The post-80s generation is the one who attracts the most people! This kind of European Cup is very "normal", and the post-00s generation is the one who scores the most goals

Last night and this morning, three more games were played in the European Cup. Among them, the host Germany team defeated Hungary 2-0 and became the first team to secure a place in this tournament; Croatia and Albania tied 2-2, which also means that in the last round of the group stage they have to defeat stronger and higher-ranked opponents - Italy and Spain, in order to retain the hope of qualifying from the group; in addition, Scotland and Switzerland shook hands and made peace with a 1-1 draw.

At this point in the tournament, the most discussed topics among fans of this European Cup almost all revolve around two words - "new" and "old".

Photo, Stuttgart, 20 June 2024

On June 19, German player Musiala dribbled the ball during the game.

On the same day, in the second round of Group A of the 2024 European Football Championship held in Stuttgart, Germany, the German team defeated the Hungarian team 2-0.

New, naturally, refers to the increasingly prominent power of the younger generation, and the dominance of the competition is quietly changing hands.

The first to be hit is the German team. The two 21-year-old young players Musiala and Wirtz have combined to score 3 goals for the team. The rise of the two Bundesliga new stars has even changed the tactical style of the German team, and ultimately helped the team achieve two consecutive victories and qualify early.

Later, Spain's 16-year-old Yamal made new history, becoming the youngest player in the history of the European Cup. Although Yamal did not score in his debut, his active performance created space for the team. At the end of the first half, Spain was already 3 goals ahead of Croatia, laying the foundation for victory.

Photo, Berlin, June 15, 2024, Spanish player Yamal dribbles during the game.

On the same day, in the first round of Group B of the 2024 European Football Championship held in Berlin, Germany, Spain defeated Croatia 3-0.

England coach Southgate got "redemption" from the 21-year-old Bellingham in the match against Serbia. If it weren't for Bellingham's header, England might have become the first traditional powerhouse to lose points due to a coach's command error.

Photo, Gelsenkirchen, June 16, 2024, England player Bellingham celebrates a goal during the game.

England beat Serbia 1-0 in the first round of Group C of the 2024 European Football Championship held in Gelsenkirchen, Germany on the same day.

Portugal also got off to a good start thanks to the amazing performance of a young player. They defeated the Czech team 2-1 in the first match. The 21-year-old Conceicao scored after coming on as a substitute in the 90th minute. Before scoring, he only touched the ball twice, but 111 seconds later, he scored a golden goal.

The Turkish team also showed unparalleled youthful vitality. There were three players born after 2005 in the squad. The 19-year-old Güler and Yildiz became the highlights of the team's offense. Turkey easily defeated Georgia with the wonderful performance of these young people.

The emergence of many amazing young players in this European Championship is a blessing for the football world. However, compared with the performance of these supernovas, the performance of many veterans in this European Championship makes people sigh that "time is not forgiving".

The 39-year-old Portuguese veteran Cristiano Ronaldo, the only player to have appeared in the European Cup six times, tried hard to create space in the match against the Czech team and received great support from his teammates, but he was still unable to do his best in the final shot. Ronaldo took five shots in the game and hit the goal frame three times, but an excellent one-on-one opportunity was saved by the opponent's goalkeeper.

Photo, Leipzig, June 18, 2024, Portugal player Cristiano Ronaldo during the game.

Portugal defeated the Czech Republic 2-1 in the first round of Group F of the 2024 European Football Championship held in Leipzig, Germany on the same day.

As Ronaldo's former teammate in Real Madrid, Croatian veteran Modric is even more regrettable. When Croatia was tied by Albania, the weakest team in the group last night, the 38-year-old Modric sat alone on the court and was unwilling to leave, his eyes full of regret and frustration. Even though he is already a veteran at the end of his career, he still tried to run around the court like a young man, but no matter how hard he worked, he couldn't resist the invasion of time. In this game, Modric lost the ball 20 times, which was also the highest number in the game. These two "old" superstars are also the epitome of many veterans in the European Cup.

Photo, Hamburg, June 19, 2024, Croatian player Modric after the game.

On the same day, in the second round of Group B of the 2024 European Football Championship held in Hamburg, Germany, Croatia drew 2-2 with Albania.

Of course, even if they are not as good as they used to be, the experience and ability of the veterans cannot be ignored. Although Modric lost the ball 20 times in the match against Albania, his total of 122 passes and 108 accurate passes were also the highest in the game, and 2 of them were recorded as key passes; and although Ronaldo did not score in the first group match, he also used his experience and containment to create space for the rising star Conceicao and finally made a lore to help the team win. When the veterans reach the knockout stage, their experience often plays a more decisive role.

In addition, although fans are happy to see the post-00s taking the lead in the game, the brightest spot in their hearts is naturally the "old friends" who have brought them countless good memories. A fellow journalist lamented that the stories of veterans are still a reliable "traffic code" on social media. "Whether it is Kroos who has decided to retire from this tournament, or Ronaldo who is participating in the European Cup for the sixth time, or Modric who showed fatigue in the first game, this group of 'post-80s' still has a wide audience, and the games they participate in are also much more popular than other players."

The post-00s are responsible for scoring goals, while the post-80s are responsible for attracting traffic. This tone may continue in this European Cup. However, as the saying goes, the back waves push the front waves, and the front waves are unforgettable. This is also the unchanging rule of football.