World Cup 2018: 5 World Class Players Who Have Flopped Badly
World Cups often have a history of making true footballing superstars and icons, with many a top-tier talent having used the competition as a launching pad for a big-money move to one of football’s elite clubs. Much like a good World Cup can make a star, though, a bad World Cup can have its repercussions, too.
To many, the World Cup itself is often about making or cementing a legacy, boosting a reputation, or even bumping up a price tag. Here, we have five examples of big-name superstars who have done nothing but tarnish their reputation at what has proved to be one of the greatest World Cups in recent memory.
David De Gea
For the majority of you out there, you may see David De Gea as the very best goalkeeper in the world. And even if you don’t agree with that statement, there’s no disputing that the Manchester United ‘keeper is certainly in the conversation when it comes to the world’s best.
Surprisingly, the ever-reliable Spaniard had a complete stinker of a World Cup in Russia.
De Gea is known for his consistency, his athleticism, and for pulling off saves that you thought could not even be possible. At the World Cup, however, he rarely looked comfortable, and allowing a tame Cristiano Ronaldo effort through his grasp in Spain’s opening game seemed to set the tone for what was a massively disappointing tournament for the former Atletico Madrid stopper.
Even the best of players have their howlers, and it’s obviously always a lot more costly when a goalkeeper makes an error, but it was more worrying that De Gea struggled to bounce back from that early mistake.
Spain would ultimately be knocked out by host nation Russia in the last 16, and there was even talk of De Gea being dropped for that game. He did indeed start the game, but he was again a shadow of his usual self as the Russians shocked the football world.