Les Bleus superstar Kylian Mbappe will be determined to spearhead France's pursuit of silverware at Euro 2024, though the rapid Real Madrid attacker is just one of several jet-heeled performers hoping to blaze a trail across German pitches this summer.
The 2024 European Championships kick off in Germany just days after the European Athletics Championships concludes further south in Italy, and plenty of football's sharpest speedsters would have looked at home on the track in that competition in Rome.
Indeed, the beautiful game has never been played faster and acceleration is a highly-prized commodity at both club and international level.
How fast is Kylian Mbappe?
Global megastar Kylian Mbappe is an attacking tour-de-force, and the 25-year-old's searing pace is considered one of the most potent weapons in his armoury.
It was Mbappe's ability to leave defenders in his wake that first caught the eye, when he first exploded onto the scene as a match-winning teenager for Monaco in 2015. And once his overall technique was honed, his exceptional running power made him close to unstoppable.
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During the last club season (2023-24) – which was Mbappe's final flourish with PSG before his switch to Real Madrid – the forward clocked a top speed of 36.1km per hour in the Champions League and covered an average distance of 8.34km per match during the Parisians' run to the semi-finals.
Only two players, Borussia Dortmund's Karim Adeyemi (37.6 kph) and PSG's Nuno Mendes (37.2 kph) outstripped Mbappe for speed in the UCL, though the World Cup winner hasn't pushed the needle on his speedometer to the brink for France in recent tournaments.
Indeed, he ranked well outside the top 20 fastest players at the 2018 World Cup and was clocked as the 29th fastest runner at Euro 2020 with a top speed of 32.2 kph.
At the 2022 World Cup, Mbappe's top burst was recorded against Poland when he careered along at 35.3 kph during one of his explosive darts – though that was a speed topped by eight other players in Qatar.
In fact, from a statistical standpoint and based on figures from the recent 2023-24 club campaign, Mbappe doesn't hold a place among the top 20 fastest sprinters across the continent at present, though his positional switch from the flank into the middle for PSG might have curtailed his ability to build up a head of steam with his runs from deep.
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The numbers say Mbappe won't rank among the fastest players at Euro 2024 this summer, but which players will? Let's take a closer look below.
Top five Euro 2024 fastest players
5. Rafael Leao (AC Milan & Portugal)
Top Speed (km/h): 36.5
Portuguese wing wizard Rafael Leao posted a top speed of 36.5 km/h while dazzling down the left flank for AC Milan last season and if he can use his sizzling speed to good effect this summer, the 25-year-old – who has scored four times in 26 appearances for his country – could do some real damage at the Euros.
Leao's dynamism and surging bursts from out to in had knees knocking in Serie A defences in 2023-24 and the former Sporting CP academy graduate scored nine goals and claimed nine assists during another impactful year in Italy. Leao scored twice for Portugal at the 2022 World Cup in Qatar and he will be keen to emulate that output at another major tournament this summer.
4. Ousmane Dembele (PSG & France)
Top Speed (km/h): 36.6
The mercurial Ousmane Dembele is a mixed bag of unpredictability on the right flank for Barcelona and France, but while his end product for club and country is routinely hit and miss, the 27-year-old remains a reliably rapid runner.
Dembele's top speed of 36.6 km/h last season was topped by only three of his counterparts and the 44-times capped French regular will be itching to stretch his legs in Germany this summer. Dembele has scored only once at international level since the end of 2021, though his pace could thrust him into positions to enhance that modest record at Euro 2024.
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3. Anthony Gordon (Newcastle & England)
Top Speed (km/h): 36.61
Newcastle United inside-forward Anthony Gordon was one of the Magpies' brightest stars during the club's recent topsy-turvy Premier League season, chipping in with a superb 21 goal contributions (11 goals, 10 assists) in 35 top-tier appearances for Eddie Howe's side.
Alongside either scoring or creating a goal every 138 minutes in England's top flight, Gordon also recorded the second-highest top speed in the Premier League and the 23-year-old's blistering speed could earn the winger a prominent role in Gareth Southgate's England XI this summer.
2. Mykhaylo Mudryk (Chelsea & Ukraine)
Top Speed (km/h): 36.63
Something of a surprise entry, Chelsea winger Mykhaylo Mudryk showcased his horsepower for the Blues last season when he lodged a top speed of 36.63km/h in the Premier League.
The 23-year-old, who is the most expensive Ukrainian footballer of all time, is taking his time to settle in England, though he showed flashes of real potential in 2023-24 under the instruction of the now-departed Mauricio Pochettino.
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Former Shakhtar Donetsk starlet Mudryk has collected 20 caps for Ukraine since making his senior international bow in 2022, and the pacey wideman could be a
talismanic presence for Serhiy Rebrov's outfit at Euro 2024 this summer.
1. Antonio Rudiger (Real Madrid & Germany)
Top Speed (km/h): 36.7
German centre-half Antonio Rudiger enjoyed a stellar campaign for La Liga and Champions League double winners Real Madrid during the 2023-24 campaign and the dominant 31-year-old combined his tactical nous with rapid running power to good effect over the course of the season.
Rudiger clocked the quickest speed across Europe last term, and his ability to eat up ground was particularly evident when he kept Manchester City's Erling Haaland under wraps in both legs of Real's semi-final double-header against the Citizens in the Champions League.
Simon Winter
