Several Manchester United players are still in contention to emerge victorious at the 2024 European Championship in Germany this summer.
While some of them had mixed fortunes during the group stage, they will still be dreaming about getting their hands on the prestigious trophy on July 14.
Read on as we look at which United players have advanced to the knockout stage, starting with the club’s contingent of England stars.
Mainoo could be the difference maker for England
England were the 7/2 favourites in the Euro 2024 betting before the tournament started but failed to live up to that tag during the group stage.
The Three Lions defeated Serbia 1-0 in their first match before stuttering to draws against Denmark (1-1) and Slovenia (0-0) in their subsequent outings.
While those results were enough for England to claim top spot in Group C, their underwhelming performances have attracted widespread criticism from fans and pundits.
One of the biggest issues has been in midfield, with manager Gareth Southgate unable to find the right balance during the first couple of games.
His decision to play Liverpool full-back Trent Alexander-Arnold in the centre of the park was a smack in the face to the natural central midfielders in the squad.
Conor Gallagher got the nod for the third game against Slovenia, but was substituted at half-time as England struggled to control proceedings in the middle of the park.
Kobbie Mainoo was introduced and unsurprisingly had a positive impact on England’s performance by linking up well with the rest of his teammates.
The 19-year-old deserves to start the last-16 game against Slovakia and could be a difference-maker as the tournament progresses.
While Mainoo is on track to make his mark at Euro 2024, full-back Luke Shaw has yet to feature for England as he continues his recovery from a long-term injury.
Denmark & Portugal land in the tough half of the draw
Denmark drew all three games in Group C and can count themselves unfortunate not to have claimed top spot in a low-scoring section.
They should have beaten England, but their lack of cutting edge allowed Southgate’s side to claim an undeserved point.
Christian Eriksen was on target in their opening game against Slovenia and will be crucial to their hopes of beating Germany in the last-16.
Teammate Rasmus Hojlund has worked hard in attack, but he has been well shackled by opposing defences in his three appearances.
Denmark are priced at 11/2 to defeat the hosts in 90 minutes, and it would be a brave move to back them to achieve the feat.
Bruno Fernandes and Diogo Dalot have also reached the last-16 with Portugal, but their journey there has not been smooth.
Portugal fell behind against Czechia in their opening game before battling back to secure a 2-1win. They followed up with a 3-0 victory over Turkey.
Manager Roberto Fernandez rotated the squad for the final group game against Georgia, leaving out several top players including Fernandes. The decision backfired as Portugal slipped to a 2-0 defeat.
Despite the result, Diogo Dalot performed admirably for Portugal and has a chance of retaining his place in the last-16 tie against Slovenia.
Fernandes is nailed on to return to the starting XI as Portugal strive to make progress in the tougher half of the Euro 2024 draw.
Goalkeeper Altay Bayindir has also made it through to the last-16 with Turkey, although his solitary appearance at the tournament was the disappointing defeat against Portugal.
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