on the best player.
Ronaldo is always good for scorer points and the system is tailored to the superstar under coach Fernando Santos. So if Portugal can draw attention to itself at this EURO, then Ronaldo will undoubtedly too.
As with all players from Group F, the question arises to what extent the EM 2021 round of 16 will be reached at all. The third can progress, too, but then big names wait for advice early on.
His eleven goals in qualifying prove that Cristiano Ronaldo and his team can work together. And when CR7 works, an award is usually not far away.
Antoine Griezmann
France simply has the best squad at this year’s European Championship and therefore there are undoubtedly several players for the best player at the EURO.
Antoine Griezmann is one of them. As inconsistent as it is for the 30-year-old at Barca, in the service of the French national team he usually knows how to convince.
Proof of this: Six goals and two assists at the 2016 European Championship. He was sure to have the title of top scorer. He could do something similar this time and then the leap to the player of the tournament would not be far.
As counter-arguments, as with Kylian Mbappe, of course the death group F and the great competition within the team can be mentioned.
Even with a possible European championship title, the offensive load could be spread over several shoulders and therefore the players of the EM 2021 do not come from French ranks.
Romelu Lukaku
Speaking of several contenders, even the red devils are waiting, as it should be for an Em title contender, with several.
While De Bruyne pulls the strings in midfield, Romelu Lukaku is the target of all attacks by the Belgians. The 28-year-old has just been named player of the season in Italy – now he would like to repeat this at the EURO.
And “Rome” is in the condition of his life: 30 goals and ten assists in 44 games speak a clear language. In his 91 international matches, he can also boast 59 goals.
At the EM 2016 he was only successful twice, this time that should change. In Group B, Lukaku and his Belgians meet Denmark, Russia and Finland. If they develop their potential, it could already rain goals there.
After all, Belgium has always been one of the most accurate teams at the last major events and if Lukaku lines up there, he could have a say in addition to the top scorer, also in the election of the best player in the 2021 European Championship.
The German contenders
A representative of the German national team also made it to the favorites of the European Championship betting for the best player.
In contrast to the other nations, the DFB team lacks this one star player. The burden is spread across several shoulders, but as one of the favorites of the EM betting odds, their players are still among the possible winners.
With Thomas Müller, Toni Kroos or Serge Gnabry there are a few possible. But Joshua Kimmich is in charge of the bookmakers.
The midfield player does not stand for numerous goal participations, but goes ahead on the pitch as a leader and directs the game of his nation. With his winning goal in the Super Cup, he also showed that he is good for important goals.
Especially with a player who does not attract attention with goals, it is important that the team as a whole is successful. If Germany makes it to the EM final or beyond, the question of the best player in the EM 2021 could be answered with a DFB player.
Best player in the European Championship since 1996
| European Championship | Best player |
|---|---|
| 1996 in England | Matthias Sammer (Germany) |
| 2000 in Belgium & the Netherlands | David Trezeguet (France) |
| 2004 in Portugal | Theodoros Zagorakis (Greece) |
| 2008 in Austria & Switzerland | Xavi Hernandez (Spanien) |
| 2012 in Poland & Ukraine | Andres Iniesta (Spain) |
| 2016 in France | Antoine Griezmann (France) |
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Prediction: who will be the best player of the EM 2021?
As the statistics of the best players so far show, it doesn’t always have to be a striker to win the award. Game-directing midfielders are particularly welcome.
While the favorites in European Championship bets are mostly tried and tested scorers, this circumstance still opens up a few underdogs.
For example N’Golo Kante, who was only named Player of the Game in the Champions League Final. But Luka Modric, Thiago or Frenkie de Jong are also hot contenders should the respective nation perform.
Nevertheless, goal scorers tend to deliver the decisive actions, which is why they are of course the favorites for the best EM 2021 players.
It also shows that the best player so far came exclusively from the ranks of the European champions. So these two decisions are likely to be closely related.
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