The Worst Players at the Euro 2024 - Tournament's Most Disappointing Outings

The big international tournaments are always exciting because there is an opportunity for players to rise to the occasion, to level up. Something only a few did at the Euro 2024. On the other side of the medal are those footballers who fell short of the expectations in Germany. The worst players at the Euro 2024!

Obviously, these are not the players with the least amount of quality, but those who failed to meet the high expectations laid onto them. Your superstars who seemed mortal across the Bundesliga stadions.

The blame will lay with them individually, although the managers are usually to fault when players of this calibre suffer to the point of looking washed. Additionally, their outings raise further the question of whether the entire year's playing schedule should be altered to lower the strain on the footballers. However, that didn’t seem to influence the best players at the Copa America 2024.

Kylian Mbappe (France)

The heavy lays the crown - this eternal teaching became painfully clear to Kylian Mbappe as the striker was singled out (rightfully) for France's forgettable outing. The excuse of playing with a mask after a broken nose hasn't really stuck. The two assists and one goal aren't helping either. In the summer of his long-awaited move to Real Madrid, Mbappe could've made an even bigger splash. Yet he ended up looking like one of the squad players. Nothing more special than any of the other French attacking players, which isn’t saying much.

Scoring just once in 24 attempts and with 245 times in possession shows that Mbappe took the ball for himself but didn't deliver the goods. Aged 25 and with the captain’s armband on him, Kylian had the expectation and obligation of even making the tournament his. If not for the mask (and the missed ninja turtle gag opportunity there) few would’ve remembered he was a part of it.

Antoine Griezmann (France)

The man who has been the spine, the motor, and the vision board of the French national team has finally faltered. Antoine Griezmann, one of the most versatile players in the world, looked lost and purposeless.

Griezmann wasn't running at his usual rate either, covering 6.4 kilometres per match on average. His passing accuracy was closer to 80% than to 90%, only one clear chance was made for a team that was one of the key favourites coming into the Euro. Aged 33, and with bags of skills in his arsenal, Griezmann will still have to show that the anemic performances in Germany were a fluke. As in 393 minutes, he made no assists and barely once came close to scoring a goal.

Cristiano Ronaldo (Portugal)

It seems that it has come that time when Cristiano Ronaldo starts making top 10 lists for bad stats, not just for the stellar ones. Like the best penalty takers. Yes, CR7 did record that one assist for Bruno Fernandes when no one - including probably Bruno - expected it. Aside a few good instances of playmaking - Cristiano was wasteful. Even when he had the opportunity to do his speciality - like soaring headers.

With second-most minutes on the pitch besides Diogo Costa - it seems that Ronaldo was a must. Not just on the player sheet but in actions. Often Portuguese players could've gone a different route but the clock was ticking - they hadn't made an attempt for Ronny and then forced it. With all that in mind, the number of 149 times he was in possession suggests that he spent more time finding openings than actually getting the ball.

Cristiano had one clear-cut chance that he had to bury, but instead ended up with 23 total attempts without scoring. He missed a penalty in the extra time of the Slovenia game but even after rectifying his mistake in the shootout, a bitter taste remained for the clash against France. Withdrawing steam coming into that derby.

Phil Foden (England)

Coming from his absolute best season, where he was the best player of the Premier League. Justifying the laudits Pep Guardiola placed upon him early in his career. Phil Foden had the chance to prove he is on that world-class - legendary level and he utterly failed. In seven games played, he scored no goals and made no assists. In 622 minutes on the pitch, with 431 times in possession of the ball, City's star woke up the naysayers and once again there is tension in predicting his club season.

His passing was secure with high accuracy rates, but toothless. Making only 13 attempts at goal, few of which were even giving hope to Three Lions fans. Foden wasn't even good at drawing fouls, suffering only six.

Rafael Leao (Portugal)

While all the blame for Portugal’s early and silent exit has shifted on Cristiano Ronaldo by the lazy media members, there is no comparison as to who had a better impact on the team. He or Rafael Leao. Milan’s winger as the far younger and arguably the fastest player in the tournament had a tragicomical impact on the tournament - he was booked in back-to-back games for simulating.

