The Euros might not have the global appeal of the World Cup, but you can certainly make the case that it’s the second biggest international football tournament on the planet. This year’s edition will take place in Germany, kicking off on June 14th in Munich, with the final taking place one month later in Berlin.
As one of the crown jewels in the footballing world, all twenty-four nations competing in the tournament will have dreams of lifting the trophy. In reality, there’s probably only a handful who can realistically claim to be contenders. Let’s take a look at some of the countries that will be quietly confident of going all the way.
England: Favourites for Glory?
It’s been a long, long time since England’s men’s team won a major football tournament. You have to go back nearly sixty years, to 1966, when the side lifted the World Cup on home soil. Since then, it’s been a series of disappointments. But there are signs that England are gearing up to add another major trophy to their cabinet. After good performances in the past couple of tournaments, online sports betting websites like Betano have made England one of the favourites to win this summer’s Euro 2024 tournament. In Harry Kane, Phil Foden, and Jude Bellingham, manager Southgate possesses some of the best players in Europe, and so long as it doesn’t come down to penalties against Germany, they’ll be quietly confident that they can get the job done.
France: Always Contenders
France didn’t perform at their highest level at Euro 2020, losing to Switzerland in the last 16. But their performance in the World Cup, where they narrowly lost in the final to Messi’s Argentina, showed that they’re getting close to being back to their best.
They’re second favourites to win the Euros, just behind England, but fans of Les Bleus won’t be overly concerned. They know that, on their best day, they can beat anyone, especially since they have two of the world’s best attacking players in the shape of Kylian Mbappe and Antoine Griezmann. Add in the many young talented players they have on the roster, and you have a potent team that looks solid across the pitch.
They’ve already won two Euro championships in the past. If they can claim their third this summer, they’ll join Germany and Italy at the top of the titles leaderboard. If the team can stay in harmony, which is not guaranteed with the French national team, then don’t be surprised if they make it happen.
Germany: Out of Form, but In with a Chance
Germany haven’t been playing at their highest level in recent years, but it’s still Germany, and that means that they’ll always have a chance. That they host this year’s tournament should provide an additional boost of motivation, which may help compensate for some of the team’s shortcomings.
They’ll likely rely heavily on striker Niclas Fullkrug, who just can’t seem to stop scoring for the national team. If youngsters Maximilian Beier and Florian Wirtz can use this tournament to announce themselves on the world stage, then the team may have enough to lift the trophy in front of their home supporters.
The Netherlands: Always a Wildcard
The Netherlands’ football team is stacked with talent, but then again, they always have been. What’s different this year is that all of their leading players are in good form and, most importantly, they seem to be playing as a team. With Van Dijk controlling the defence, De Roon commanding midfielder, and Depay up front, the team looks balanced enough to beat anyone on a good day. The Netherlands are a wildcard, however, capable of brilliance but also moments of madness, so we’ll have to see which version of the team turns up in Germany.