Thursday is shaping up as the most mouthwatering day of the tournament so far — and it will tell us some more about the top team from the first edition of the FOX Sports Euro 2024 power rankings, with every team having now played once.

Thanks to the lively youthfulness of Lamine Yamal and a direct, forceful performance against Croatia, Spain is the first chart-topper, in a list we will update after each day\’s play.

Spain takes on defending champion Italy (3 p.m. ET on FOX) next in what is expected to be its most difficult challenge in Group B.

In both of the last two tournaments, 2008 and 2012 champion Spain could only finish second in its group and landed in a trickier part of the bracket as a result. It will be keen to avoid that fate this time.

\”We want to go a long way,\” full-back Dani Carvajal told reporters. The next step of that journey beckons.

POWER RANKINGS

1. Spain: Made an outstanding start.
2. Germany: Already riding wave of momentum.
3. France: Has the luxury of sitting hurt Mbappé.
4. England: Not entirely convincing, but, hey, Jude.
5. Portugal: Got the job done.
6. Netherlands: Looking confident and comfortable.
7. Italy: Started campaign decently.
8. Romania: Confident and aggressive.
9. Switzerland: Strong and positive start.
10. Turkey: Eyeing the knockout stage.
11. Slovakia: Full of toughness and fire.
12. Denmark: Needs to improve to thrive.
13. Slovenia: Full of toughness.
14. Austria: Gave France a scare.
15. Czechia: Too many mistakes cost them.
16. Poland: Facing tough road now.
17. Serbia: Needs to utilize attacking threats.
18. Croatia: Hugely disappointing in opener.
19. Belgium: Looked completely disjointed.
20. Albania: Spirited but limited defensively
21. Hungary: Overmatched so far.
22. Georgia: Battled hard but not enough.
23. Ukraine: Disappointing way to start.
24. Scotland: Woeful in opening defeat.

Martin Rogers is a columnist for FOX Sports. Follow him on Twitter @MRogersFOX and subscribe to the daily newsletter.

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