Spain-Germany, Portugal-France, England-Switzerland, and Netherlands-Turkiye — the 2024 European Championship quarter-finals (EURO 2024) delivered nail-biting action over Friday and Saturday. Spain beat hosts Germany 2-1 to progress to the final four, whereas France and England needed penalties to beat Portugal and Switzerland, respectively. The Netherlands and Turkiye, meanwhile, played out a EURO quarter-final classic, with Holland narrowly edging out the underdogs, claiming a 2-1 victory.
Some top players rose to the challenge in the quarter-finals, while others cut a frustrated figure, failing to make an impact. After seeing the round’s best performers on Monday, we will take a quick look at superstars who failed to deliver. Continue reading to check out the five players who underperformed in the EURO 2024 quarter-finals.
#5 Kai Havertz – Germany
Germany center-forward Kai Havertz had an outing to forget against Germany. He struggled to get into the game, and on the occasions he did, his finishing was a big letdown. In the 35th minute, he dragged his shot wide of Unai Simon’s goal from close range. He had another golden opportunity in the 83rd minute when Simon botched his goal kick and gave the ball straight to the Arsenal man. Havertz attempted to chip the goalkeeper but he failed to keep his effort on target.
In the EURO 2024 quarter-final defeat to Spain, Havertz had only 34 touches — the least by an outfield player to play 90 minutes. He also missed two big chances, lost four of five aerial duels, and misplaced the only cross he attempted.
#4 Antoine Griezmann – France
For long, Antoine Griezmann has been serving as France’s Creator-in-Chief, creating scoring opportunities for the likes of Kylian Mbappe to pounce on. Unfortunately, the Atletico Madrid man has been having a horrendous EURO campaign in Germany, failing to score or assist in five appearances. In his latest outing, Griezmann failed to put pressure on Portugal, spending most of the night outside of dangerous areas. His link-up play also left a lot to be desired.
Before coming off the field in the 67th minute, Griezmann had only one shot (blocked) and created one chance for France. He also had only three touches inside the Portuguese box and played nine passes into the final third.
#3 Harry Kane – England
Gareth Southgate’s England have gotten a lot of flak for their poor performances this EURO, and understandably so. Despite having some of the finest attacking players on the planet, the Three Lions have only scored five goals in as many outings in EURO 2024. England skipper Harry Kane has been particularly disappointing in Germany, with him scoring just twice in five starts.
Kane, who enjoyed a European Golden Shoe-winning campaign with Bayern Munich in 2023-24, arguably played his worst EURO 2024 game in the quarter-finals. Switzerland isolated him in the final third, and he could not find a way to break the shackles. Playing 109 minutes, Kane registered only 27 touches, with only five of those coming inside the Swiss box. Additionally, he completed only eight passes, had no shots on target, lost nine duels, and committed two fouls, one of which earned him a yellow card.
#2 Toni Kroos – Germany
Toni Kroos was one of the standout performers in EURO 2024 leading up to Germany’s quarter-final clash with Spain. But on the big day, the six-time UEFA Champions League winner uncharacteristically lost his cool. He mistimed tackles and fouled opponents, lost one-on-one duels, and his deliveries were not up to his lofty standards.
In 120 minutes, Kroos failed to dispatch a single shot, played only 11 passes into the final third, and created only a couple of chances. He misplaced three crosses and three long balls; lost three of four tackles, was bested in seven of 12 ground duels, and committed five fouls. Considering how rough his challenges were, he was very fortunate to escape with only one yellow card.
#1 Cristiano Ronaldo – Portugal
The only player in history to appear in six European Championships, Portugal icon Cristiano Ronaldo had a campaign to forget in Germany. Roberto Martinez started the No. 7 in all five of Portugal’s matches in EURO 2024, but the Al-Nassr superstar could not get off the mark. He had an excellent opportunity to open his account when Portugal won a penalty in the Round-of-16 meeting with Slovenia, but Ronaldo failed to convert from the penalty spot.
Ronaldo played his final EURO match against France in the quarter-finals, and like the previous four outings, he cut a frustrated figure in the final third. The 39-year-old had three shots against France, only one of which landed on target. He also missed a big opportunity to score, skying his effort from close range; lost five of seven ground duels, and committed three fouls.
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