Few clubs in world football live under a spotlight as unforgiving as Real Madrid. Victory is expected, dominance is normalized, and failure—no matter the context—is magnified. That reality makes any elimination from the Copa del Rey a seismic event, but when it arrives unexpectedly and is followed by a public acceptance of blame from Álvaro Arbeloa, the story becomes about far more than a single match. It becomes a lens into Real Madrid’s identity, its development pipeline, and the standards that govern even those still learning the game. This was not simply a footballing defeat. It was a moment of institutional reflection. The Copa del Rey: Tradition, Pressure, and the Madrid Expectation The Copa del Rey has always occupied a unique place in Spanish football. While La Liga rewards consistency and the Champions League offers global prestige, the Copa represents heritage, unpredictability, and national pride. For Real Madrid, however, the competition has historically carried a complicat...
The most disappointing Copa America 2024 players did not contribute to their teams when it was most important, and others even (literally) failed to show up.
Here's a look at the five most unimpressive players representing their countries in Copa America 2024.
Copa America 2024's most disappointing players, ranked.
5. Enner Valencia (Ecuador)
Although Ecuador's chances of defeating incumbent winners Argentina in the quarterfinals were poor, if Valencia had delivered, La Tri may have pulled off the tournament's biggest upset. The skipper missed a penalty in the 62nd minute, which would have brought his team level with La Albiceleste.
If Valencia had scored from the spot, Ecuador would have won the game 2-1. Instead, they lost in a penalty shootout.
4. Tim Weah (USA)
The United States would go on to lose 2-1 to Panama, effectively ending their chances of moving to the knockout rounds. Gregg Berhalter's team then faced Uruguay in their final group stage encounter without Weah, and they were unable to score, ending their Copa America 2024 season on home soil before it had begun.
3. Santiago Gimenez (Mexico)
The striker started all three group stage games for Mexico but did not score a single goal or assist in 219 minutes. El Tri was expected to advance from Group B, however they managed to score only one goal throughout the competition. Gimenez's failure at the top led to Mexico's early elimination.
2. Rodrygo (Brazil)
Rodrygo's lack of playmaking is inexcusable, especially given that he scored 16 goals for Los Blancos in all competitions this season and assisted eight times. It should be noted, however, that Dorival Junior began the 23-year-old as a striker in three of Brazil's four games, which is not Rodrygo's natural or favored position.
1.Vinicius Jr(Brazil)
Vini Jr. netted a brace against Paraguay, but that was his sole success this summer. In the Selecao's other two group stage matches, the 23-year-old was almost inconspicuous and did not create many scoring chances.
To cap off his disappointing group stage performance, Vini Jr. received a one-game suspension for yellow card accumulation, and therefore missed Brazil's quarterfinal encounter against Uruguay. Dorival Junior's team went on to lose against La Celeste in a penalty shootout.
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