Well, that was eventful. The last 16 of Euro 2024 may not have produced the most tantalising football ever played, but it certainly had everything you could ever ask for from a major tournament.
The reigning champions were dumped out of the competition, there was penalty shootout drama between Portugal and Slovenia and plenty of cracking strikes in between, capped by a truly special overhead kick from Jude Bellingham in the dying embers of England’s clash with Slovakia.
With the quarter-finals now confirmed in the calendar, it’s worth reflecting on what we learned from an engaging round of last 16 fixtures.
It’s over, Cristiano
Cristiano Ronaldo missed a penalty against Slovenia
Portugal’s clash with Slovenia proved a humbling experience for Cristiano Ronaldo. Having underwhelmed in Germany so far and thrown a strop or two already, the 39-year-old plunged to new depths of embarrassment with his display in the last 16.
Without a goal to his name so far, the Al Nassr striker has proven nothing but a hindrance to an incredibly talented squad. Ronaldo should not be starting for Portugal and he finds himself fortunate to not be warming the bench after some dire displays.
Roberto Martinez’s unwillingness to replace Ronaldo against Slovenia was remarkable. Despite offering nothing to Portugal’s forward line, the veteran continued to lead it. Handed an opportunity to be the hero in extra-time, the former Real Madrid star saw his penalty rebuffed by old Atletico Madrid adversary Jan Oblak, subsequently bursting into tears halfway through the additional period.
Anyone else may have been offered sympathy from those watching at home, but not Ronaldo. His ego – exemplified by the umpteenth free kick he smashed into the stands while Bruno Fernandes stood in wait – has become a major issue for Portugal.
The waterworks were telling; this is surely the end for the five-time Ballon d’Or winner as Portugal’s de facto leader.
England are still rubbish
England struggled in the last 16 / Carl Recine/GettyImages
Any hopes that the last 16 would be a turning point for England were swiftly dashed against Slovakia. The same tepid and repetitive build-up play produced the same results, something which surprised absolute nobody – bar, seemingly, Gareth Southgate.
England found themselves on the brink of elimination from Euro 2024 after a truly woeful display against Slovakia. A goal down with seconds to play, the Three Lions miraculously found themselves in front just a minute into extra-time. Bellingham was the reason following his acrobatic late strike, but even the Real Madrid star had been appalling for 93 minutes.
Despite the desperate performances of Phil Foden, Kyle Walker and a host of other England starters, Southgate is still the focus of the nation’s ire, and rightly so. While his substitutions did help change the flow of the game, he left them far, far too late. His refusal to make any changes at half-time bordered on psychopathic and his alterations felt like a random throw of the dice rather than a calculated decision.
With Switzerland to come in the quarter-finals, England really have no chance of reaching the last four if they don’t make drastic improvements in the next few days. Their performance against Slovakia was truly alarming.
Defence is king for France
France have conceded just once at Euro 2024 / Stefan Matzke – sampics/GettyImages
Before you think France have gotten away with being rubbish, they haven’t. The pre-tournament favourites have been surprisingly dismal in their four outings to date and were slightly fortunate to edge past a similarly poor Belgium side in the last 16.
Despite boasting the deepest and most talented squad on the international stage, they still had to rely on a Jan Vertonghen own goal to progress. Les Bleus have scored just three times at the tournament, with two own goals and a penalty to their name.
However, unlike England, there are more positives for the French and they chiefly come in defence. A resilient backline has spared France’s blushes, with Mike Maignan inspired between the sticks and William Saliba, Jules Kounde and Theo Hernandez all shining in front of him. Even the much-maligned Dayot Upamecano has been surprisingly assured.
Didier Deschamps’ side still need to make rapid improvements, especially given they face Portugal in the quarter-finals. But there are seeds of hope for the 2022 World Cup finalists thanks to their watertight rearguard.
Spain must be favourites
Spain have been the standout performers at Euro 2024 / ALBERTO PIZZOLI/GettyImages
While many of Euro 2024’s big-hitters have struggled to get out of third gear, Spain have been flying down the Autobahn. They offered up another dazzling display in the last 16, putting the tournament’s lowest-ranked side Georgia to the sword.
Despite falling behind to Georgia’s first attack – yet another own goal at Euro 2024 – Luis de la Fuente’s men never panicked. Their commitment to the plan paid dividends, with Rodri levelling before the break as La Roja began to turn the screw.
A devastating second-half display saw them add another three to their tally for the evening, with Fabian Ruiz, Lamine Yamal and Nico Williams all shining in the final third. They played with poise and determination, slicing Georgia open with intricate passing play and a quick turn of speed.
They have been convincing victors in all four of their matches and now must be considered favourites, even if they face hosts Germany in the next round.
The duality of Kai Havertz
Havertz scored against Denmark / Alexander Hassenstein/GettyImages
One of Euro 2024’s best performing sides will be knocked out in the last eight. With Spain on the horizon, hosts Germany‘s impressive start to the tournament may count for little come the weekend.
