EURO 2024 has given us some riveting games and outstanding performances thus far but it's hard to pick a clear leading contender for player of the tournament.
The best teams in this tournament have been defined by a strong setup from 1-11. For example, even though Jamal Musiala and Nico Williams have starred for Germany and Spain, an argument could be made that Toni Kroos and Lamine Yamal have usurped them within their own teams, let alone the tournament as a whole.
One could throw out any of ten names and be no closer to nailing down a player of the tournament - but one thing which has been much clearer is the category of "underperformers."
We've picked our five standout flops of EURO 2024 so far, with three teams and two players part of our selection.
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EURO 2024: Five of the biggest flops of the tournament so far
Cristiano Ronaldo
🇵🇹 0-0 🇸🇮
OBLAK SAVES IT!
Ronaldo can't buy a goal at these Euros.#EURO2024
📺@rte2 @rteplayer https://t.co/b2OI4OoWVJ
📱Live updates https://t.co/UDE9CbucXH pic.twitter.com/xewRoahS97— RTÉ Sport (@RTEsport) July 1, 2024
Stunting his team's overall play, breaking into floods of tears mid-game, and unable to buy a goal. This Cristiano Ronaldo is unrecognisable from the player who defined so many great Portugal teams of the last 20 years.
20 attempts at goal is five more than any other player in the tournament has had, and Ronaldo is still yet to score.
The missed penalty against Slovenia was the nadir of this EUROs for the 39-year-old. Rather astonishing scenes saw the world witness a man's enormous ego crumble entirely in front of our very eyes. It almost seemed as though he made the realisation mid-match that the glory days are now definitively behind him.
It's been a great run CR7 but, the way he is currently playing, you'd be surprised if he ever scores for Portugal again.
Italy
Italy were solid in their opening two group games and showed grit in clawing back at the death against Croatia but their complete lack of creativity should have caused more alarm ahead of the last 16.
Their performance against Switzerland in Berlin was one of the most pathetic we've seen from any defending champion at a major tournament in recent memory. Completely devoid of ideas, Italy seemed content to accept a 2-0 loss and relinquish their grip on the Henri Delaunay trophy.
A remarkably disappointing defence of their title.
Croatia
🇭🇷 1-1 🇮🇹
Late, late drama as Mattia Zaccagni comes up with a stunning injury-time goal for Italy, breaking Croatian hearts.
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📺 Watch on @rte2 & @rteplayer : https://t.co/uHRfiPJEjQ pic.twitter.com/Fc7X1BsAg1
— RTÉ Sport (@RTEsport) June 24, 2024
Mere seconds away from the last 16, it may appear harsh to lump Croatia in here. However, given their recent pedigree at tournaments, and the weaknesses of Italy and Albania, a first-round exit was hugely disappointing.
To be fair to the Croatians, 3-0 was not a fair reflection of the Spanish supremacy in their opener, in what was a far closer game than the margin suggested. However, they only had themselves to blame for what followed.
Having clawed their way back into the lead against Albania, they gave up a 95th-minute equaliser - before pulling the same trick in the 98th against Italy in their third and final group game.
If either of those goals had not gone in, Croatia would have found themselves in the last 16. Instead, it was the most heartbreaking end for Luka Modric and his fellow veterans. They will likely not be back, and they went out with a saddening whimper.
Gareth Southgate
There will be some who will argue with our inclusion of Gareth Southgate - those who never had faith in him to begin with.
Whatever gripes you or I may have with how Southgate sets up his teams, his track record of getting England deep into major tournaments in recent years cannot be argued with.
Off the back of those performances, England entered these EUROs as one of the favourites to win the whole thing. They could well do so, after finding themselves on the "easier" side of the draw - but every team on that side of the draw will be looking at England as the least daunting of the big hitters left.
Much of that is down to the dire lack of creativity in Gareth Southgate's setup and his inability to make decisive and necessary calls so far has been desperate to watch. The team as a whole have been similarly desperate to watch, with their three group games among the toughest viewing of the tournament.
They were remarkably fortunate to progress past Slovakia, and one struggles to see how they can survive when they come up against top-level opposition for the first time. If England do manage to win this whole thing, it will be in spite of Southgate.
Belgium
Half-time: 🇧🇪 0-1 🇸🇰
Another bad miss from Lukaku, who could have had a hat-trick already. Not his or Belgium's day so far
📺 Watch live @rte2 and @rteplayerhttps://t.co/iUQJmJIhT6 #Euro2024 pic.twitter.com/ffK8893Ike— RTÉ Sport (@RTEsport) June 17, 2024
Oh, Belgium.
If they had managed to score a single goal against Ukraine (to my mind, the worst team to play at this tournament), they would have landed on the lighter side of the draw and faced the Dutch in the last 16.
Instead, they accepted their fate and appeared content to play out a 0-0 draw to finish second. That placed them in a last-16 tie with France which saw them create little to nothing before exiting quietly to an unfortunate own goal.
This is all before you mention their deserved defeat to Slovakia in their opening game, in-fighting, feuds with journalists, and frosty relationship with their own fans. Oh, and a feud between the manager and Thibaut Courtois saw arguably the world's best goalkeeper left at home in the name of pride.
Belgium stank the place up at this tournament.
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