From June 14th to July 14th, 24 teams will compete for the European Cup, which will be held in Germany. This year’s edition will be full of great stars and very competitive teams, who prepare hard every four years for this moment.
Ready for EURO 2024! 🤩#EURO2024 pic.twitter.com/Fb7WEdgJff
— UEFA EURO 2024 (@EURO2024) March 26, 2024
A Sports Gazette separated the big favorites to win this European Championship, explaining their strengths and the path to qualifying for the competition.
- Germany (Champion in 1972, 1980 and 1996)
Germany will play at home throughout this European Championship. The 2020 edition (held in 2021) was played in several European countries and the Germans played the entire group stage at the Allianz Arena. Precisely because it is the host country, the German team did not compete in the Euro qualifiers. With the return of Toni Kroos from international retirement and the talent of players like Kai Havertz, Jamal Musiala and Kimmich, Germany will be firmly in search of their fourth Euro championship.
- Spain (Champion in 1964, 2008 and 2012)
The Spanish team is coming strong for this Euro Cup. The Spanish had a great campaign in the qualifiers, with seven wins in eight games and qualified in first place in their group. To achieve their fourth tournament title, Spain will mix the experience of players like Carvajal, Nacho Fernández and Jesús Navas, with the talent and youth of athletes like Pedri, Rodri and Lamine Yamal.
- France (Champion in 1984 and 2000)
The current runners-up in the world want their third European Cup title. Despite falling into a group with the Netherlands and Greece in the qualifiers, France had no difficulties and qualified undefeated and in first place in the group, with seven wins and a draw. On German territory, the French will be led by Kylian Mbappé and Antoine Griezmann, who know the path to trophies with their country. Both were World Cup champions in 2018 with France.
- England (Runner-up in 2020)
England will need to overcome their traumas to win their first European Cup. Despite being the “founders” of football, the English only reached the final of the competition on one occasion. In the 2020 edition (held in 2021), at home, the English team was defeated on penalties by Italy in the grand final. In the qualifiers, England met the Italians again, but did not disappoint: they qualified undefeated and in first place in the group with six wins and two draws.
- Italy (Champion in 1968 and 2020)
Italy will defend its title in this edition. The current champions arrive with a lot of pressure for this European Championship, after almost failing to qualify for the tournament. The Italians finished second in their group with the same score as third-placed Ukraine and, thanks to goal difference, reached the competition. The Italian team has names like Chiesa, Donnarumma and Barella to have a good Euro.
- Portugal (Champion in 2016)
Cristiano Ronaldo’s team was the only team to finish the Euro qualifiers with 100% success: ten games and ten wins. To win their second title, the Portuguese have countless talented players such as Rafael LeĂŁo, RĂşben Dias and Bernardo Silva. Despite not being an absolute starter, CR7 is still Portugal’s great reference.
Source: Gazetaesportiva
Kingston is an accomplished author and journalist, known for his in-depth and engaging writing on sports. He currently works as a writer at 247 News Agency, where he has established himself as a respected voice in the sports industry.
