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Comparing Bills players to UEFA Euro 2024 stars

As one of the world's great festivals of soccer enters the knockout stages, let's compare its stars to the Buffalo Bills.

McKenna Middlebrook

Nov 28, 2022; Lusail, Qatar; Portugal midfielder Bruno Fernandes (8) celebrates his penalty kick goal scored against Uruguay during the second half of the group stage match in the 2022 World Cup at Lusail Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Yukihito Taguchi-USA TODAY Sports
Nov 28, 2022; Lusail, Qatar; Portugal midfielder Bruno Fernandes (8) celebrates his penalty kick goal scored against Uruguay during the second half of the group stage match in the 2022 World Cup at Lusail Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Yukihito Taguchi-USA TODAY Sports / Yukihito Taguchi-USA TODAY Sports
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The UEFA European Championship—known colloquially as the ‘Euros’—is one of international soccer's biggest stages, a competition that brings European nations together and pits them against one another in a tournament where truly anything can happen. As the knockout stages start this weekend (Saturday, June 29th) let's compare some of the brightest stars of the people's game to the stars of the Buffalo Bills. 

The comparisons will be a mix of player legacy, playstyle, and the player's impact on their respective team.

Von Miller - Cristiano Ronaldo 

Cristiano Ronaldo
Nov 28, 2022; Lusail, Qatar; Portugal forward Cristiano Ronaldo (7) reacts during the second half of the group stage match in the 2022 World Cup at Lusail Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Yukihito Taguchi-USA TODAY Sports / Yukihito Taguchi-USA TODAY Sports

The elder statesmen, players who have won it all and seen the lot, players who, at one point in their careers, have been considered the absolute best at what they do. This could be the proverbial last dance for Cristiano Ronaldo on an international stage, and we are seeing the last of Von Miller having an impact on a Super Bowl contender. 

It’s hard to compare these two styles as Ronaldo has evolved his game from a frustrating flashy winger to the greatest goal scorer in the history of the sport. Miller, conversely, instantly hit the ground running in the NFL, notching double-digit sacks in seven of his first eight seasons. But what these two bring now to their sides is a level of experience and nuance in their craft that only a select few athletes ever achieve. 

Related: Bills HC Sean McDermott isn't counting Von Miller out: He 'has something to prove'

Josh Allen - Bruno Fernandes 

Bruno Fernandes
Nov 28, 2022; Lusail, Qatar; Portugal midfielder Bruno Fernandes (8) celebrates his penalty kick goal scored against Uruguay with forward Rafael Leao (15) during the second half of the group stage match in the 2022 World Cup at Lusail Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Yukihito Taguchi-USA TODAY Sports / Yukihito Taguchi-USA TODAY Sports

Staying on the theme of the Seleção das Quinas, Bruno Fernandes might not be the captain of the Portuguese National Team, but he is their best player and heartbeat. While he isn’t as accomplished as a few of his other teammates (the likes of Ronaldo and Bernardo Silva), the team would not function without him. He is a smart, ball-playing No. 10 midfielder who can hit almost any pass he wants, doing so with style and flair. An under-appreciated aspect of Fernandes’ game is his work rate; throughout matches, he will cover every single blade of grass, pick up the ball deep to play it forward, and will never stop trying to create chances for his team (for better or for worse). 

It’s obvious we really like Bruno Fernandes. Do 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 he can make any throw he wants with style and flair… wait, stop me if you’ve heard this before. Jokes aside, Allen and Fernandes have all the intangibles, work ethic, and an eerily similar injury history, where they have now forced themselves into the spotlight and thrived. If Portugal is going to advance deeper into the knockouts, they’ll need Fernandes to be an elite creator, and if the Bills are going to win the Super Bowl, they’ll need Allen to do the same. 

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

Khalil Shakir - Kobbie Mainoo 

Kobbie Mainoo
Jul 22, 2023; East Rutherford, New Jersey, USA; Manchester United midfielder Kobbie Mainoo (37) plays the ball during the first half in front of Arsenal forward Gabriel Martinelli (11) at MetLife Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Vincent Carchietta-USA TODAY Sports / Vincent Carchietta-USA TODAY Sports

Late in the season, when their team needed someone to step up, he produced, especially when those around them weren't performing at their best. This could be said about Bills wide receiver Khalil Shakir, whose ascension propelled him onto the national stage, or England midfielder Kobbie Mainoo.

These two aren't incredibly quick or have blazing speed, yet they’re always open in space when you need them the most and can make plays when they have the ball in their hands or at their feet. Shakir and Mainoo have also produced in clutch time, Shakir with touchdowns against the Dolphins in the final game of the regular season and in the Wild Card matchup against the Steelers and Mainoo with the game-winning goal for Manchester United in the FA Cup Final against their rival Manchester City. 

Shakir’s and Mainoo’s stats will never pop off the page, but they’ll always find ways to make plays for their teams and produce in the clutch.

Related: Bills' inexperienced WR group dubbed their biggest concern entering training camp

Keon Coleman - Lamine Yamal 

Keon Coleman
Nov 18, 2023; Tallahassee, Florida, USA; Florida State Seminoles wide receiver Keon Coleman (4) celebrates the win against the North Alabama Lions with fans at Doak S. Campbell Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Morgan Tencza-USA TODAY Sports / Morgan Tencza-USA TODAY Sports

This comparison is all about potential - we haven’t seen Bills rookie wide receiver Keon Coleman play a snap in the NFL yet, but there is plenty of reason to be excited. At Florida State, we saw Coleman’s ability to win jump balls and create chunk plays. He is a player who gets you off your seat. 

Yamal, the 16-year-old Spanish forward, is another player who gets you off your seat. Like Coleman, we haven’t seen the best of Yamal, not even in the slightest; the Barcelona star-boy created ten assists and scored five goals in 50 appearances last season.

James Cook - Jamal Musiala 

Jamal Musiala
Oct 17, 2023; Philadelphia, PA, USA; Germany midfielder Jamal Musiala (14) shoots the ball against Mexico during the second half at Lincoln Financial Field. Mandatory Credit: Andy Lewis-USA TODAY Sports / Andy Lewis-USA TODAY Sports

Bills running back James Cook and German midfielder Jamal Musiala arrived at their respective teams with lofty expectations. Cook’s production at Georgia and family pedigree made his debut incredibly weighted and, frankly, tough to surmount. Like Cook, Musiala came to Bayern Munich with expectations as a product of the Chelsea youth academy. 

Musiala is an all-action attacking midfielder whose technical ability is matched by incredible athleticism. And like Cook, Musiala struggled to consistently produce in his debut season with his first 'big club,' but he showed flashes of his immense potential. But it was last season where he made his mark; in 38 appearances for the German giants, he scored an impressive 12 goals and assisted eight goals, contributing to a total of 20 goals. 

The Euros is a festival of soccer, an appreciation of the beautiful game and all its wonder, passion, and heartbreak. As the knockouts begin on the 29th, we’ll only see more of the beautiful drama as it unfolds.

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McKenna Middlebrook

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