Euro 2024: Who will win Europe's most significant prize?

euronews (in English)

The European Championships kick off in Stuttgart on Friday, June 14th. Tournament hosts, Germany will be hoping to brush themselves off and push past Scotland in the opening game.

Transcript

00:00It's the eve of Euro 2024 in Germany.

00:04The groups are set ahead of another summer of international football.

00:08But who will lift the trophy next month in Berlin

00:11and be crowned 2024's European Champions?

00:19Hello and welcome to Football Now.

00:22Anticipation is rising for what is expected to be a classic tournament

00:27of international games at the European Championships this summer.

00:31Let's take a look at what is to come at Euro 2024.

00:35Four weeks of drama awaits in the form of 51 games,

00:39starting in Munich, when the host Germany take on Scotland at the Allianz Arena.

00:44Under Julian Nagelsmann, they are hoping for an improved tournament showing on home soil.

00:49Hungary and Switzerland also join them in Group A.

00:53Group B is this edition's notorious group of death.

00:56Albania will have their work cut out,

00:59trying to progress from a group containing 2008 and 2012 winners Spain,

01:04World Cup semi-finalist Croatia and current reigning champions Italy.

01:09Despite lifting the trophy back in 2021,

01:12Gliazori failed to qualify for the World Cup a year later,

01:16meaning there will be extra emphasis on having a good tournament this time around.

01:20Italy is a really difficult answer to try to analyze

01:23because it's a country that always produces brilliance in competitions.

01:27And yet recently, it knows how to win the Euros,

01:30but like you said, doesn't understand how to qualify for a World Cup.

01:33Italians don't just want you to qualify out of the group stage.

01:36Italians are never happy unless they reach the latter stages.

01:38And by that, I probably mean a semi-final.

01:40It's about whether or not they can manage it on this occasion with players who aren't so experienced.

01:45While we can definitely guarantee that Spalletti is somebody that can do a lot with very little,

01:50it may be a little too little at the moment with Italy.

01:53It's about the winning mentality.

01:55Italy always believe until the end,

01:57but they do lack veteran experience that they had in the Euros.

02:00So I don't think the team is as good as it used to be.

02:03England are the favorites to top Group C, ahead of Slovenia, Denmark and Serbia.

02:08Poland beat Wales in the March playoffs to qualify into Group D,

02:12where they will face the Netherlands, Austria and World Cup runners-up France.

02:16Belgium are under new management after Roberto Martinez was sacked following a poor World Cup in Qatar.

02:22Domenico Tedesco will try and lead Romelu Lukaku et al. to glory,

02:27but first they need to get past Slovakia, Romania and Ukraine in Group E.

02:31And finally, Cristiano Ronaldo could play in his final tournament for Portugal.

02:36They were champions in 2016,

02:39but that won't stop Ronaldo trying to have one more shot at glory,

02:43before potentially hanging up his boot to international level.

02:46They're joined by Turkey, Georgia and Czechia in Group F.

02:50Italy will be hoping to defend their title after beating England in the final back in 2021,

02:57but which other contenders could be coming for their crown?

03:00Well, Jude Bellingham will be fresh from winning the La Liga title with Real Madrid in his debut season,

03:07giving the Three Lions real hope that this could be their year.

03:11They have never won the competition before, so is this finally their time?

03:16We've got probably one of the best squads in the world.

03:18That's as simple as that. It is one of the best teams in the world.

03:22Whether that means anything or not is the big difference, isn't it, really, as England fans.

03:27We need to win stuff.

03:28This is the best team probably that we've had in a very, very, very long time.

03:33This is the best chance we've had in a very, very long time.

03:35And you don't want it to be a case of over the last few years where we've come close and that's it,

03:40and then you've wasted another generation of England talent.

03:43Perhaps the only team that could be standing in England's way this summer are France.

03:48Le Bleu defeated Gareth Southgate's side in the World Cup quarterfinal back in 2022

03:54on their way to that famous final in Qatar.

03:58This time around, could Kylian Mbappé be the man to lead his nation

04:02to their first European Championships victory in 24 years?

04:07It's a huge opportunity for Mbappé, not just to add to his collection of silverware with the French national team,

04:14but also to bounce back from the disappointment of the Champions League.

04:17I presume by that point he'll be a Real Madrid player as well, officially,

04:20or at least there'll have been some communication on it.

04:22But also, it's a chance to represent France for the first time as captain

04:27and potentially lead them to an international title.

04:30It's going to be a big challenge, but it's one I think that Mbappé will have added hunger for now,

04:35given the disappointment suffered with PSG against Dortmund in the Champions League.

04:39Well, the European Championships are certainly capable of pulling off a surprise or two.

04:44In fact, it was 20 years ago this summer when Greece defeated Portugal in the 2004 final,

04:51which shocked the continent.

04:53And while they haven't qualified this time around,

04:57could be capable of pulling off a miraculous Greek-style victory.

05:01I actually think Austria could be interesting.

05:03Now, to be honest, I've been saying that for two tournaments in a row.

05:05Due to a player like Alaba, due to a group of talent, due to actually kind of Rangnick's management.

05:11Now, I know he has been criticised from Manchester United, but he has done something different with his squad.

05:15Another side that could surprise are Albania.

05:18They've huge evolution over the past 20 years, honing what is some really strong talent there.

05:24The flip side to that is Albania have been put in what is probably the group everyone's looking to,

05:29which is one with Italy, Spain and Croatia.

05:32But as good as all these sides are, it's not the Spain of 2010, it's not the Italy of Euro 2020,

05:37and it's not the Croatia of 2018 or even 2022.

05:40Albania, they offer possibility for an upset here.

05:43A fantastic month of football is just around the corner then.

05:47But who do you think will win this summer's European Championships?

05:51Let us know your thoughts using the hashtag FootballNowEuro2024.

05:56That's all we have time for from our studio here in Doha.

05:59We'll see you next time. Bye for now.

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