Euro 2020 is now entering its endgame.
Final stages of Euro 2020
With France, Portugal, Germany and the Netherlands having bitten the bullet, we are getting closer and closer to finding out who will be crowned European champions this summer.
However, regardless of what happens during the final seven fixtures, we have all watched enough action in recent weeks to gain a pretty good idea about how the tournament will be remembered.
We all know that Cristiano Ronaldo is closing in on the Golden Boot and that Paul Pogba will be in contention for the Player of the Tournament, for example.
Players who fell short of expectations
However, at the opposite end of the spectrum, it’s also become painfully apparent that many players who were tipped to take Euro 2020 by storm have fallen short of expectations.
It tends to be the case at every international tournament with the 2010 World Cup proving a good example as Lionel Messi, Wayne Rooney and Kaka all failed to deliver the goods.
Now, we’re turning our attention to the players who fit that mould at Euro 2020 and have compiled a starting XI of players who disappointed with their performances across the continent.
It’s important to clarify that we’re not talking about the worst Euro 2020 XI by any means at all and that every single member of the line-up is a top-level star worthy of great praise and adulation.
Most disappointing Euro 2020 XI
However, it just happens that their displays at Euro 2020 fell short of expectations, which, in some cases, actually has more to do with inflated fan hype as opposed to them actually flopping.
Got it? So, without further ado, you can check out Euro 2020’s most disappointing XI down below:
GK: Wojciech Szczęsny (Poland)
Manuel Neuer and Martin Dúbravka are both legitimate candidates, but Szczęsny made history for all the wrong reasons by becoming the first ever goalkeeper in Euros history to score an own goal.
Marry that to an unfortunate record of six goals conceded in just three games – thus continuing his infamous streak of bad luck at European Championship – and the Juventus man starts off our team.
CB: Ruben Dias (Portugal)
A victim of his own success. Dias was by no means terrible at Euro 2020, but he fell miles short of what was expected after a stellar year at Manchester City, conceding seven goals in four matches.
CB: Matthijs de Ligt (Netherlands)
De Ligt did a steady job in the heart of the Dutch defence without Virgil van Dijk for assistance but on his own admission, he cost the Netherlands with a wild handball and red card in the round of 16.
While Rudiger certainly didn’t have a dreadful tournament, he still couldn’t touch the form that helped him guide Chelsea to Champions League glory as he ranked as one of Euro 2020’s lowest-rated centre-backs.
RM: Serge Gnabry (Germany)
From one German to another, Gnabry failed to be a vocal point for Die Mannschaft either through the centre or out wide, which is disappointing considering his impeccable record in the international game.
CM: Marcelo Brozović (Croatia)
In an up and down tournament for Croatia, Brozović couldn’t come close to his superb performances from the 2018 World Cup, instead ranking as one of the tournament’s worst-performing midfielders.
CM: Hakan Çalhanoğlu (Turkey)
Remember when everyone thought Turkey were dark horses? Well, amongst all the disappointment for the Turks, Çalhanoğlu failed to produce the sort of form that earned him an Inter Milan switch.
CM: Bruno Fernandes (Portugal)
There’s no disputing this one, is there? There’s no denying that Fernandes – who was dropped for the France and Belgium clashes – looked like a shadow of his Manchester United self with Portugal.
Ranked only as the 341st player at the entire tournament, Fernandes failed to produce a single goal contribution, averaged 1.8 bad controls per game and was dribbled past 1.5 times every match.
LM: Yannick Carrasco (Belgium)
Despite going from strength to strength in his second spell with Atletico, Carrasco failed to grab the opportunity to fill Eden Hazard’s boots and has played just three minutes since the Denmark win.
Blasphemy! I know, I know, this feels dirty after his iconic goal against Germany, but we can’t escape the fact that Kane has been miles off his stunning 2020/21 displays in an England shirt.
ST: Kylian Mbappe (France)
Let’s get one thing straight: this has little to nothing to do with Mbappe’s penalty miss against Switzerland because coming short in a shootout can happen to the best of players.
However, that doesn’t take us away from the fact that zero goals from four games is a poor return for a Ballon d’Or contender leading the lines of the world champions.
So, that’s the XI. Have we got it spot on or are we miles wide of the mark? Well, be sure to let us know across our various social channels.
And with Kane and Carrasco ploughing into the quarter-finals with England and Belgium in the coming days, we’d love to be proven wrong and see their best possible form return at Euro 2020.
