10 Most Disappointing Players Of World Cup 2018's Group Stage
They were expected to do so much better.
Before any World Cup begins, there's so much excitement and such crazy expectations, it's almost impossible for even the best players to live up to all that hype. Every player, no matter how talented, is only human and always capable of having a bad game or cracking under pressure.
Some of the sport's biggest names like Cristiano Ronaldo, Harry Kane, and Romelu Lukaku have stepped up to the plate and performed fantastically at the World Cup so far, but others who were tipped to do well have massively struggled.
A lot was expected of these players, and some of them are still in the competition and will be doing all they can to get back on track and prove why they were chosen in their nation's final squads. For the time being, however, they've had forgettable tournaments and offered little to their country's campaigns.
Maybe the pressure has gotten to them or maybe they've just been unlucky. Either way, these aren't necessarily the worst players of the World Cup so far, but they have to go down as the most disappointing individuals for their failure to replicate their domestic form on the biggest stage of them all.
10. Ousmane Dembélé
Plenty of pre-tournament hype was focused on the attacking talents of France, with young players like Kylian Mbappé and Ousmane Dembélé expected to light up the tournament with their raw talent and flair. Mbappé has been a revelation, but Dembélé struggled to show the same flair and talent as his compatriot.
Renowned for his confidence, speed, and trickery, Dembélé has been a shadow of the player that Barcelona were happy to spend over €100 million on just a year ago. He's attempted nine crosses so far, failing to connect with any of them, and only managed three shots in the group stage, all of which were off target.
It's possible that Dembélé's injury woes over the last year have played some part in his lack of form, and he'll really need to step up to play any role in Les Bleus growing challenge for the World Cup trophy.