Euro 2024: 5 Favourites to Win European Championship in Germany, Italy and Belgium Not Included

Euro 2024: 5 Favourites to Win European Championship in Germany, Italy and Belgium Not Included

Raphael Abiola
updated at June 14, 2024 at 9:39 AM
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  • The 2024 edition of the UEFA European Championship is set to take place in Germany between June 14 and July 14
  • 24 European nations will compete to win the Henri Delaunay Cup as they all hope to displace Italy as title-holders
  • Sports Brief takes a look at the five favourites to win the tournament, with Belgium and the 2020 winners missing

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The 2024 UEFA European Football Championship will take centre stage between June 14 and July 14, with 24 national teams battling for the Henri Delaunay trophy.

The last edition of the competition didn't have a particular host, with games played across different countries, and the final taking place at Wembley Stadium in England.

Italy lift the Henri Delaunay Trophy following their victory in the UEFA Euro 2020 Championship Final against England at Wembley Stadium. Photo: Michael Regan.
Italy lift the Henri Delaunay Trophy following their victory in the UEFA Euro 2020 Championship Final against England at Wembley Stadium. Photo: Michael Regan.
Source: Getty Images

This edition will be hosted by Germany with 10 stadiums booked for the iconic football event.

Italy won the last edition but are missing in Sports Brief's top five countries to win the competition in Germany alongside Belgium.

Favourites to win Euro 2024

Germany

The host nation are the first team tipped to win the tournament due to their recent performance and the advantage of playing in front of their home fans.

Die Mannschaft failed to advance past the Round of 16 in Euro 2020 and was condemned to a semi-final defeat against Italy and France in 2012 and 2016, respectively.

Germany's best finish recently was in 2008; they made it to the final but lost 1-0 against eventual winners, Spain.

Die Mannschaft had a poor outing in their last competitive tournament, the 2022 FIFA World Cup hosted in Qatar.

They failed to make it past the group stage despite being paired with nations like Japan and Costa Rica. They lost against the Samurai Blue, drew against Spain, and salvaged a win over Costa Rica in their last group game.

Germany's poor performance at the World Cup and 2023 in general led to Hansi Flick's sacking.

Julian Nagelsmann took over in September. In the six games the new coach has been in charge of the team, he has lost two, won three, and drew one.

In addition to being the host nation, Germany boasts top players like Thomas Muller, Jamal Musiala, Florian Wirtz, Manuel Neuer, Leroy Sane, Kai Havertz, Antonio Rudiger, and Ilkay Gundogan.

Nagelsmann made another good addition to the team ahead of the competition, convincing Real Madrid midfielder, Toni Kroos, to come out of international retirement to play in the tournament.

Germany are three-time champions, and their recent performance under their new manager has put them among the favourites to win the competition.

France

The 2022 FIFA World Cup finalist are heading to the Euro 2024 as one of the favourites to win the competition due to their recent performance in competitive games.

Les Bleus have standout players like Kylian Mbappe, Marcus Thuram, Ousmane Dembele, Aurelien Tchoumeni, and Theo Hernandez doing well for their clubs, which could translate to the national team.

Didier Deschamps' side has been struggling to get their hands on the trophy since winning it 24 years ago, and they have made the final once since then.

The French coach released a 25-man squad for the tournament in Germany, with former Chelsea midfielder, N'golo Kante, surprisingly making the cut.

Mbappe, the team captain, is the face of the French side and is certainly capable of leading them to another title.

Spain

The Spanish national team have a good track record in the Euros and are one of the teams with the record of most championships. They've won the competition three times; the same number as the host nation, Germany.

The last European national team tournament was the UEFA Nations League, and La Roja are the current champions after defeating Croatia in the final.

Nations League triumph could bring the desired momentum for the team in Germany, as they will gun for their fourth title to set them above Die Mannschaft.

Luis de la Fuente has named his final squad for the competition, with the likes of Rodri, Dani Carvajal, Alvaro Morata, Nico Williams, Pedri Gonzalez, and young Lamine Yamal all making the cut.

Spain produced the best young player in the last edition, Pedri Gonzalez, and could do the same in Germany if Yamal put up a stellar performance like he's doing at Barcelona.

La Roja last won the championship in 2012 but lost in the semi-finals to eventual winners Italy in the 2020 edition.

England

The Three Lions have arguably the best squad in international football, but they have yet to maximise their strength to win major titles.

England were finalists at the Euro 2020, but narrowly lost on penalties to Italy at Wembley Stadium.

With top players like Harry Kane, Jude Bellingham, Phil Foden, Bukayo Saka, and Cole Palmer in their ranks, the English are one of the favourites.

Bellingham and Kane are tipped to win the Ballon d'Or award this year after their blistering debut seasons for Real Madrid and Bayern Munich, respectively.

Gareth Southgate's team have a good chance of winning the competition this time if they build on their success in recent tournaments.

Portugal

The Selecao are one of the teams going into Euro 2024 packed with talents in their squad.

National captain, Cristiano Ronaldo, is still getting stronger and is highly competitive despite being 39 years old and being out of Europe.

The Al-Nassr star won the Golden Boot in the last edition, and he's also one of the favourites to win this year's award.

Another player in Portugal's squad who solidifies their chances of winning the title in Germany is Bruno Fernandes. The Manchester United midfielder is arguably the best creative playmaker in the world, which is evident in his numbers.

Portugal still have other players like Rafael Leao, Joao Felix, Bernando Silva, and Ruben Dias in their ranks and will be another formidable side to surpass.

Euro player of the tournament past winners

Sports Brief also previously reported on the list of past winners of the UEFA Euro Player of the Tournament award.

This prestigious list includes Italy's Gianluigi Donnarumma, and France's Zinedine Zidane, among other elite stars.

Euro 2024: youngsters to watch in Germany

Sports Brief also previously highlighted the key youngsters to watch at Euro 2024 in Germany.

Jude Bellingham, Cole Palmer, Jamal Musiala, and Florian Wirtz are among the standout names.

Kobbie Mainoo's breakthrough at Manchester United have also made him particularly noteworthy.

Authors
Raphael Abiola photo
Raphael Abiola
Raphael Abiola is a Nigerian Sports Journalist with over five years of experience. He obtained a B.Tech degree in Computer Science from the Federal University of Technology, Akure, in 2015.