## 4 Discussion
Additionally, although the final interval (75-90 min) had the highest number of goals, the overall distribution did not deviate significantly in goals scored in the UEFA Euro 2024. This aligns with [PERSON] et al. [20], who found no significant differences in goal timing across intervals, but contrasts with [PERSON] et al. [14], who emphasized the importance of specific goal-scoring periods. Thirdly, regarding performance metrics, winning teams scored significantly more goals per game (M = 2.18) than drawing or losing teams, emphasizing the importance of goal efficiency. This finding is consistent with studies that underscore the significance of offensive efficiency [14; 15; 19]. Additionally, winning teams had higher averages in \"Goals Inside Area\" and \"Attempts on Target\", confirming the critical role of shot quality and quantity in match success [15; 21]. The importance of assists, with winners averaging 1.59 assists per game, highlights the value of team coordination and collaboration in creating scoring opportunities, supporting previous findings on the significance of team play [1; 16; 18; 21; 35; 36; 37; 38; 39; 40; 41; 42; 43; 44]. It is also important to be mentioned that previous analyses have demonstrated that key players also play a critical role in match-defining moments, particularly in high-stakes tournaments like the UEFA European Championship [21]. Regarding the total distance covered in km, winning teams tend to cover more total distance on average (M = 114.28 \(\pm\) 2.71 km), although this difference was not statistically significant. This suggests that while higher distance coverage may be a characteristic of winning teams, total distance covered was not decisive in determining match outcome in UEFA Euro 2024. Similar to previous research [45; 46; 47; 48; 49; 50], examining the differences in distance covered among different running speed zones, player positions, or formations could provide deeper insights into the physical and tactical demands contributing to match outcomes. Regarding ball possession and passing, winning teams demonstrated higher averages, with possession at 53.32% and passes completed at 453.05, suggesting that controlling the ball and effective distribution are essential for favorable outcomes. This aligns with studies emphasizing the importance of ball control and passing accuracy in achieving success [14; 16; 18; 51]. Interestingly, the analysis also revealed that winning teams made more backward passes and maintained a higher average possession, suggesting a strategic element in their playstyle. This fact maybe indicates a strategic approach to maintaining possession and resetting play, reflecting modern tactical trends observed in elite soccer [14; 16]. Over the last 20 years, soccer has seen a significant evolution in playing styles, characterized by a shift towards possession-based tactics, high pressing, and increased use of data analytics to optimize performance. This trend is well documented in studies analyzing tournaments from UEFA Euro 1996 to UEFA Euro 2020, where the importance of ball possession, passing accuracy, and offensive transitions has grown steadily [14; 15; 16; 17; 18; 19; 20; 21; 22; 23]. Defensively, winning teams recovered significantly more balls (M = 38.91) compared to losing teams, illustrating the importance of regaining possession and disrupting opponents' plays. This finding is consistent with research highlighting the significance of defensive actions in soccer success [14; 19]. Goalkeeping metrics also showed that winning teams conceded fewer goals (M = 0.50) and had more clean sheets (M = 0.55), underscoring the importance of strong defensive and goalkeeping performance, which aligns with existing literature [14; 18]. Although other goalkeeping metrics like saves and claims did not show significant differences, the overall trend suggests that preventing goals is vital for winning matches.