The European Championship is the top International tournament for European nations to compete in. Euro 2020 was a unique event in a number of ways as it was held across 11 nations to celebrate the 60th anniversary of the competition.
It also took place a year later than expected in July of 2021 because of the effects of the global pandemic. Italy went on to lift the trophy for the second time in their history, beating England on Penalties at a packed Wembley Stadium.
The qualifiers for Euro 2024 have been taking place with most teams already booking their place in the finals, with the final positions to be determined by the playoffs.
Take a look below for everything you need to know about the UEFA Euro 2024 competition and who looks most likely to win it.
Euro 2024
Euro 2024 will take place in Germany with the opening game on June 14th and the final on July 14th. The final will be played at the 70,000-capacity Olympiastadion in Berlin.
The nine other cities that will host Euro 2024 matches are:
- Hamburg
- Gelsenkirchen
- Leipzig
- Dortmund
- Dusseldorf
- Cologne
- Frankfurt
- Stuttgart
- Munich
The Story of The Qualifiers
As the Euro 2024 qualifiers drew to a conclusion there were no huge shocks as all the tournament favourites progressed. The 20 teams that are confirmed to be taking part are:
- Spain
- Scotland
- Czech Republic
- Slovenia
- Italy
- Belgium
- France
- England
- Portugal
- Croatia
- Albania
- Turkey
- Austria
- Hungary
- Slovakia
- Denmark
- Netherlands
- Serbia
- Romania
- Switzerland
These 20 teams will join hosts Germany and the final 3 competitors will be decided through the playoff system.
As many would have predicted, the top scorers from the qualifiers included the likes of Cristiano Ronaldo who finished second with 10 goals, Kylian Mbappe who scored 9, and Harry Kane who netted 8 times.
The top scorer during the qualifying campaign was Belgium’s Romelu Lukaku who scored 14. Surprisingly, Manchester United’s Scott McTominay helped Scotland to qualify with 7 goals.
The Favourites for Euro 2024
The usual suspects can be found at the top of the favourites for Euro 2024 with England’s crop of talented players currently leading the way with odds of around 4/1. France is close behind at 9/2 with Germany and Spain the next most likely to win the tournament according to bookmakers.
Of course, betting odds will vary between operators and it makes sense to shop around for the best price. You will find a wide selection of online betting sites in bettingsites.co.uk that offer a wide range of Euro 2024 betting markets.
If you are considering placing a bet, here is a bit more information on the favourites that will help you make a decision.
England
England are seen as the current favourites to lift the trophy, but Gareth Southgate still has a way to go before he convinces all the England fans he is the right man for the job. He has been criticised for team selections, especially under-fire Manchester United centre-half Harry Maguire.
There is still plenty of time before the tournament begins for him to decide on his squad and he will be hoping players like Marcus Rashford, Jadon Sancho, and Raheem Sterling can return to their previous form that made them so formidable.
England’s recent 1-1 draw against North Macedonia drew criticism, but it was an experimental side that saw players like Rico Lews, Marc Guehi, and Ollie Watkins get some minutes under their belts.
The England goalkeeper position is another area where confidence isn’t as high as it could be. Jordan Pickford retains the number 1 shirt for now and Aaron Ramsdale seems to have dropped out of favour at Arsenal.
Southgate will be hoping the current captain Harry Kane continues his scintillating club form at Bayern Munich, and that he stays clear of injury. 21 goals in just 16 appearances for the German giants show just how important he is to England’s chances.
France
Having narrowly missed out to Argentina in the World Cup Final, France will be keen to put that disappointment behind them in Germany.
Kylian Mbappe is the undoubted star of the French team. At just 24, it feels like he has been around for much longer and his blistering pace is something that strikes fear into the heart of all defences. Despite not lifting the World Cup, Mbappe still managed to score a hat trick in the final and is a good bet for the top goalscorer of the tournament.
Didier Deschamps has proved to be as successful in management as he was on the pitch and his current France squad is packed with talent. Antoine Griezmann’s return to form and an embarrassment of riches in defence mean France is a real threat.
Theo Hernandez, Lucas Hernandez, Ibrahima Konate, Wesley Fofana, Jules Kounde, Dayot Upamecano, and William Saliba are just some of the defensive options available to the French and they will be confident they can reach the latter stages.
Germany
Despite not being favourites, you should never write off the German national team. An ageing side is the biggest problem facing Julian Nagelsmann, who ironically enough is the second youngest coach Germany has had at 36.
The home advantage will give this team a much-needed boost and the likes of Gnabry, Sane, Wirtz, and Musiala have the talent to shine at this tournament.
Spain
Spain topped their Euro qualifier group but it wasn’t plain sailing for them with a surprise away defeat to Scotland giving them cause for concern. The team rallied to enjoy a comfortable qualification and players like Rodri and Gavi showed that this is not a team to take lightly.
The Others
Ronaldo’s Portugal are fifth favourites for the tournament. Despite his age, he was still able to finish second in the goalscoring charts for the qualifiers, showing he has the same drive that can help spur the Portuguese national team on.
Current holders Italy find themselves as joint sixth favourites alongside the Netherlands and Belgium. It is fair to say that all of these teams have had better squads in the past, but they still carry a threat.
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