The qualifying rounds for Euro 2024 are finally done and dusted, with Poland, Ukraine and Georgia progressing via the play-offs on Tuesday night. Consequently, we now know the identity of all 24 teams that will be competing in Germany this summer and it’s fair to say that some nations secured their spots in more impressive fashion than others.
France looked formidable during the qualifiers, England proved that they definitely have the talent to end their wait for a first major trophy since 1966, while Portugal are absolutely flying under new coach Roberto Martinez. Obviously, Spain and Belgium will also boost their chances, given the quality at their disposal, but what about the hosts? Germany are showing timely signs of revival under new boss Julian Nagelsmann. Who will win the 2024 Euros? Here are the top 5 contenders to triumph in the 2024 Euros.
Will England Bring It Home? 5th to 4th Place
#5 Belgium
Belgium’s 2022 World Cup campaign was a complete catastrophe, with star player Kevin De Bruyne causing quite the controversy by effectively dismissing many of his teammates as too old before the tournament began. The inevitable dressing-room divide played a big part in the humiliating group-stage elimination as did Romelu Lukaku’s poor finishing.
However, the Roma forward is fit and firing again, with Lukaku scoring a record-breaking 14 goals in qualifying. New coach Domenico Tedesco is also doing a fine job of rebuilding the squad, with the Belgians unbeaten since he succeeded Roberto Martinez after the Qatar tournament, and although they were disappointed not to beat England at Wembley in a friendly, their performance was hugely encouraging.
All things considered, De Bruyne might actually enjoy this summer’s tournament in Germany, with Belgium having been placed in a very winnable group at the finals alongside Romania, Ukraine and Slovakia.
#4 England
Is football finally going to come ‘home’? Well, you certainly wouldn’t bet against Gareth Southgate’s side triumphing in Germany. They’ve got the talent and, at this stage, they’ve also got the experience, having reached the final of the last Euros.
Qualification was secured with two games to spare after a very impressive, come-from-behind win over Italy at Wembley. However, after concluding their campaign with two dire performances, against Malta and North Macedonia, there are still some doubts, mainly surrounding the manager, who has a worryingly poor record in big games against strong opposition, as the friendly loss to Brazil and lucky draw with Belgium made painfully clear.
Southgate has long been criticized for his perceived conservatism and he’s admitted himself that England weren’t quite at their best during qualifying, which is something of a concern given they boast arguably the most exciting crop of attackers in world football. At the very least, we should see England in the semi-finals.
Who Will Win It All? 3rd to 1st Place
#3 Germany
To say Germany’s preparations for Euro 2024 have been less than ideal would be a colossal understatement. After failing miserably to reach the knockout stage of last year’s World Cup, Die Mannschaft went into total meltdown, losing four of their first six games in 2023 – which led to Hansi Flick being fired as coach after a shocking 4-1 defeat at home to Japan.
Caretaker coach Rudi Voller then led Germany to a morale-boosting friendly win over France before Julian Nagelsmann picked up a win, over the United States, and a draw, against Mexico, in his first two outings as the new head coach, only to then suffered seriously concerning November losses to Turkey and Austria.
However, things might just be coming together for the new boss, who saw his side beat both France and Netherlands during the March international break. Germany still has some quality players who can lead them to the Semi-Finals.
Runner Up – France
A feeble friendly loss to Germany raised eyebrows but France remain the highest-ranked European team in the world right now and with good cause. The team have some weaknesses, most notably at right-back, but boast a deep pool of players, a potent mix of outrageously exciting youngsters and evergreen veterans who have seen, done and won it all.
Greece may have ruined France’s hopes of finishing with a perfect record in qualifying by holding a much needed match to a 2-2 draw in Athens, but after beating Netherlands both home and away with impressive ease, the 2022 World Cup runners-up won’t have any fears about facing the Dutch again in Germany and going to the finals.
Winners – Portugal
Things couldn’t have gone much better for Portugal after replacing Fernando Santos with Roberto Martinez following a calamitous World Cup campaign that ended with the familiar sight of a frustrated and tearful Cristiano Ronaldo storming down a stadium tunnel.
Indeed, the Seleccao won all 10 of their Euro 2024 qualifiers, scoring 36 goals and letting in only two goals. Given their wealth of attacking options, Portugal simply have to be considered serious contenders to triumph in Germany, particularly now that they’ve been placed in one of the weaker pools, with no real rival for the top spot.
However, while Portugal should progress without any problems, it’s worth pointing out that their group was absolutely atrocious and a 2-0 friendly loss in Slovenia suggests they might not be as strong as their qualification campaign suggests.
Perhaps even more importantly, it also remains to be seen if Martinez is actually capable of delivering in a major tournament, given the way in which he wasted Belgium’s ‘Golden Generation’. Now everyones is asking, can Portugal win their first euro in 8 years?
We will find out who will be the victor of the European tournament in June of 2024. Hope you enjoyed this blog.
