Euro 2024: Spain’s triumph a saving grace for disappointing event where stars went missing
- Luis de la Fuente’s exciting team won all 7 games, including against 4 world champions, but big names such as Mbappe, Kane and Ronaldo flopped
A superb Spain team led by Rodri and Lamine Yamal were fitting winners of Euro 2024 after lighting up an often disappointing tournament in which too many of the continent’s star players failed to produce their best form.
Kylian Mbappe, the world’s best striker, had been hoping to prepare for joining Real Madrid by captaining France to glory but broke his nose and scored just once, from a penalty, as his team lost in the semi-finals.
Jude Bellingham, who will play with Mbappe in Madrid next season, might have been the favourite to win the Ballon d’Or had he added the Euros with England to the Champions League with his club.
But Bellingham had a poor campaign aside from two vital goals, tiring early in games and proving incapable of swinging Sunday’s final in Berlin England’s way.
Cristiano Ronaldo, meanwhile, had hoped to add to his tournament record 14 goals but failed to score for Portugal as age finally caught up with the five-time Ballon d’Or winner.
