The UEFA European Championship is known more colloquially as The Euros and has been played every four years since its inception back in 1960 (except for 2020, when the pandemic meant that it had to be delayed until 2021). This year’s competition is set to be fierce, and there are already two of our home nations in the competition – Wales have a chance to progress if they can win their playoff game.
Pundits spend a lot of time and effort dissecting the performance of the teams in the competition, but as fans we just want to know who is most likely to lift the trophy this year – and will it finally be England? You might be interested in the odds if you are looking to place a bet on the competition – in between playing slots online, of course. You might fancy current holders Italy or want to back one of the underdogs.
Of course, there would be nothing as sweet for die hard England fans to see them lift a trophy in a competition that is being held in Germany, but let’s not forget that there are 24 other teams vying for that chance. Let’s look at some of the teams that have a real chance.
On paper, France are the highest ranked team in the world. As the runners up in the 2022 World Cup, you might be forgiven for assuming that they would be a runaway success in this competition, but they haven’t had a comfortable ride of it through the qualifiers, despite having such a deep pool of both youngsters and veterans to call on.
It would be shortsighted to write them off completely, but they might not make it that far this year.
Portugal made it through qualifying by winning all 10 of their matches and conceding only twice. This might feel like a strong enough indication of their strength and projected success, but it is worth noting that they were in a poor qualifying group so they might not have what it takes to make it against the traditionally stronger teams.
They could have a good shot of getting into the quarter finals or even the semis, however, as the pool they are in now is one of the easiest, and you cannot deny their pedigree and past performances on the international stage.
Following their performance to get to the final last time out, there are some very high hops pinned to the Lions this year. On the face of it, Gareth Southgate’s squad have the depth of talent and experience to do better this year – but can they get there again?
Getting through the group stage and qualifying with two games to spare is a good start, but some questionable performances against considerably weaker teams (Malta and North Macedonia) does pose some serious questions about how inconsistent the selection choices have been.
Fans should feel pretty hopeful of an appearance in the semifinals at least thanks to a soft draw into a weak pool as we get going, and if Southgate makes some better selections on match days, then it could be our year.
Belgium is another team that should have what it takes to go all the way, at least on paper, but following the explosive fallout after a terrible World Cup performance, the team will really have something to prove.
Changes in coaching has seen Belgium with an unbeaten record since Domenico Tedesco took over, and if De Bruyne is back and fighting fit it would be unwise to write them off, especially as they have been placed in a group that they should easily be able to conquer.
There is something to be said about the power of home team advantage and how it can bolster performance, but the Germany team have not exactly been lighting the world on fire performance-wise leading to this competition.
Despite having a talented squad to choose from, the results are not lining up – and that is why they pundits are not backing Germany to get very far in the competition. Of course, this means that Scotland could very well cause an upset by knocking the hosts out, especially if they can score a win in the first game.
Qualifying for the competition for only the second time in history. Albania is on this list as an underdog – and they are well aware of it.
Arsenal and Barcelona legend Sylvinho is at the helm of the coaching staff for this team, and they have a good few players to choose from. Pairing this with their performance in the group stages, where they claimed 15 points from a possible 21, means that they could be the dark horse in the competition that could be a lucrative betting opportunity.
Which team is favourite to win Euro 2024?▼
England and France are the 7/2 joint-favourites to win the 2024 European Championship after the draw for finals in Germany. UEFA Euro 2024 will be broadcast on FOX Sports, FS1, FS2 and FuboTV. England and France are the pre-tournament betting co-favorites to win the title at +350. Italy.
What is the biggest win in euros history?▼
Five countries have won by a record five-goal margin in previous tournaments, with France beating Belgium 5-0 in 1984, the same year Denmark defeated Yugoslavia by the same scoreline.
What are the chances of winning the Euro?▼
The odds of winning Euro Millions are 1 in 139 million. So, significantly less chance of winning than the National Lottery. EuroMillions is played across Europe in nine countries – UK, Ireland, Spain, France, Austria, Belgium, Luxembourg, Portugal and Switzerland.
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