(Paris) Finalist at home in Euro-2020, England flew through the qualifying phase of the 2024 edition: its golden generation presents itself in Germany as favorites for the competition where it should have no difficulty in competing get out of Group C, probably along with Denmark.
Will 2024 be the year of the “Three Lions” and their coach, Gareth Southgate, always placed in international competitions, but never crowned?
Finalist of the last Euro therefore lost on penalties against Italy, semi-finalist of the 2018 World Cup in Russia, England disappointed in Qatar in 2022 by “only” reaching the quarter-finals of the World Cup .
Southgate, in office since 2016, had also faltered after the World Cup, before redressing the bar during qualifying for the German Euro during which England dominated Italy and Ukraine.
Above all, it has, Harry Kane and Jude Bellingham at the head, a golden generation, cut out to rule Europe.
Golden generation
Although he has still not won a single title during his career, Kane has more than succeeded in his transfer to Bayern Munich by totaling 36 goals in 32 Bundesliga matches.
As for Bellingham, not yet 21 years old – he will be during the Euro on June 29 – but author of a season at Real punctuated by a Spanish championship title and a Champions League, he is a serious candidate for the next Ballon d’Or.
The “Three Lions” must still not collapse in the last steps of a major international tournament that they have not won since the World Cup-66, which would probably cost Southgate his place.
England should not flinch during the group stage where they will once again cross swords with Denmark, whom they beat in the semi-final of the last Euro in 2021.
Like England, Kasper Hjulmand’s Danes came out of the World Cup in Qatar through the back door, eliminated in the group stage against France, which they finished dead last.
England and the others
The partners of Mancunian Rasmus Hojlund, 21, recovered in the qualifying phase where they dominated group H, despite an initial defeat against Kazakhstan (3-2) and now dream of a surprise continental coronation like that of 1992.
Serbia, back in the final phase of a Euro for the first time since 2000, carried by a trio of star attackers – Dušan Vlahović of Juventus, Dušan Tadić of Fenerbahçe and Luka Jović of AC Milan –, has the potential to play spoilsport.
What Slovenia shouldn’t be, Tom Thumb, who qualified in Group H behind Denmark. The Slovenes will participate in an international tournament for the first time since the 2010 World Cup and the fourth time in their history.