Rashford, Haaland and more: 5 top footballers who will not play at Euro 2024
Euro 2024 will kick off in Germany on Friday, June 14, and is set to feature some of Europe's finest players. UEFA have granted permission for countries to have more than the usual 23-man squads for the tournament, with 26 players expected from each country.
The tournament will feature 24 countries in six groups, but some of the biggest names in European football are set to miss out on the tournament. With reasons ranging from manager-player feuds to injuries and loss of form/poor performance, several top players will be absent from Germany.
Defending champions Italy will be trying to retain the title they won at Wembley three years ago, while other favorites like England, Germany, and France, will be looking to end their respective barren spells.
This article picks out the five biggest absentees from Euro 2024 in Germany.
#5. David Alaba (Austria- Ruled out of Euro 2024 through injury)
Arguably the biggest name in Austrian football history, captain David Alaba will not participate in Euro 2024 with Ralf Rangnick's side due to injury. The Real Madrid defender ruptured his ACL in a league game against Villarreal last December.
Alaba has made over 100 appearances for his country, and captained them as they reached the knockout stages of the European Championship in Euro 2020. The 31-year-old has been included in Rangnick's squad as a non-playing captain and will make the trip to Germany with his country.
Austria are in Group D alongside favorites France and Netherlands, and Poland. They will begin their campaign against France on June 17, and will surely miss their captain, who won the UEFA Champions League and La Liga titles this season.
#4. Gavi (Spain- Ruled out of Euro 2024 through injury)
A gem from Barcelona's famed La Masia academy, midfielder Gavi has become one of his club's leaders despite his tender age (19). The hardworking midfielder injured his ACL and meniscus while on international duty for Spain against Georgia last November, ruling him out until the 2024-25 season.
Gavi has already made 27 appearances for Spain, breaking several records along the way. At the time of his debut in 2021, he was the youngest player to ever represent Spain at senior level, before becoming his country's youngest goalscorer shortly afterwards.
Gavi is the third-youngest player in history to score a FIFA World Cup goal, and he scored the goal that secured La Roja's place in the tournament in Germany. Barcelona missed the energetic youngster in 2023-24, and Spain will miss him as they navigate a group that has Croatia, Italy, and Albania.
#3. Thibaut Courtois (Belgium - Left out of Euro 2024 squad)
Goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois was a surprise exclusion from the Belgium squad for Euro 2024. The shot-stopper recently returned to full fitness, but manager Domenico Tedesco stated that he isn't ready for a return to action at the tournament.
Real Madrid star Courtois injured the ACL in his left knee days before the start of the 2023-24 season before injuring his other knee as he closed in on a return. The 31-year-old returned to action in the final weeks of the season and featured in the UEFA Champions League final, where he kept a clean sheet for his club as they defeated Borussia Dortmund 2-0.
Courtois has had problems with manager Tedesco since his appointment, with the side's captaincy a major sticking point for the pair. With Kevin De Bruyne absent following Eden Hazard's retirement last June, Tedesco named Romelu Lukaku as captain against Austria in a Euro 2024 qualifier.
Livid, Courtois left the camp before their game against Estonia. He has not featured for the Red Devils since then, with Matz Sels expected to start in Germany.
#2. Erling Haaland (Norway - Did not qualify for Euro 2024)
Erling Haaland had relatively flown under the radar this summer until he scored a hat-trick for Norway in a 3-0 friendly win over Kosovo on Wednesday.
Haaland has a frankly absurd goal-scoring record in Norway colors with 30 goals in 32 appearances, but has never appeared at a major tournament. Norway finished in third place behind Scotland and Spain in their qualification group for Euro 2024.
Erling Haaland is a future Ballon d'Or candidate, having finished on the podium after a treble-winning campaign with Manchester City in 2022-23. The striker will, however, see his credentials questioned continuously unless he can lead his country to a major tournament.
#1. Marcus Rashford (England - Left out of Euro 2024 squad)
Over the years, Marcus Rashford has struggled to replicate his Manchester United output in a Three Lions shirt. The 25-year-old endured a disappointing season at club level, leading Gareth Southgate to leave him out of the squad for the tournament in Germany.
Rashford managed just eight goals across all competitions for Manchester United, a stark contrast to his 30 goals in 2022-23. The forward is facing an uncertain future at Old Trafford, with his club reportedly open to a sale.
Southgate named 33 players in his initial list for the tournament, which will be whittled down to 26 by June 7, but Rashford did not make the list. The forward has a big summer ahead of him if he hopes to have a successful 2024-25 season.
Honorable mentions: Mats Hummels (Left out of Germany squad), Martin Odegaard (Did not qualify with Norway)