Ivan Larsen 
No footballer wants to be in a position whereby they have to miss one of the biggest competitions to be held. Whether it has been through injury, poor performances, or simply by not qualifying, every national team player wants to be in contention to play for the biggest prizes the sport has to offer.
This summer will see the 2024 European Championships take place, a tournament of immense significance in the world of football. Yet, there are several big-name players who will not be taking to the pitch and strutting their stuff with the ball at their feet.
Of course, there are some that are more evident due to the fact that their countries failed to progress from the qualification process. The likes of Erling Haaland and Martin Ødegaard (Norway), Alexander Isak, and Viktor Gyokeres (Sweden) are all going to have to sit at home or watch from the stands.
Last-minute Heartbreak for Some
However, while these individuals have known for some time that they won’t be going, there will be others who may have thought that they were in within a chance until the very last minute. The unpredictability of the selection process adds a layer of suspense and uncertainty to the tournament.
Now that the squad lists have been submitted, there is a who’s who of names that have been omitted from this year’s competition when in other year’s they wouldn’t have names to have missed out.
England’s Surprising Omissions
England may have named a provisional squad list of 33 names, but it still didn’t find room to include some of the biggest players Gareth Southgate has been able to call upon in previous competitions.
The likes of Marcus Rashford, Jordan Henderson, Ben Chilwell, Reece James, and Raheem Sterling have all been excluded from the 2024 Euros list. This doesn’t appear to have had an impact on Unibet’s betting odds EURO 2024 price, as they remain the favorites to win the tournament. However, Southgate is still going to have to cut his list by seven before submitting the final one. It’s a tough job, but it goes to show just how much talent the Three Lions have.
France have Omitted Exceptional Players
Much like England, France have also left out several players who are deserving of a place in the 2024 European Championships squad. Jean-Philippe Mateta, Michael Olise, Moussa Diaby, Jean-Clair Todibo, Malo Gusto, and Axel Disasi are among just a handful of the names that have been omitted. The two Crystal Palace stars would have been considered in contention due to their recent form, but seemingly no place is available for them.
Injuries have also limited the choices Didier Deschamps has available, with the likes of Christopher Nkunku and Lucas Hernandez both suffering.
Germany has Excluded Key Players
It’s not just England and France that have had to deal with tough decisions when trying to form a squad list built with quality. Hosts Germany have also had to make some surprising omissions from their squad for the upcoming competition. Julian Nagelsmann will head into his first major tournament with Die Mannschaft and has had to wield his axe on some of the biggest and most notable names in German football.
There is no place for the experienced Mats Hummels, nor is their a place for icon Marco Reus. Timo Werner has also been omitted, as has Serge Gnarby, Julian Brandt, Karim Adeyemi, as has Leon Goretzka. Tough choices have been made that the hosts will simply hope that they do not regret.
Every Top Nation has been Impacted
While the so-called “lesser” or “smaller” nations may not have the beauty of being able to select from a wide or talented pool of players, those that do were always going to have to omit players that would have been considered deserving or experienced enough for a tournament of the magnitude that the 2024 Euros are.
The limit of 26 players – which has risen from 23 in past editions – has allowed teams some flexibility with the names that are called up, but with so many individuals playing their best football in a year that features a top competition, heartbreak was always going to follow for some of them.
