Comparing Buffalo Bills Players to UEFA Euro 2024 Stars

The UEFA European Championship, colloquially known as the “Euros”, is one of the biggest international stages in football, a competition that brings together European nations and pits them against each other in a tournament where anything really can happen . As the Round of 16 begins this weekend (Saturday, June 29), let’s compare some of popular football’s brightest stars to the stars of the Buffalo Bills.

The comparisons will be a mix of the player’s legacy, style of play, and the player’s impact on their respective team.

The veterans of the state, the players who have won and seen it all, the players who, at one point in their career, were considered the best in their field. This could be Cristiano Ronaldo’s last dance on the international stage, and we’re witnessing Von Miller’s final impact on a Super Bowl contender.

It’s hard to compare these two styles, as Ronaldo evolved his game from a frustrating, flashy winger to the greatest scorer in the history of the sport. Miller, on the other hand, immediately took off in the NFL, recording 10-plus sacks in seven of his first eight seasons. But what both bring to their teams today is a level of experience and nuance to their craft that only a select few can match.

Related: Bills coach Sean McDermott doesn’t underestimate Von Miller: ‘He’s got something to prove’

Continuing on the Seleção das Quinas theme, Bruno Fernandes may not be the captain of the Portuguese national team, but he is its best player and heartbeat. While he may not be as accomplished as some of his other teammates (like Ronaldo and Bernardo Silva), the team wouldn’t function without him. He’s an intelligent, ball-playing No. 10 midfielder who can complete almost any pass he wants, doing so with style and flair. An underrated aspect of Fernandes’ game is his work rate; throughout matches, he’ll cover every blade of grass, pick up the ball deep to move it forward, and never stop trying to create chances for his team (for better or worse).

It’s obvious that we really like Bruno Fernandes. You know who else we like? Josh Allen.

Allen, like Fernandes, is the best player on his team. He is the ultimate creator on the football field and can make any throw he wants with style and flair… wait, stop me if you’ve heard that before. All kidding aside, Allen and Fernandes have all the assets, the work ethic, and an eerily similar injury history, where they have now stepped into the spotlight and thrived. If Portugal are going to advance further in the playoffs, they’re going to need Fernandes to be an elite creator, and if the Bills are going to win the Super Bowl, they’re going to need Allen to do the same.

Related: Josh Allen stats that will irritate non-Bills fans

Late in the season, when his team needed someone to take over, he was productive, especially when those around him weren’t at their best. The same could be said of Bills wide receiver Khalil Shakir, whose rise has propelled him onto the national stage, or English midfielder Kobbie Mainoo.

These two aren’t incredibly fast or very quick, but they are always free in space when they are needed most and can make plays when they have the ball in their hands or at their feet. Shakir and Mainoo also produced in decisive moments, Shakir with touchdowns against the Dolphins in the final game of the regular season and in the Wild Card game against the Steelers and Mainoo with the game-winning field goal for Manchester United in the final of the FA Cup against their rival Manchester City.

Shakir and Mainoo’s stats will never be impressive, but they will always find a way to make plays for their teams and produce in decisive moments.

Related: Bills’ inexperienced WR group dubbed its biggest concern heading into training camp

This comparison is all about potential – we have yet to see Bills rookie wide receiver Keon Coleman play a game in the NFL, but there are plenty of reasons to be excited. At Florida State, we saw Coleman’s ability to win jump shots and create big chunk plays. He’s a player that gets you out of your seat.

Yamal, the 16-year-old Spanish striker, is another player who keeps you moving. Like Coleman, we haven’t seen the best of Yamal, not even a little bit; The Barcelona star made ten assists and scored five goals in 50 appearances last season.

Running back James Cook and German midfielder Jamal Musiala arrived at their respective teams with high expectations. Cook’s Georgia production and family pedigree made his debut incredibly fraught and, frankly, difficult to overcome. Like Cook, Musiala arrived at Bayern Munich with expectations as a product of Chelsea’s youth academy.

Musiala is a versatile attacking midfielder whose technical ability is matched by incredible athleticism. And like Cook, Musiala struggled to produce consistently in his first season with his first ‘big club’, but he showed flashes of his immense potential. But it was last season that he proved his worth; in 38 appearances for the German giants, he scored an impressive 12 goals and provided eight assists, contributing to a total of 20 goals.

The Euro is a football festival, an opportunity to showcase this beautiful game, its wonders, its passion and its heartbreaks. The round of 16 will begin on the 29th and we will only see more highlights from this magnificent spectacle.

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