No one can deny the massive influence of football and how it continues to be one of the most popular sports in the world. With the thrill of each and every sports match, there are a lot of fans who are eager to see how exciting each game turns out to be. As a result, fans are excited to see sporting events like the UEFA European Football Championship, or what some call Euro 2024, this year.
This edition will be held in Germany with the games spread over ten different cities. Since many influential football-playing nations participate in the event, fans and analysts are already speculating which teams are most likely to win the title.
As early as 2023, football enthusiasts are already excited to know about the team lineups so that they can place the best bets when they visit sports betting sites like Sportsbet.io. If you are among the keen fans, here are the five teams that are vying to win this remarkable football tournament that is held every four years:
Germany
Germany, the host nation of the tournament, will look to take home field advantage. The Germans have won the competition three times, so they are no strangers to victories 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 is being led by a young, skilful group of players. This includes Kai Havertz, Jamal Musiala and Florian Wirtz.
Italy
As the defending champions, many fans are keeping a close eye on Italy to see if they can pull off back-to-back wins. So far, the team is looking good, especially with their fluctuating form which they have achieved with the help of Roberto Mancini. Although the team may not be as impressive as last season, there are still many fans who are looking for them to pull off back-to-back wins.
France
After the team’s strong showing in the last World Cup, many fans are calling for France to dominate at Euro 2024. Following the retirement of Hugo Lloris, many are excited about the new captain of the team, Kylian Mbappe, who continues to make waves in the football industry.
spain
Spain has a long history of achievement in international competitions, winning the Euros three times. Despite not being as dominant in recent games, they have a great lineup that includes players like Ferran Torres, Inigo Martínez and Pedro Porro. If they manage to pull off some impressive wins, they will be a team to watch out for.
Netherlands
The Netherlands has consistently produced great athletes, and the current group of players is no exception. The Dutch player will look to make a statement at Euro 2024 alongside Matthijs de Ligt, Joey Weermann and Cody Gakpo. They have the talent to step up this time, despite the fact that they haven’t won a major international competition since Euro 1988.
england
After finishing in a good position in the 2018 World Cup, England have high hopes of winning Euro 2024. As of now, the team is filled with a promising roster of players like Harry Kane, Phil Foden, Jadon Sancho and Bukayo Saka. Since they performed brilliantly 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 whose fans are expecting a great performance at Euro 2024, especially after it was confirmed that Cristiano Ronaldo will play for the team. In addition to being expected to prove his mettle on the field, he will also play alongside other players such as Bruno Fernandes, Bernardo Silva, Joao Cancelo and Nuno Mendes. With the impressive lineup of the team, the team has a great chance to win its second Euro title.
about the tournament
Apart from the impressive teams that are yet to face off against each other, there are several other influential factors that fans need to know about this tournament.
Official Dates and Locations
All matches are to be played from 14 June to 14 July 2024. All games organized by UEFA are to be held in Germany. This will be the third time that the Euro Series will be played on German soil. With the upcoming season taking place on the said schedule, the tournament will return to its normal four-year cycle following the postponement of the 2020 edition amid COVID-19.
Euro 2024 will feature 51 matches, all of which are to be held between ten impressive venues across Germany. These:
- 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 Spielerena (Düsseldorf Arena)
- Cologne: Rheinenergistadion (Cologne Stadium)
- Leipzig: Red Bull Arena (Leipzig Stadium)
These venues can seat over 30,000 spectators. The final match of the entire tournament will be held in Berlin.
Tournament Format
There are 53 teams that will participate in Euro 2024 and each of them will compete in a number of matches that will determine the best of the best. So far, these teams have been divided 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 progressing 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
In case you haven’t seen which teams will be participating this season, here is the list of groups 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 some of the best teams that a lot of fans are looking forward to seeing at the upcoming Euro 2024, along with some facts to know about the tournament as a whole.