Cristiano Ronaldo and Kylian Mbappe are expected to regain their form in the Euro 2024 round of 16

On June 29, Switzerland will face Italy in the opening match of the Euro 2024 Round of 16. Later that day, Germany, the hosts, will play against Denmark.

Even though the European game’s most prominent players have failed to dominate the tournament, Euro 2024 has captivated cities throughout Germany with its electrifying football and the lively fans. Many of the most prominent figures in the world of football have failed to impress during the group phase due to a combination of shaky form, injury issues, and poor luck. Cristiano Ronaldo, the 39-year-old striker from Portugal, is currently participating in his sixth Euros and has yet to score in three appearances. If he does, he will become the oldest goalscorer in tournament history.

Kylian Mbappe, who is widely considered the greatest player in the world, failed to score for France in a 1-1 draw against Poland, leaving the team in second place in Group D. However, he did miss a penalty.

Mbappe missed a golden opportunity against Austria and missed a draw against the Netherlands with a fractured nose. He returned with a mask in Les Bleus’ third outing.

France coach Didier Deschamps expressed his optimism that the forward will soon regain his devastating form, as he is eager to play and believes that the game would have been beneficial for him. The team is preparing for a last 16 match against Belgium.

Robert Lewandowski, Poland’s most renowned player, was unable to participate in their inaugural match against the Netherlands due to a thigh injury.

The Barcelona striker and his country were eliminated due to his ineffectual performance when he was introduced from the bench against Austria. However, he scored a penalty in the France draw.

Jude Bellingham and Harry Kane, both of England, scored from open play against Serbia and Denmark, respectively. However, they have underperformed significantly after flourishing at Real Madrid and Bayern Munich this season.

The succeeding 0-0 draw against Slovenia was even more depressing, despite the fact that England coach Gareth Southgate hooked Kane in a drab 1-1 draw against Denmark.

“Not every player is going to be the star of every game,” Southgate stated following the game.

Antoine Griezmann of France and Phil Foden of England have also failed to score after successful seasons with Atletico Madrid and Manchester City, respectively.

Deschamps, who benched the midfielder in the final group match, stated, “Occasionally, (Griezmann’s) generosity results in him not having as clear a head as he should have.”

Romelu Lukaku, Belgium’s all-time leading scorer, is also without a goal, despite his team’s second-place finish in Group E, despite having three goals disallowed by VAR.

Luka Modric, a 38-year-old veteran who is typically a key figure in Croatia’s frequently remarkable exploits, did score against Italy; however, his country was ultimately eliminated after he missed a penalty and struggled in the first two matches.

Own goals galore

It is noteworthy that seven of the 27 inadvertently scored goals in the history of the competition have been own goals, which accounts for 26 percent of the total.

The players who have performed exceptionally thus far have been mainly unexpected for various reasons.

N’Golo Kante, who relocated to Saudi Arabia a year ago, is proving to be a critical asset for France. Meanwhile, Germany’s leading light, Jamal Musiala, has emerged ahead of veteran talents Toni Kroos, Ilkay Gundogan, and Kai Havertz despite his youth.

Like Musiala, Niclas Fullkrug, a target player, has scored twice for Germany. Ivan Schranz of Slovakia and Razvan Marin of Romania have also scored two goals.

Ronald Koeman, the coach of the Netherlands, described the performance of their team as “appalling” after the forward Cody Gakpo scored his second goal in a 3-2 loss to Austria.

Georges Mikautadze, a debutant from Georgia, is the current leading scorer in the tournament, having scored three goals, two of which were scored from the penalty spot.

With a game remaining, Spain secured the top spot in Group B and has been considered the tournament’s most impressive team thus far. However, Fabian Ruiz and Marc Cucurella, two of their most important players, have been unexpected candidates.

Despite the fact that there are still 15 matches to be played before one of the 16 remaining teams is crowned champions in Berlin on July 14, supporters are still anticipating the arrival of the tournament’s superstars.