Who should be my EURO 2024 Fantasy Football captain for Matchday 1?
Monday, June 10, 2024
Article summary
İlkay Gündoğan, Federico Dimarco, Harry Kane, Kylian Mbappé and Bruno Fernandes are among the leading Fantasy captaincy contenders for the opening round of UEFA EURO 2024 matches.
Article top media content

Article body
With Matchday 1 spread out over five days, there will be plenty of opportunities for managers on EURO 2024 Fantasy Football, presented by Visit Qatar, to select a high-scoring captain.
Here are five options with armband potential in the opening round of UEFA EURO 2024 fixtures.
FRIDAY 14 JUNE
İlkay Gündoğan (€7.0m) vs Scotland
An argument can be made for a number of Germany players when the hosts open the tournament against Scotland, but Gündoğan's credentials are as good as any. Deployed in an attacking midfield position in the last four friendlies, the Barcelona midfielder should play a pivotal role in the three-time European champions' attack and could also be the designated penalty taker, further enhancing his Fantasy appeal.
SATURDAY 15 JUNE
Federico Dimarco (€5.0m) vs Albania
Attacking full-backs caught the eye at EURO 2020, and that could again be the case this time around. Dimarco is currently the most popular Italy player among Fantasy managers having struck six times in all competitions for Inter Milan in 2023/24, and has two international goals, both in the 2022/23 UEFA Nations League. Dimarco's attacking tendencies and the Azzurrri's clean sheets in four of their last five games makes him an excellent captaincy candidate against Albania.
SUNDAY 16 JUNE
Harry Kane (€11.0m) vs Serbia
Captaining strikers is a more comfortable decision for many Fantasy managers, and Sunday offers the opportunity for Kane to display his attacking prowess against Serbia. Scorer of eight goals in qualifying, the England striker is already proving to be hugely popular with his ownership pushing towards 50% at the time of writing. Having hit 44 goals for Bayern this season, Kane is set to be heavily backed on Matchday 1, especially if some early captains do not deliver.
MONDAY 17 JUNE
Kylian Mbappé (€11.0m) vs Austria
The only player with a higher ownership than Kane, Mbappé heads into Matchday 1 with the majority of Fantasy managers putting their faith in him. The France striker's scoring record for both club and country speaks for itself, Les Bleus' qualifying campaign including nine goals and six assists from Mbappé – the joint-most attacking returns of any player – and was top scorer at the 2022 FIFA World Cup. Mbappé scored against Matchday 1 opponents Austria in both Nations League meetings in 2022.
TUESDAY 18 JUNE
Bruno Fernandes (€9.0m) vs Czechia
For Fantasy managers still in need of a sizeable return from a captain by the final gameday, Fernandes could be the man. The midfielder was superb throughout Portugal's unbeaten qualifying campaign, contributing six goals and eight assists, and also struck twice in a recent warm-up friendly against Finland. Depending on who else is on the pitch at the time, Fernandes could also be given penalty duty, so he has the potential to record a significant haul against Czechia.