Summer of Stars: Top 100 players of Copa America and Euro 2024

The Summer of Soccer on FOX kicks off on June 14 with the European Championship in Germany, followed by the United States-hosted Copa América on June 20. The tournaments, which will both conclude on July 14, will feature some of the biggest soccer stars in Europe, South America and North America.

From now until the ball gets rolling in Munich, FOX Sports’ soccer writers Doug McIntyre and Martin Rogers will be counting down the top-100 players of the Summer of Stars, with 50 players from the European Championship and 50 players from the Copa América.

Here’s who made the cut:

Country: Argentina
Club: Aston Villa (England)
Position: Goalkeeper
Age: 31

His penalty shootout save on France’s Kingsley Coman helped Argentina win the 2022 World Cup, but that epic match might not have gotten to the tiebreaker at all had Martinez not made an even more spectacular stop against Randal Kolo Muani in the final seconds of extra time to keep the scoreline level. Martinez was a brick wall throughout the Albiceleste’s stay in Qatar, winning the Golden Glove award at the conclusion of the tournament. He parlayed that career-defining performance into multiple individual accolades afterward: The Best FIFA Men’s Goalkeeper for 2022 and the Yashin Trophy awarded by France Football magazine in 2023. Not bad for a guy who could barely get a sniff in the Premier League until 2020, when he was already in his late 20s.

Country: Uruguay
Club: Tottenham Hotspur (England)
Position: Midfielder
Age: 26

Only just entering his prime, Bentancur has already represented La Celeste at two Copa Américas and two FIFA World Cups. The imposing central midfielder also boasts an impressive resume at the club level, having made more than 100 appearances for Italian titan Juventus and winning three Serie A titles before joining Spurs for at the beginning of 2022. Serious knee and ankle injuries have limited him the past two seasons. But at his best, Bentancur has shown that he  is among the top players at his position in the Premier League.

Country: Brazil
Club: Aston Villa (England)
Position: Midfielder
Age: 25

Want to know why Aston Villa is on pace to qualify for the Champions League this season? One big reason is Douglas Luiz. Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola was well aware of the potential and quality of the Rio de Janeiro native, which is why he brought the then teenager  England from Vasco da Gama back in 2017. Work permit issues prevented Luiz from ever playing a Premier League game for the Sky Blues; he was twice loaned out to Spanish side Girona, where he made 38 appearances over two seasons. He signed for Villa two years later. On the cusp of Brazil’s senior squad at that point, he was finally granted permission to play in the Prem and is now a regular for the nine-time Copa América champs.

Country: United States
Club: AC Milan (Italy)
Position: Winger
Age: 25

The face of the USMNT since he was a teenager and now just entering his prime, Pulisic has been at the height of his powers at the club level throughout his first season in Italy following a roller-coaster four-year run with English club Chelsea that included a Champions League winner’s medal but not enough playing time, either because of injury or coaches’ decisions. But in Milan, “Captain America” has found both sustained health and a huge fan in manager Stefano Pioli, who starts him in just about every game. Pulisic has rewarded that faith, scoring a career-best 12 goals across all competitions (his previous high was 11 with Chelsea in 2019-20) with more than two months of the Serie A season still to go.

Country: Argentina
Club: Benfica (Portugal)
Position: Center back
Age: 36

After playing every minute for Argentina as the Albiceleste won the 2022 World Cup, many expected the veteran center back to drop the mic and ride off into the international sunset. Not only did Otamendi decide instead to stick around, he continues to anchor his country’s backline with distinction even as his 37th birthday approaches. The former Manchester City, Valencia and Porto defender can also contribute on the other end of the field; last November, he scored the only goal as Argentina handed chief rival Brazil it’s first-ever World Cup qualifying loss on home soil. 

Country: Uruguay
Club: Paris Saint-Germain (France)
Position: Midfielder
Age: 23

He’ll barely be 23 when the Copa America kicks off, but already Ugarte has gained a reputation as one of the world’s emerging defensive midfielders. PSG certainly noticed the six-foot destroyer’s take-no-prisoners approach during the 2023-23 UEFA Champions League, in which the Montevideo native led all players in combined tackles and interceptions in the group stage. The French champions paid Sporting Lisbon more than $65 million to acquire Ugarte last summer.   

Country: Paraguay
Club: Newcastle United (England)
Position: Winger
Age: 30

The Paraguayan livewire parlayed a stellar two-year run in Major League Soccer that concluded with a championship followed by an MLS record transfer to Newcastle United of England’s Premier League in 2018. Almoron has since made almost 200 appearances for the Magpies, scoring a career-best 11 Prem goals last season to help the club qualify for the Champions League for the first time in two decades.

Country: United States
Club: Juventus (Italy)
Position: Midfielder
Age: 25

One year on from a disappointing half-season loan to then Premier League club Leeds United, McKennie has established himself as one of the best central midfielders in Italy. The all-action Texan has been dominant on both sides of the ball for Juve during the 2023-24 campaign; he’s currently tied for second in assists in Serie A. McKennie has also shown the ability to dominate international games, having been an automatic starter for his country since he scored on his USMNT debut in 2027.

