source
Another round of EURO 2024 qualifiers are in the books and the landscape of Europe’s biggest
International tournament has become a lot clearer. England, Scotland, Spain, France, Portugal,
Turkey, Belgium and Austria all secured their route to Germany next summer in the latest round
of qualifying fixtures as the competition for places at the showcase event heats up.
There are still some big names yet to confirm their slot alongside the eight qualifiers and hosts Germany.
Only 15 spaces remain and with only a few weeks left before it's all said and done, now seems
as good a time as any to have a look ahead at who could make an impact at next year’s
tournament.
Who are the favourites? Who are the underdogs looking to spoil the party? And
whose star will shine brightest on Europe’s biggest stage? Here’s our early preview of what to
expect at EURO 2024.
The favourites
There is a long list of nations who have a viable chance of lifting the famous trophy on the 14th
of July next year, but it’s hard to look past France as the outright pick to claim their third EUROs
crown. The 2018 World Cup winners came oh so close to securing back-to-back titles in Qatar
last year, falling at the final hurdle in a penalty shootout to the eventual winners, Lionel Messi’s
Argentina. The French squad is no less dangerous than they were on that night.
They have great team spirit and energy, and more importantly have one of the strongest squads across
Europe. With one of the world’s best in Kylian Mbappe in their ranks and Didier Deschamps’
knack of getting it right when it matters most, making their third final appearance in four
tournaments seems more likely than not. Out of the competitors that will be trying to stop Les
Bleus in their tracks, the Three Lions seem to have the best shot. Gareth Southgate’s side fell
just short of doing that in Qatar after a missed penalty from Harry Kane in the dying stages of
the quarter final gifted the French a route into the next round.
However, the 53-year-old, despite having his critics, has managed to turn England back into a legitimate force on the world stage,
capable of beating anyone on their day. The squad also contains some of the most exciting
young talent in the world, with the likes of
Jude Bellingham and Declan Rice proving their worth
time and time again. The only thing keeping them from being considered joint-favourites
alongside the French is the fact they haven’t managed to jump the final hurdle up to this point.
Regardless, there is a team synergy unlike anything seen from an England side for generations
and there are few who would doubt their credentials to go all the way in Germany. Those
wanting to bet on Euro 24 have a
wide range of available payment options when they do.
The outsiders
Aside from France and England, of the remaining four or five teams with realistic prospects of
winning it all in next year’s tournament, most people’s attention will be drawn towards the hosts.
Germany’s recent history at major tournaments has been an unmitigated disaster. Failing to
reach the knockout stages for the first time ever at the 2018 World Cup was compounded by
their round of 16 exit at the hands of England in EURO 2020, and made worse still by their
immensely disappointing showing in Qatar. The
man tasked with turning their fortunes around is former Bayern Munich boss Julian Nagelsmann and thankfully for the Germans, he is more than
capable of doing just that.
They have some great talent within their squad and they will have the
home crowd behind them, a factor that can help galvanize this group of players to achieve some
great things. While they’re a little short in the defensive department and maybe one or two shy
on striking options, it would be foolish to underestimate their potential on home soil. Similarly
looking to cause a stir are the Spaniards who have been firing on all cylinders as of late. A
shock defeat to Scotland at Hampden in the early stages of qualifying threatened to continue
their shaky form following a disappointing World Cup campaign. But La Furia Roja have been
near-perfect since then, winning all four games to secure qualification and scoring 16 goals in
the process.
They are amongst the most dangerous sides in the tournament and should not be
taken lightly. It’s a similar story for their Iberian counterparts Portugal who are looking to
squeeze all they can from the last few years of Cristiano Ronaldo’s career. Their squad is
brimming with world class talent but much like Spain, they were underwhelming in Qatar, losing
out to Morocco in the quarter finals. They have dominated Group J with eight wins from eight
and will be desperate to show a better account of themselves in 2024. But the real ‘dark horse’
tag belongs to Turkey. The Crescent-Stars had the same moniker in EURO 2020 but fell well
short of living up to that billing in an appalling campaign. However, they still possess much of
the young talent that had them in contention before 2021’s championship and are showing
some of their best stuff in qualifying. If you’re looking for an upset, they’re the ones to watch.
The stars who will shine brightest
The list of players who are tipped to show their best at the tournament is full of the usual
suspects. The likes of Mbappe, Kane, Rodri, Lukaku, Ronaldo are just a few that are expected
to come to the fore for their countries once again. However, there is a huge pool of young talent
looking to stamp their name on this tournament. Leading the way there is England’s newest
superstar, 20-year-old Jude Bellingham. The attacking midfielder has everything. Since moving
to Dortmund he has become one of the best players across the continent and after joining Real
Madrid earlier this summer he has showcased his immense talent once again with ten goals
from his opening ten games for Los Blancos.
Of the unsung heroes looking to show what they’re
capable of, there are fewer finding better form for their country than Scotland’s Scott
McTominay. Despite some unconvincing performances for Manchester United this season,
there is little the Scot can do wrong when on the International stage. With six goals in qualifiers
to date, he has propelled Scotland to back-to-back European Championships for the first time
since 1996. The Tartan Army will be hoping he can keep that consistency to help his side
improve on their disastrous EURO 2020 campaign.
-
Euro 2024