Erling Braut Haaland (foto: Getty Images)
Key football talents including Erling Haaland and Edin Džeko will miss EURO 2024 due to various reasons, from injuries to suspensions, leaving fans to watch these stars from the sidelines.
The upcoming EURO 2024 in Germany, running from June 14 to July 14, will be without several of football's leading lights, from Real Madrid, Manchester City, Arsenal, and beyond. With the final teams clinching their spots, the absence of certain football luminaries has become apparent, their reasons ranging from injuries and gambling issues to disciplinary actions and clashes with national team coaches.
Erling Haaland of Norway, one of football's most formidable strikers, will notably miss the tournament due to Norway's underperformance in the qualifiers. This marks the third consecutive major competition Haaland will miss, after the 2022 World Cup in Qatar and EURO 2020, despite his personal tally of six goals in the qualifiers.
Other significant absences include Belgium's goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois, sidelined by a ligament injury, and Real Madrid's David Alaba, facing a similar fate that puts his participation in doubt for Austria. Italy's Sandro Tonali faces a year-long suspension due to involvement in a betting scandal, ruling him out of the tournament as he undergoes rehabilitation for gambling addiction.
Spain will miss the young Barcelona midfielder Gavi, and Croatia might have to do without Ivan Perišić, depending on his recovery from a knee injury.
Meanwhile, stars like Poland's Robert Lewandowski and Georgia's Khvicha Kvaratskhelia secured their places in dramatic play-off victories against Wales and Greece, respectively.
Notably absent too will be Bosnia and Herzegovina's Edin Džeko and Montenegro's Stevan Jovetić, highlighting the significant talent that will be missing from the fields of Germany next summer.