Euro 2024 statistics: Yamal, Pepe and Bajrami among record-breakers in Germany

Spain won a record fourth European Championship crown with Lamine Yamal lighting up the tournament either side of his 17th birthday.

Here, the PA news agency takes a statistical look at the last month’s action.

Tournament stats

There were 117 goals scored in the tournament, down from 142 at Euro 2020 but an increase on the only other 24-team tournament in 2016 when 108 goals went in.

The dramatic increase in own goals continued with 10, coming within one of the record 11 at Euro 2020. Twelve penalties were awarded and nine scored, not including shoot-outs.

Spain have now won the competition an unprecedented four times, following their triumphs in 1964, 2008 and 2012. They were previously tied with three-time winners Germany.

La Roja are also the first team to win seven successive matches at the finals, avoiding penalty shoot-outs, to be crowned champions – though it was only expanded to include a last-16 stage in 2016. Their 15 goals were also a record for a team in a single Euro.

Fast starts

Euro 2024 saw the competition’s first ever first-minute goals, with Nedim Bajrami giving Albania a shock lead after a record 23 seconds against holders Italy – who recovered to win 2-1 – before Merih Demiral scored the quickest ever knockout stage goal after 57 seconds of Turkey’s last-16 win over Austria.

Dmitri Kirichenko’s goal after a minute and seven seconds against eventual 2004 champions Greece had previously held the record and remains third, but there were another two new entries in the top six this summer.

Youri Tielemans put Belgium ahead after a minute and 13 seconds against Romania and Khvicha Kvaratskhelia struck after 1:34 as Georgia beat Portugal to qualify from Group F. Sweden’s Emil Forsberg splits the pair after his goal at 1:22 against Poland at Euro 2020.

Yamal rewrites records

Spain’s teenage winger Lamine Yamal was the undoubted breakout star of the Euros, winning the young player of the tournament award and setting several records along the way.

The Barcelona player started his side’s opening win against Croatia aged 16 years and 338 days, becoming the youngest player ever at the European Championship finals.

He was 16 and 362 days when he added the youngest goalscorer record, in the semi-final win over France, and became the youngest finalist and winner on Sunday aged 17 years and one day.

The respective records previously belonged to Poland’s Kacper Kozlowski, 17 and 246 days when he played against Spain at Euro 2020; Johan Vonlanthen, who scored for Switzerland against France in 2004 aged 18 and 141 days; and Renato Sanches, aged 18 years and 328 days when Portugal beat France in the 2016 final.

At the other end of the age scale, Portugal defender Pepe is now the Euros’ oldest ever player – 41 years and 130 days in the quarter-final loss to France – and Luka Modric the oldest goalscorer after his strike against Italy aged 38 years and 289 days.