The best XI to never win the Euros: Featured Kylian Mbappe, Kevin De Bruyne

The European Championships are one of the biggest sporting events on the annual calendar. It sees the continent’s best players go head-to-head in an attempt to walk away with the golden prize. However, the competition’s winners list is short, meaning most world-class players miss out on lifting the famous trophy.

Sometimes those players are prevented from winning it due to a weaker team around them. They might represent a ‘lesser nation’ which is incapable of beating Europe’s best. Meanwhile, in other instances, players might be part of a golden generation for a country, yet they fall short due to the pressure that comes with competing at the Euros.

Euro 2024 in Germany this summer offers the modern-day glut of brilliant non-winners another opportunity to claim continental glory. Ahead of the month-long festival of football, here’s a look at the greatest combined XI of players who have never won the Euros.

GK – Manuel Neuer

Germany

Manuel Neuer is one of the greatest goalkeepers of all time. He transformed the role as a sweeper keeper, capable of starting attacks with the flick of a switch. It’s seen him win everything possible for his club, Bayern Munich, but he’s never won the Euros with Germany. Neuer helped his country win the World Cup in 2014, beating Argentina 1-0 in the final, yet the goalkeeper has failed to replicate that success in the continental competition. The closest he came was in 2012 and 2016, when Germany lost 2-1 and 2-0 to Italy and France respectively in the semi-finals.

RB – Philipp Lahm

Germany

However, Neuer isn’t the only German player to feature on this list. Just like his former teammate, Philipp Lahm is one of the greatest right-backs of all time after he made the switch from midfield. The German won everything with Bayern Munich alongside the 2014 World Cup with Neuer, yet the Euros always escaped his grasp. At Euro 2008, Germany lost 1-0 to Spain in the final thanks to a first-half strike from Fernando Torres. Lahm started that match at left-back, yet – in truth – he could play a variety of positions. His versatility was key to Germany, even if it never won them a European Championship.

CB – Rio Ferdinand

England

Rio Ferdinand played a key part in England’s golden generation as one of the greatest Premier League centre-backs of all time. The regal defender played for West Ham, Leeds and then Manchester United for the majority of his career. However, on the international stage, Ferdinand struggled alongside an England squad that was – on paper – the best in the world. He played in 10 World Cup matches, yet remarkably, he never played a match at the Euros. He was not picked for selection at the 2000 or 2012 tournaments, England didn’t qualify in 2008, and he was banned for Euro 2004 due to missing a drugs test.

CB – Paolo Maldini

Italy

Alongside Ferdinand, Paolo Maldini is also considered one of the greatest defenders of all time. He could play on the left or in the middle of the backline and was just as impressive in either position. Maldini played over 120 times for Italy, even scoring seven goals, but his success was never replicated at the Euros. He helped Italy reach the final of Euro 2000 where they lost 2-1 to France in Rotterdam. Meanwhile, his two other appearances in 1988 and 1996 were not as successful. Maldini lost in the semi-finals to the Soviet Union at the start of his long international career before bowing out in the group stages of the competition on English soil.

LB – Ashley Cole

England

Ashley Cole’s ability to solidify the defence of his club, most notably Chelsea and Arsenal, and then for his country, was remarkable. Cole possessed a level of defensive and attacking quality which very few had. He played for England at two European Championships, in 2004 and 2012. In 2004, he played the full 120 minutes as England lost on penalties to Portugal in the quarter-finals. In 2012, he didn’t miss a second one again during another shootout heartbreak at the same stage to Italy on that occasion. It highlights a running theme in Cole’s career, despite his remarkable club success.

CM – Steven Gerrard

England

Steven Gerrard helped Liverpool conquer Europe in 2005, winning the Champions League against AC Milan with a Man of the Match performance. However, he wasn’t able to replicate those spectacular nights in his international career. Despite having a golden generation, England failed to reach a single semi-final. At Euro 2000, they were knocked out in the group stages, while in 2004 and 2012, they exited the competition on penalties at the hands of Portugal and Italy. Gerrard produced a handful of impressive performances for his country, yet he often struggled to build chemistry with world-class midfielders Paul Scholes and Frank Lampard.

CM – Kevin De Bruyne

Belgium

Kevin De Bruyne was at the heart of Belgium’s golden generation from 2016 to 2022, yet – just like England – they always fell short. De Bruyne has won everything possible in England and continental football with Manchester City, highlighting his spectacular creativity. However, even his remarkable performances for his country couldn’t be converted into a gold medal. At Euro 2016, they were stunned by underdogs Wales in the quarter-finals as Hal Robson-Kanu scored a spectacular solo goal to seal victory. At Euro 2020, Belgium were knocked out in the quarter-finals by eventual champions Italy, while their misery continued at Euro 2024 too.

CM – Frank Lampard

England

Frank Lampard is the final English player on this list — and it showcases how the golden generation truly failed to live up to expectations, particularly at Euro 2004. Lampard’s England career saw him amass more than a century of caps for the Three Lions, with over 40 goal contributions. Iconic moments focused on his disappointment though, most notably his ‘ghost goal’ against Germany which was somehow not awarded by the referee. The Chelsea legend scored three times at Euro 2004, including a 115th-minute equaliser against Portugal in the quarter-finals, but they were still knocked out in the dreaded penalty shootout.

RW – Gareth Bale

Wales

Gareth Bale has a reputation for being one of the greatest wingers in Premier League history. His transition from inconsistent left-back to pacey and frightening forward is one of the most remarkable rises football has seen – and Wales felt the true power of his ability. The country had not qualified for the Euros since 1988 before 2016. Bale led them back to glory at Euro 2016, where they finished top of the group – ahead of bitter rivals England – and then beat Northern Ireland and Belgium in the knockout stages. Euro 2020 was not as successful, with Wales knocked out in the Round of 16 after a 4-0 defeat to Denmark, but the fact they qualified again speaks volumes about Bale’s world-class nature.

ST – Eusebio

Portugal

Eusebio is the only player on this list who played before the 1980s. Football was completely different to what it is now, but – despite the poor conditions and heavy ball – Eusebio still glided across the pitch to cause issues. Yet despite his quality – and Portugal’s reputation in the modern day – they never qualified for the Euros whilst Eusebio was playing. The first Euros they qualified for was in 1984, 13 years after the Portuguese superstar retired. He only ever featured in one major tournament, the 1966 World Cup, winning the Golden Boot as Portugal finished third in impressive circumstances.

LW – Kylian Mbappe

France

Finally, Kylian Mbappe has been one of the world’s best players on the international stage since his remarkable debut tournament at the 2018 World Cup. The Frenchman became the second teenager – after Pele – to score in a World Cup final, yet his team’s success has not been replicated at the Euros. At his only European Championships, Mbappe and France were knocked out in the round of 16 by Switzerland. The match finished 3-3 and then Mbappe missed the deciding penalty to send his country home. It came after the Paris Saint-Germain striker failed to score a single goal in four matches across the competition. Euro 2024 was more of the same for Mbappe and France, being knocked out by Spain at the semi-final stage, while the forward himself was on the receiving end of a broken nose that severally impacted his play.