No one can deny the massive impact of football and how it continues to be one of the world’s most popular sports. With the thrill of each sports match, there are a lot of fans who have grown fond of how exciting each game turns out. As a result, fans are excited to witness sports events like the UEFA European Football Championship this year, or what some people call as EURO 2024.
This edition will be held in Germany with games spread out over ten different cities. Since this event is participated among several impressive football-playing countries, fans and analysts are already making predictions of which teams are likely to win the title.
As early as 2024, football enthusiasts are already excited to learn about the team lineups so they can place the best bets when they go to sports betting sites like Sportsbet_io. If you are among the curious fans, here are five teams that are primed to win this remarkable football tournament that’s held every four years:
Germany
Germany, the tournament’s host country, will be looking to take advantage of having the home field advantage. The Germans have won the competition three times, so they are no strangers to victory on the global stage.
It is said that Germany will be a tough opponent for any side in the tournament, given the fact that it’s led by a young, skilled group of players. This includes Kai Havertz, Jamal Musiala, and Florian Wirtz.
Italy
As the defending champion, many fans are keeping a close eye on Italy to see whether or not they can score a back-to-back win. So far, the team is looking good, especially with their topsy-turvy form that they have achieved with the help of Roberto Mancini. Although the team might not be as impressive as they were the last season, there are still several fans who are rooting to see them achieve a back-to-back win.
France
After the team’s strong run in the previous World Cup, many fans are rooting for France to dominate the Euro 2024. After the retirement of Hugo Lloris, many are excited about the team’s new captain Kylian Mbappe who is continuously making waves in the football industry.
Spain
Spain has a long history of accomplishment in international competitions, winning the Euro three times. Despite not being that dominant in the sport recently, they have a great lineup that comprises players like Ferran Torres, Iñigo Martinez, and Pedro Porro. If they manage to score some great wins, they will be a team to watch out for.
Netherlands
The Netherlands has consistently produced great athletes, and the present group of players is no exception. The Dutch will be seeking to make a statement at Euro 2024, with players Matthijs de Ligt, Joey Veerman, and Cody Gakpo. They have the talent to go all the way this time, despite the fact that they haven’t won a significant international competition since Euro 1988.
England
After landing a good spot in the 2018 World Cup, England has high hopes about winning the Euro 2024. So far, the team is filled with a promising roster of players like Harry Kane, Phil Foden, Jadon Sancho, and Bukayo Saka. Since they showed a great performance in their recent match, many fans also believe that they will be a tough team to beat in this year’s competition.
Portugal
Portugal is also one of the teams that fans expect to give a stellar performance in the Euro 2024, especially as it was confirmed that Cristiano Ronaldo will be playing for the team. Aside from how he is expected to prove his might in the field, he will also be playing alongside other players like Bruno Fernandes, Bernardo Silva, Joao Cancelo, and Nuno Mendes. With the team’s impressive lineup, the team is seen to have a bigger chance to win their 2nd ever Euro title.
About the tournament
Aside from the impressive teams that are yet to face head-to-head against each other, there are several other impressive factors that fans would have to know about this tournament.
Official dates and venues
All the matches are to be played from June 14 to July 14, 2024. Organised by the UEFA, all the games are to be held in Germany. This will be the third time when the Euro series will be played in German territory. With the upcoming season to be held on the said schedule, the tournament will be returning to its usual four-year cycle after the 2020 edition was postponed amid COVID-19.
Euro 2024 will cover 51 matches, all of which are to be held among ten impressive venues across Germany. These are:
- Berlin: Olympiastadion (Olympiastadion Berlin)
- Munich: Allianz Arena (Munich Football Arena)
- Dortmund: Signal Iduna Park (BVB Stadion Dortmund)
- Stuttgart: Mercedes-Benz Arena (Stuttgart Arena)
- Gelsenkirchen: Veltins-Arena (Arena AufSchalke)
- Frankfurt: Deutsche Bank Park (Frankfurt Arena)
- Hamburg: Volksparkstadion (Volksparkstadion Hamburg)
- Düsseldorf: Merkur Spielarena (Düsseldorf Arena)
- Cologne: RheinEnergieStadion (Cologne Stadium)
- Leipzig: Red Bull Arena (Leipzig Stadium)
These venues can accommodate more than 30,000 spectators. The final match for the entire tournament will be held at Berlin.
Tournament format
There are 53 teams that will participate in the Euro 2024 and each of them will be competing in several matches that will determine the best among the best. So far, these teams are split into ten groups of five or six. Each group will play home and away games in a round-robin format, with the group winners and runners-up will move on to the next stage.
Generally speaking, Euro 2024 will follow the same structure as UEFA EURO 2020. This means that the top two finishers in each of the six final tournament groups, along with the top four third-place finishers, will advance to the round of 16.
Participating teams
If you haven’t seen which teams will be participating this season, here’s a list of the groupings for Euro 2024:
- Group A: Spain, Scotland, Norway, Georgia, Cyprus
- Group B: Netherlands, France, Republic of Ireland, Greece, Gibraltar
- Group C: Italy, England, Ukraine, North Macedonia, Malta
- Group D: Croatia, Wales, Armenia, Türkiye, Latvia
- Group E: Poland, Czechia, Albania, Faroe Islands, Moldova
- Group F: Belgium, Austria, Sweden, Azerbaijan, Estonia
- Group G: Hungary, Serbia, Montenegro, Bulgaria, Lithuania
- Group H: Denmark, Finland, Slovenia, Kazakhstan, Northern Ireland, San Marino
- Group I: Switzerland, Israel, Romania, Kosovo, Belarus, Andorra
- Group J: Portugal, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Iceland, Luxembourg, Slovakia, Liechtenstein
These are just some of the best teams that a lot of fans look forward to seeing at the upcoming Euro 2024, as well as some facts to learn about the entire tournament.