As with all these players to be realistic, the question of coaching has to be raised. As Leao seems like the perfect joker to utilize in the later stages of the games. Especially against non-pacey sides like Slovenia. Furthermore, considering Francisco Conceicao showed much more in 100 minutes less and that Leao’s help on the left side was Nuno Mendes, one of the rare impressive Portugal players. In conclusion, Leao was in possession 145 times and produced no goal involvement. Only embarrassment for his two instances of diving that surprisingly happened in the exact same minute of the games against Turkey and the Czech Republic.

Federico Chiesa (Italy)

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None of the Italian forwards and midfielders shined - bar when singing the anthem, but Federico Chiesa’s inability to do so was the most apparent. As he was the golden wonderkid of Italian football and a big reason as to why the Azzurri were the defending champions in this tournament. Unfortunately, it seems that injuries did their worst and Chiesa is not the world-beater he was once looking as.

Chiesa only played the full 90 in the last match, the disastrous performance against Switzerland. Overall, he recorded only four passes into the attacking third, six passes into the penalty area, and 9 passes into key play area from 142 times he was in possession! Chiesa tried with his runs, but his legs are not a superpower anymore and he needs to reinvent himself it seems.

Gianluca Scamacca (Italy)

Another disappointment for Italians was Gianluca Scamacca, who was supposed to make the leap up at a tournament like great players do. Possibly get a big transfer out of it - yet he showed barely anything. Scamacca was seen as the heir to Ciro Immobile, who didn't leave big shoes to fill when it came to the national team. With a passing accuracy of 69.5% Gianluca Scamacca didn't even do a good job at playing in his midfield teammates. A task that he is supposed to take on his broad back, as he is physically one of the most formidable players of the tournament at 195 centimetres tall.

Overall, in his 20 caps for Italy, Scamacca managed to get only one goal and Euro 2024 suggests he might not be the one to provide salvation for Italy's goalscoring. Unless he rips the nets for his clubs until the World Cup, no one will be clamouring for him to start.

Andraz Sporar (Slovenia)

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Yes, Sporar is the odd man out here because he's not a big name. Also because his partner in attack, Benjamin Sesko, although younger, had far more expectations on him. And an opportunity to deliver the biggest upset of the tournament late against Portugal in a one-on-one. But Sporar really played as if Benny Hill music was constantly blaring from German stadiums. Just 270 minutes of getting into chances and ruining them. A touch too many, a pass too weak, too strong, a bad first touch - you name it. Besides physicality, Sporar showed little reason to be called a footballer.

Officially, Sporar had seven attempts, but he had at least that in the opening match against Denmark alone. He was caught offside four times as well, and ended most of the 102 possessions he was a part of.

Harry Kane (England)

Yes, he did score three goals but clearly the Bayern Munich star went on with playing despite not being fit enough. Similarly as in the Champions League final with Tottenham. A desire to sacrifice is admirable, but one must be egoless enough to know when they are in the way more than they helping.

It might seem hard to justify the inclusion of Harry Kane amongst the tournament's worst when he was the joint-top goalscorer. However, one of the goals he scored was a penalty, and for two others England had fortuna on its side. Kane was supposed to be the generation's leader, yet now talks are held in English media on whether he should be slowly rolled out. Even the more rational heads are suggesting that the man just might be cursed.

Kane’s was missed in the build-up of the play, something he truly excelled at with THFC - so it was natural to think it would be emulated with England’s pacey wingers and wing-backs. But Kane seemingly had a tough time moving and finding the pockets of space near the center line to dish out these diagonal through balls to Bukayo Saka and Phil Foden.

Romelu Lukaku (Belgium)

The usual suspect for being one of the worst when it comes to big games and big international tournaments. As crazy as that might sound considering Lukaku has one of the best records in international football ever - 85 goals in 119 matches! Yet he was once again abysmal when it mattered. Three disallowed goals aside - one for handball, two for offside and all correct, Lukaku was not getting into enough chances. With Kevin De Bruyne behind him, him as the focal point of attack, yet he only had 11 total attempts at goal.

It wasn't as if he made it up with his passing - that remains the ache of his game well into his thirties. The Belgian international had a passing accuracy of 69.75%. Surprisingly causing just two fouls, the same amount as he made. The assist for Youri Tieleman's goal stands but Big Rom has proved without a doubt he is not a player for big occasions.

Some of the other names that could've entered the ranks of the worst players at the Euro 2024 are Leroy Sane, Sergej Milinkovic-Savic, Aleksandar Mitrovic, Robert Lewandowski, Jorginho, Trent Alexander-Arnold, Andriy Lunin, and Rasmus Hojlund.