Julian Nagelsmann’s side didn’t always look entirely comfortable as they beat Denmark 2-0 in the last 16, with luck on their side at some key moments. They produced two goals and another clean sheet, but it could have been very different if the fine margins had benefitted their opponents.
Therefore, Nagelsmann has a few dilemmas heading into the quarter-finals, one of which may be Kai Havertz. There were calls from some Germany supporters to replace the Arsenal forward with the in-form colossus Niclas Fullkrug against Denmark, but the former Bayern Munich manager kept faith in Havertz.
In one sense, that faith paid off. Havertz scored from the spot against Denmark and proved a handful at times with his intelligent runs, dragging all three centre-halves around the pitch. However, he also missed three big chances with an expected goals tally of 1.85, again showing his inconsistency in the final third. Whether he can be relied on in the biggest games remains to be seen.
The Confederation of African Football (CAF) has approved the Accra Sports Stadium to host the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) qualifier between Ghana and Sudan.
The Black Stars face the Falcons of Jediane on match day three of the qualifying series for the tournament to be hosted in Morocco.
Prior to the approval, CAF had directed the Ghana Football Association (GFA) to select an alternative venue for the game after the temporary approval of the Baba Yara Stadium was lifted.
CAF inspected both the Cape Coast Stadium and the Accra Sports Stadium last week before eventually turning down the former.
A statement from CAF on the approval read:
‘’Following a comprehensive review of the reports of the CAF independent inspection regarding the Cape Coast and Accra Sports Stadia, we are pleased to inform you that the Accra Sports Stadium has been approved to host the AFCON Qualifiers for Morocco 2025. Specifically, it will host the Group F – Matchday 3 encounter between Ghana and Sudan, which is scheduled for October 11, 2024.
“In light of this approval, we kindly request that the Ghana Football Association (GFA) and the stadium management team prioritise the necessary enhancements to the pitch and other critical areas of the stadium leading up to the match day to ensure an optimal experience for both teams and the attending fans.
“Please note that CAF will continue to closely monitor the readiness of the stadium for this match, as well as for future CAF-sanctioned events.”
The Black Stars are hoping to get their qualifying campaign back on track after failing to win any of their opening two games against Angola and Niger.
This fixture is scheduled for Friday, October 11, 2024.
Cristiano Ronaldo has revealed that he is no longer focused on being the best player in the world or chasing records.
Instead, the 39-year-old Portuguese star emphasised his desire to help his team and enjoy the game.
Speaking after Al-Nassr’s 2-1 AFC Champions League win against Al-Rayyan, where he scored his 904th career goal, Ronaldo reflected on his current priorities.
“It is not important anymore whether I am the best or not, I no longer care about that,” Ronaldo said. “I am used to breaking records, and I no longer look for them. The most important thing for me now is to enjoy and help Al-Nassr and my team-mates to win.”
Ronaldo, who joined Al-Nassr in January 2023 after leaving Manchester United, has already left an indelible mark in Saudi football, setting a new league scoring record with 35 goals in the Saudi Pro League last season.
Despite his personal achievements, Ronaldo’s focus now seems to have shifted towards his team’s success rather than individual accolades.
Looking ahead, Ronaldo hinted that he could retire with Al-Nassr, stating in August, “I don’t know if I will retire soon, in two or three years, but probably I will retire here at Al-Nassr.”
While Cristiano Ronaldo has helped Al-Nassr lift the 2023 Arab Club Champions Cup, he has yet to secure domestic or continental silverware with the club.
Despite this, the Portuguese legend has set a personal target of reaching 1,000 career goals before hanging up his boots.
Havertz may be flourishing in front of goal now, but his finishing is a world away from when he first arrived in England to sign for Chelsea in 2020.
Signed by then Blues boss Frank Lampard, he arrived as an attacking midfielder but during his time at Stamford Bridge he also played as a false nine and as a centre-forward as they tried to establish his best position.
“I think when he came to Chelsea it wasn’t quite clear,” Lampard said on Amazon Prime.
“He was a very talented player, his position wasn’t quite clear.
“He’d been a number eight more of a midfield player, he’d been a number nine and we never got to the end of his story at the Chelsea. What was his best position?”
In his three years at Chelsea he never scored more than eight Premier League goals in a season.
Havertz did score the winner in the Champions League final against Manchester City in 2021, but he also missed some pretty big chances throughout his time at the club and when Arsenal paid £65m to sign him last summer, it raised a few eyebrows.
Initially, his struggles in front of goal continued and it took him 10 games to score his first goal for the club.
But Arteta’s faith in Havertz as a striker eventually paid off and he finished last term with a respectable 13 Premier League goals.
Against PSG, he displayed all the facets to his game likely picked up from having played a number of positions before finally setting into the striker role.
His touch map showed him dropping deep to help start attacks, drifting wide and in the box he showed just how clinical he can be by scoring from one of just five touches he had in the area.
“He plays that hybrid role where he is in midfield and then he is arriving [in the box],” Lampard added.
“He is really getting to grips with that competitive edge which gives him another layer.
“There is a natural talent and he has always had it.”