Top 10 Players To Have Never Won The Euros

jonjoward1998
Jul 15, 2025
6 min read

Many of the greatest players in the game have been lucky enough to win the Euros including the likes of Zidane, Xavi, Iniesta, Van Basten and Ronaldo.

But whilst many of the greats have won the tournament, there have also been a number of great players who never won the tournament.

They might've lit up the Euros when they played in it, but despite the influential performances they put in for their side's, they weren't able to get their hands on the famous trophy.

It was around this time last year where England had their hearts broken yet again by losing in the final to Spain and it's quite fitting to have this top 10 around this time.

None of their players are list as they're all still playing and will get another chance to win the Euros in the future.

Most of the players in the list were losing finalists and here it is:

Zlatan Ibrahimovic

Luis Figo

Paul Gascoigne

Gianluigi Buffon

Philipp Lahm

Paolo Maldini

Wayne Rooney

Antoine Griezmann

Manuel Neuer

Andrea Pirlo

Wayne Rooney

Rooney played in three Euros with England but he only delivered in one of them in 2004, which was his first tournament with the national side.

Euro 2004 was the tournament where he announced himself on the European stage and he did so by scoring 4 goals at the age of just 18.

But his tournament was unfortunately ended by injury and had he not picked up that injury against Portugal in the Quarter Finals, England might've gone all the way. But we'll never know.

He didn't have the same impact in the other two Euros he played in and it was because the England teams he was part of in both tournaments were not the strongest.

That was arguably the reason why he didn't deliver enough for England in major tournaments overall.

Paul Gascoigne

Gazza has been mentioned in pretty much every international top 10 I've done so far and he's getting another mention in this one.

He played at just one Euros for England in 1996 where they reached the semi finals and where he was one of their standout performers.

He scored arguably the best goal at that tournament in his volley against Scotland and was one of the standout players at the tournament.

He almost sent England into the final of that tournament when he couldn't quite convert Alan Shearer's low cross in extra time of England's semi final against Germany.

England might've won that tournament had he not missed that golden chance.

Luis Figo

Figo probably should've been higher as he's a Ballon D'or winner and one of the finest players of his generation.

He played in three Euros for Portugal in 1996, 2000 and 2004, the latter of which he was a runner up after Portugal were beaten in the final by Greece.

He was named in the team of the tournament that year as well as at Euro 2000 where Portugal reached the semi finals, where they were beaten by eventual winners France.

He was an incredible player to watch on his day as he was quick, skilful, agile, and a brilliant crosser of the ball.

Antoine Griezmann

Griezmann was a runner up with France in 2016 where he was named player of the tournament and won the golden boot with 6 goals.

But despite his goal and influential performances, France were beaten in the final by Portugal and for him not to win that tournament was so unfortunate because of how good he was.

He played in two more Euros after 2016 in 2021 and 2024 before retiring from international football after the latter. But France flattered to deceive at both as they went out in the last 16 in 2021, and were flat throughout 2024 despite reaching the semi finals.

Gianluigi Buffon

Buffon played in four Euros with Italy in 2004, 2008, 2012 and 2016 respectively, but he wasn't able to get his hands on the trophy on any of those occasions.

The closest he got to winning the Euros came in 2012 where Italy went all the way to the final, only to get hammered 4-0 by a very good Spain side.

He was brilliant throughout that tournament by being a solid presence between the sticks and making a number of crucial saves to keep his team in games.

He had a brilliant international career for Italy as he won the World Cup in 2006 and went on to captain the side for a good number of years.

Paolo Maldini

Maldini played in three Euros for Italy in 1988, 1996 and 2000 respectively and was named in the team of the tournament in every single one.

He reached the final in 2000 where Italy were a matter of seconds away from victory, only for France to equalise right at the end of normal time before going on to win in extra time courtesy of David Trezeguet's golden goal.

He was one of the finest defenders to ever play the game as he always timed his tackles to perfection, was always in the right place to make a crucial intervention, and he could also play at both full back and centre back.

He surprisingly didn't win anything at international level as he retired from international football after the 2002 World Cup, four years before Italy would go on to win it in 2006.

Manuel Neuer

Neuer never reached the final of the Euros for Germany with his furthest he ever got to being the semi finals twice in 2012 and 2016 respectively.

2012 was probably his best chance to win it as Germany were very much a side in their prime back then with the likes of Lahm, Hummels, Ozil, Muller, Schweinsteiger and Kroos in their side.

Germany did have a good side in 2016 and Neuer was again excellent throughout that tournament. But the Germans were not the same side that won the World Cup four years prior as they looked flat for much of the group stages.

Keepers never get highly ranked on any list, but Neuer deserves to be on this one as he is for me the greatest keeper of all-time due to his ability to both make big saves and be effective in possession.

He changed the role of a keeper by being able to use his feet and come out of his penalty area to clear the ball up the pitch.

Zlatan Ibrahimovic

Zlatan played in four Euros with Sweden in 2004, 2008, 2012 and 2016 respectively scoring 6 goals overall.

But he never went very far in any of them with the furthest he reached being the Quarter Finals in 2004.

One reason why he never went far in the Euros was definitely because the rest of the Sweden team were not on the same level as him, and were solely reliant on him for so many years.

He should probably be lower because he got nowhere near to winning the Euros. But when you look at the career he had and the player he was, he deserves to be this high up.

Philipp Lahm

Lahm was a runner up with Germany in 2008 where they were beaten in the final by Spain and he was named in the team of the tournament.

He played in three Euros for Germany with his other appearances coming in 2004 and 2012 where he impressed in both tournaments like he did in 2008.

He was arguably Germany's only bright spark in 2004 as they went crashing out at the group stages in his first major tournament at just 20 years of age.

He was already one of if not the best right back in the world when Euro 2012 came round and he showed it by putting in many all-round good solid performances.

Andrea Pirlo

Pirlo had to be my no.1 because of how technically gifted he was and the kind and calibre of player he was throughout his career.

He was a runner up with Italy in 2012 where he was one of the players of the tournament as he controlled games from midfield with his vision and range of passing.

He absolutely bossed it in the Quarter Final against England where he delivered an absolute midfield masterclass as he ran the show from midfield. England couldn't get anywhere near him all game because of how good he was on the day.

He played in two Euros before 2012 in 2004, where Italy went out at the group stages and 2008, where they went out at the Quarter Finals to eventual winners Spain.

MY TOP 10: