Euro 2024 Favorites: The Main Contenders for Gold

UEFA holds a European Championship where national teams participate every four years. The next edition is expected to take place in the summer of 2024 in Germany.

Six groups of four teams will battle it out on a round-robin basis, with the top two teams from each group and the four best third-placed teams making it to the last 16. That will mark the beginning of the knockout phase that will go on until the final. The tournament will begin on June 14 next year and go on until July 14, with 51 matches being played to crown the ultimate champions.

Regarding the participating teams in the tournament, Germany has already qualified for it. Another 23 squads out of 53 participating European teams in the qualifying rounds will be cut by November this year. The final three teams will only be known in March 2024, after the qualifying playoffs are done.

Who Is Favorite to Win the Euros?

France

After narrowly missing out on the 2022 World Cup, France will be looking to go all the way and lift the UEFA Euro 2024 trophy. They have a very talented squad, and Kylian Mbappe is their star attraction. Les Bleus lost the World Cup Final to Argentina despite Mbappe’s hat-trick, but the team will be motivated this time to back their star player up better.

Les Bleus have already won the championship twice, and this time, they will be looking to go level with Spain and Germany by claiming their third title. Didier Deschamps will try his best to prepare his squad for all possible hurdles between them and the title during the tournament. If they can commit themselves as they did during the World Cup, there are high chances of them winning the title this time.

England

After France, England are the next Euro 2024 favorites. The Three Lions have come up with impressive performances in the last World Cup and European Championship. England made it to the quarter-finals of the Qatar World Cup, where they eventually lost to France, and were also the runners-up in the last Euro competition, where they lost to Italy on penalties.

The team has performed excellently under Gareth Southgate, but the silverware has always eluded them. Southgate also understands this could be his last chance to win a trophy with England. His position may come under scrutiny if he fails to win again with such a highly talented squad.

Germany

Germany has won the European championship three times, joint most times with Spain, but their last Euro title win came back in 1996. Before 1996, Germany also won the Euro way back in 1972 and 1980. Their performance in the last Euro championship was very underwhelming. They recorded their worst finish in the competition’s history as England knocked them out in the Round of 16.

Hansi Flick is currently in charge of the team and has built a disciplined style of play that involves a strong midfield and defence. Joshua Kimmich, Leon Goretzka and Timo Werner will be key players for Germany in Euro Cup 2024. Kimmich, in particular, has a significant role to play as he has established himself as one of the best midfielders in the world over the last couple of years.

Spain

Spain is the joint-most successful team in the history of the European championship, like Germany. They have won the title thrice and are the only team to win back-to-back tournaments (2008 and 2012). They didn’t enjoy a good outing in the Qatar World Cup as they lost on penalties to Morocco in the Round of 16, but they did pretty well to reach the semi-finals of Euro 2020, where Italy beat them on penalties.

Luis de la Fuente is managing the team following Luis Enrique’s retirement, and he hopes to bring success to the young squad. Ramos and Sergio Busquets have already exited international football, and the baton has been passed on to young players like Ansu Fati and Pedri. Spain is known for their intricate passing style known as ‘tiki-taka,’ and the players will be looking to weave their magic on the field again.

Italy

You can never count them out! Italy are the defending champions as they won Euro 2020, beating England on penalties in the final. Before that, they had won the competition only once, in 1968. But they have been a force to reckon with in recent years, and four World Cup titles to their name sums that up very well.

Italy is known for their hard style of play that involves astute defending and tactical teamwork in the midfield and forward lines. Italy also has a perfect mix of youth and experience, with players like Leonardo Bonucci, Lorenzo Insigne, and Marco Verratti on their roster. Don’t count out their goalkeeper Gianluigi Donnarumma, as he became the first goalkeeper to become the Player of the tournament in Euro 2020. Overall, they are a powerhouse and have a good chance of winning Euro 2024.

The battle for Euro 2024 is shaping into an intense and thrilling competition. Several top teams have emerged as favorites to clinch the coveted trophy, and it will be pretty exciting to see which team lifts it eventually.