The UEFA EURO 2024 is set to kick off in Germany on June 14. Players have already showcased their talent during the March international break. They will be ready to get back in international action in Europe’s most prestigious month-long tournament, scheduled to end on July 14.
That being said, some top-notch players won’t appear in the tournament due to suspensions, injuries, or their national teams failing to qualify. As past statistics have shown, these players have dominated the football world.
Ratings always come in handy when selecting the best from the ordinary, whether it’s finding the best online casinos, movies, or football stars. Thanks to their stellar performances, these players have recorded top-tier ratings for club and country.
Some players whose absence will be hugely felt in Euro 2024 can easily contest for a sport in the world’s strongest starting XI.
Erling Haaland: Norwegian Striker
From simple tap-ins to incredible finesses, Haaland has continued his stellar performance and broken records playing for Premier League juggernauts Manchester City. Unfortunately for the Norwegian, his brilliant club performance doesn’t always translate to the international level.
Despite scoring six goals for Norway’s qualifying group, his team failed to secure a spot in the 2024 Euros after finishing third behind Scotland and Spain in Group A, meaning we won’t see him or his countrymate and brilliant attacking midfielder, Martin Odegaard in Germany this year.
Thibaut Courtois: Belgian Goalkeeper
Belgium’s number one goalkeeper has had the most unfortunate 2023/24 campaign following two serious knee injuries.
He first suffered an ACL tear that ruled him out of many games for quite a while. Courtois had returned to training early this year, hoping to have a fruitful rest of the season, but he suffered a meniscus tear requiring surgery, which consequently handed him another long break from the field.
Domenico Todesco will be forced to line up the less inexperienced keepers, with Nottingham Forest's Matz Sels and Wolfsburg’s Koen Casteels being secondary choices.
Paul Pogba: French Midfielder
Paul Pogba is ineligible to play professional football for the next four years after being banned for doping. This means that Juventus and former Manchester United star will miss not only the 2024 Euros but also many games to come if the ban is implemented.
This massive blow comes despite Pogba consistently failing to showcase his dribbling tricks after falling prey to the injuries plague since he left Man United.
In a statement concerning the ban, the Frenchman claimed his innocence and hoped to appeal it at the Court of Arbitration for Sport.
As his legal team looks to get things in order in the legal battle ahead, Pogba won’t make any on-field appearances soon. The French team will look up to Eduardo Camavinga and Aurelian Tchouameni to step up and fill the shoes of the 31-year-old.
Sandro Tonali: Italian Midfielder
Sandro Tonali is another one on the list of suspended footballers. The Italian defender and current Newcastle player is currently serving a 10-month suspension that runs till August for breaching gambling rules, therefore locking him out of the games at Munich.
Luciano Spaletti's team is the current reigning champions of this continental football competition. This time around, they will be looking to maintain their title without the help of the 23-year-old center midfield ace.
David Alaba: Austrian Left-Back
David Alaba is another Real Madrid star who is watching the tournament from the sidelines after suffering an ACL tear in December.
The 31-year-old is the captain of his national team, and there is no doubt that the captain’s armband will be won by another player favored by Ralf Rangnik for the tournament.
However, the chances of qualification for Alaba’s national team have not been hindered by his absence, and team Austria has already secured its spot in Germany alongside a tough group featuring the Netherlands, Poland, and France.
Viktor Gyokeres: Swedish Striker
Sweden's Gyokeres is another talismanic striker from the Nordic region who has failed to qualify for Germany this year. The striker for Sporting CP has recorded an amazing 36 goals in 39 games this season, sparking interest from Premier League teams like Arsenal.
However, the Swedes have not advanced past the round of 32 for the second time in a row after their agonizing World Cup play-off loss in 2022. Sweden failed to qualify for the Euros after finishing behind Austria and Belgium.
Final Thoughts
The road to Germany is complete, and the stage has been set across ten cities, including Dortmund, Dusseldorf, Frankfurt, Berlin, Cologne, Gelsenkirchen, Hamburg, Leipzig, Stuttgart, and Munich, where the great tournament is to be hosted.
The group stage fixtures are already out, and it’s just a matter of time before the qualified countries meet and clash on the field.
Fans who can travel to Germany will be lucky to see or (miss seeing) some of the world-class players on the field as the rest of the world follows the matches closely from their TVs.
Despite these unfortunate absences, the world will be eager to see other European stars like Harry Kane and Kylian Mbappe, not to forget young talents like England’s Kobbie Mainoo and Spain’s Lamine Yamal as they stake their claim as young world-class stars to watch out for.