Country: Mexico
Club: Feyenoord (Netherlands)
Position: Striker
Age: 22

In the year and change since he was cut from Mexico’s 2022 World Cup team, the Argentina-born youngster has developed into one of El Tri’s top performers. Gimenez shook off the disappointment of his omission by helping Feyenoord win the Dutch title for just the second time this century, scoring 15 times along the way. He had 31 goals in all in the Eredivisie in 2023, breaking the calendar-year record set in 2009 by Uruguayan great Luis Suarez. Gimenez also had the trophy clinching strike for Mexico at last year’s Concacaf Gold Cup. 

Country: United States
Club: Fulham (England)
Position: Fullback
Age: 26

Known as “Jedi” to fans and teammates, the noted Star Wars fan has emerged as one of the top left backs in the Premier League this season, his fourth with the Cottagers. He’s been durable, too: Robinson has started all but one Prem game in 2023-24. No wonder top clubs have taken notice of the speedy English-born defender, whose stock would only rise with a strong showing at the Copa America. This will be Robinson’s second major tournament for the U.S., for which he played all four games at the 2022 World Cup.

Country: Ecuador
Club: Brighton & Hove Albion (England)
Position: Fullback/Wingback
Age: 26

This Copa America will mark Estupiñán’s third for his country. At Brazil 2019, the fleet-footed left back/wing back was named to the post-tournament Best XI. He also played every minute of Ecuador’s three games at the 2022 World Cup. At rhe club level, Estupiñán has been a mainstay for Premier League Brighton over the last two years, helping the Seagulls to a surprising sixth place finish in his debut campaign — good enough for a spot in this season’s Europa League. Estupiñán spent seven years in Spain before moving to England.

Country: Mexico
Club: PSV Eindhoven (Netherlands)
Position: Winger
Age: 28

Perhaps the best Mexican attacker of his generation, there’s no disputing that “Chucky” Lozano is the most expensive El Tri player ever, as Napoli dropped a cool $45 million on him in 2019. It was money well spent. Before returning to former club PSV last summer, the 2018 and 2022 World Cup vet helped Napoli win its first Scudetto as Italian Serie A champs since way back in 1990, when Diego Maradona prowled the stadium that now bears his name. Lozano has five goals for undefeated PSV so far this season, including a hat-trick against rival Ajax in October.

Country: Mexico
Club: West Ham (England)
Position: Defensive midfielder
Age: 26

Álvarez has methodically climbed the ranks on his way to Planet Futbol’s most competitive domestic league. He began his pro career with Mexico City-based titan Club América, then spent four successful seasons in the Netherlands with Dutch powerhouse Ajax, where he became the first El Tri player to score in his maiden Champions League match. West Ham came calling for the defensive midfielder last summer with a $45 million transfer. Álvarez, a two-time World Cup participant, scored his first Premier League goal for the Hammers earlier this month.

Country: United States
Club: Juventus (Italy)
Position: Winger/Wing back
Age: 24

The Brooklyn-born son of former Ballon d’Or winner George Weah is making his own name in Italy, where he’s in his first season with Juve — a fierce rival of his father’s AC Milan. Weah, who started every game for the U.S. at the 2022 World Cup and scored the Americans’ tournament opening goal, has shown off his versatility in Serie A: a forward for his country, he’s lined up as a fullback in many of his 22 games. Weah, a New York Red Bulls academy product, previously won Ligue 1 with Lille and Paris Saint-Germain and a Scottish title with Celtic.

Country: United States
Club: PSV Eindhoven (Netherlands)
Position: Fullback
Age: 23

Already a grizzled veteran at the sport’s highest level, Dest had played in a World Cup and for four former European champs (Ajax, Barcelona, AC Milan and PSV) by the age of 22. After falling out of favor with Barça and struggling through a tough loan spell with Milan, the silky smooth fullback has been a mainstay in PSV’s lineup, leading the Dutch power to an undefeated Eredivisie season so far plus a spot in the knockout stage of the Champions League.

Country: Ecuador
Club: Bayer 04 Leverkusen (Germany)
Position: Center back
Age: 22

One reason Bayer Leverkusen is running away with the German Bundesliga title race is its stingy backline, which has conceded just 16 goals in 24 matches to date. Hincapié has been a huge part of that. After beginning the season on the substitutes’ bench, the big center back has started eight of Leverkusen’s last nine matches, seven of them wins. Hincapie made his international debut at the 2021 Copa América but is now a grizzled veteran despite his still-tender age: he played every minute of Ecuador’s three games at the 2022 World Cup.

Country: Mexico
Club: U.S. Salernitana 1919 (Italy)
Position: Goalkeeper
Age: 38

The most-capped goalkeeper in El Tri history, Ochoa will turn 39 before the 2024 Copa América is over. He’s still Mexico’s undisputed starter, though; last year, “Memo” took home Golden Glove honors after snaring his fifth career Concacaf Gold Cup title. Now playing in Italy’s Serie A after stops in the top leagues in Belgium, France and Spain, this summer could mark the former Club América star’s international swan song.

This story will be updated through the end of the countdown on June 14.

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