Several regular goalscorers in the Premier League were unable to replicate their returns in the European Championship.
Scoring goals is often labelled as the most difficult task in football, especially at the top-level of the game. However, some who have succeeded in English football have struggled to transfer that talent to the international stage.
Phil Foden and Rasmus Hojlund were among the big names in the Premier League who failed to score at Euro 2024, though they’re not the only high-profile players to have gone goalless at the Euros.
Here are some notable Premier League goalscorers who never scored at the European Championship.
Big Premier League names who failed to score at a Euros:
David Beckham (England)
David Beckham might not have been a forward, but he was a consistent goalscorer for England in big tournaments, particularly from set-pieces. Beckham scored in each of his three World Cup appearances but his luck ran out in the Euros.
The former Manchester United and Real Madrid midfielder competed in Euro 2000 and Euro 2004 with the Three Lions but went goalless in both tournaments. He contributed with five assists but was unable to break his duck with a goal. Beckham memorably missed a penalty in the 2-1 defeat to France in 2004.
Ole Solskjaer (Norway)
A former teammate of Beckham’s at Manchester United, Ole Gunnar Solskjaer also went scoreless in the European Championship.
The Norwegian scored 126 goals during a decorated career at Old Trafford, including a famous last-gasp winner in the 1999 Champions League final. The famous ‘Super Sub’ who kept Manchester United tickets in demand developed a reputation for changing games from the bench. However, he failed to score in his sole participation at the European Championship, as Norway were eliminated at the group stage in 2000. Solskjaer, who scored 23 goals in 67 games for the national team, never competed in another major tournament.
Dimitar Berbatov (Bulgaria)
Dimitar Berbatov became Bulgaria’s joint-leading scorer after netting 48 times for the national team.
A Golden Boot winner in the Premier League while at Manchester United, the silky-skilled striker was regarded as one of the best forwards of his generation. However, he failed to make it mark at the European Championship after helping Bulgaria to qualification in 2004. A prolific presence in qualification, the goals dried up for ‘Berba’ in the tournament as Bulgaria went winless to crash out of the group stage. It remains their last major tournament appearance.
Gianfranco Zola (Italy)
Gianfranco Zola’s international career failed to live up to the early expectation. He was selected for Euro 1996 ahead of Roberto Baggio, following the latter’s fallout with head coach Arrigo Sacchi.
Zola provided an assist in Italy’s opening win of the tournament but his campaign ended in misery. Having lost to eventual runners-up Czech Republic in their second fixture, the Azzurri needed to beat Germany in their final fixture to progress.
With the game goalless, Zola was handed a golden chance from the penalty spot. The Italian icon saw his spot-kick saved by Andreas Koepke, however, and Italy crashed out of the competition. He never made another appearance at a major tournament, despite being one of the Premier League’s best-loved players during the nineties.
Nicolas Anelka (France)
Nicolas Anelka was one of Europe’s best young talents after bursting onto the scene at Arsenal as a teenager. He played his way to a high-profile move to Real Madrid and earned a place in the France squad for Euro 2000.
Les Bleus won the tournament to add to their World Cup success in 1998, though Anelka failed to find the net in a limited contribution. He later featured at Euro 2008 for France, a disastrous tournament that saw the French eliminated bottom of the ‘Group of Death’.
Eric Cantona (France)
Eric Cantona earned the nickname ‘King Eric’ at Manchester United with the French forward one of the club’s most celebrated players.
A crucial part of their early dominance of the Premier League era, Cantona was unable to earn the love and admiration of his homeland. Despite forming part of a talented core of players alongsideJean Pierre Papin, Didier Deschamps, and Laurent Blanc, he struggled to make an impact at major tournaments during a troubled period for Les Bleus.
He failed to score at Euro 1992, before France failed to qualify for the following World Cup. Cantona scored 20 goals in 45 appearances for France but none at a major tournament, before retiring from international duty in 1995.
Read –Every Premier League kit released so far ahead of 2024/25
See more –The five favourites to win the 2024/25 Premier League Golden Boot
