From the editor
At the end of a major tournament, it’s always tempting to wonder what might have been, how history might have been written. But for a few twists of fate – a goal-line clearance, a dodgy penalty call, a lucky deflection, a shot inches in another direction – maybe this month’s front cover would have Harry Kane on it, or Kylian Mbappe, or Virgil van Dijk or Toni Kroos, rather than Lamine Yamal. Maybe we’d be reflecting on England’s depth and resourcefulness, France’s dogged knowhow, the Netherlands’ next generation or Germany’s re-emergence as a serious force at the top table. Littered around the digital trash bins of Europe’s finest football writers are all these articles and others, superseded by the stories of Yamal, Nico Williams, Rodri and Spain. And rightfully so – they were the outstanding team of Euro 2024.
Whether the same could be said of Argentina in this year’s Copa America is less clear, though it cannot be denied that head coach Lionel Scaloni has created a hugely impressive winning machine. By triumphing in this year’s tournament in the United States, they were not only crowned kings of North and South American football, but also won their third consecutive major tournament matching the great Spanish side of 2008-12.
Still, the spotlight at this latest Copa was shining off the pitch just as much as it was on it, with the US preparing to co-host the World Cup in two years’ time. If this was the dress rehearsal for 2026, then there is plenty of work left to do before the main event kicks off as our US correspondent, James Nalton, discovered.
In amongst our coverage of those competitions, plus a few others that took place over the summer, we’ve found room for the biggest moves of the transfer window so far. The signing that we’re most excited to announce, however, is that of Henry Winter, who writes his first monthly column for World Soccer in this issue. Henry is one of the absolute heavyweights of football writing, and we’re delighted to have him on board.
Jamie Evans, Managing Editor
Contents
THE WORLD THIS MONTH
10 From the Editor
11 The month in numbers
12 Henry Winter The voice of football
15 Jim Holden From Elland Road to Stateside
16 Keir Radnedge Euro 2024: Hosts deliver
18 Jonathan Wilson The cult of the individuals
19 Obituaries
20 People on the move Biggest summer transfers
EURO 2024: REVIEW
14 Goals we’d like to see again
22 Tournament overview
26 A to Z
28 Players of the Tournament
30 Team-by-team analysis
90 Squads
EURO 2024: THE COMPLETE RECORD
36 Final
37 Semi-finals
38 Quarter-finals
40 Round of 16
44 Group A
46 Group B
48 Group C
50 Group D
52 Group E
54 Group F
COPA AMERICA 2024: REVIEW
58 Tournament overview
59 Goals we’d like to see again
61 Players of the Tournament
62 Team-by-team analysis
64 EyeWitness on the hosts
94 Squads
OTHER FEATURES
68 EyeWitness Antigua & Barbuda
72 Special Report Al football scouting
99 My Biggest Game Darijo Srna
WORLD SERVICE
78 Vanuatu & Fiji OFC Nations Cup review
80 Colombia Apertura review
82 South Asia SAFF Club Championship
84 USA & Canada Leagues Cup preview
86 Nepal Operation rebuild
