ambitious England, revanchist France, experienced Germany… Who are the favorites and outsiders of the competition?

Title holders Italy are putting their European champion crown back on the line, from June 14 to July 14, in Germany.

Twenty-four countries, 51 matches for a final winner: the Euro football starts on June 14 in Germany. For its seventeenth edition, the tournament promises to be relatively open, with several credible contenders for the coronation, not to mention the surprises that the Euro always reserves, like the unexpected victory of Italy in 2021. On the starting line, there are at least half a dozen candidates, including the French team, obviously.

Big favorites: England, France

Reigning world vice-champions, Didier Deschamps’ Blues have reached the finals of three of the last four major competitions they have played (Euro 2016, World Cup 2018, World Cup 2022). For ten years, France has established itself as the most consistent nation in world, and therefore European, football. The Blues draw this consistency from an inexhaustible pool, with a current list of 25 players which includes four survivors of Euro 2016, seven 2018 world champions and 18 2022 world vice-champions.

Despite this renewal of the squad, Didier Deschamps’ men are moving forward with the force of habit and a desire for revenge, after the defeat in the World Cup final and the elimination in the round of 16 of the last Euro. An ambition shared by the FFF, which has set the last four as its objective. Which will also be that of England, the other big favorite of this Euro according to the international press and statistical studies, including that of Opta which even places the English ahead of the Blues with a 19.9% ​​chance of final victory .

It must be said that the Three Lions have solid arguments. Unhappy finalists of Euro 2021 (beaten on penalties by Italy), eliminated in the quarter-finals of the last World Cup by the Blues, the English will count in particular on a sparkling offensive quartet with Jude Bellingham (Real Madrid), Harry Kane (Bayern Munich), Bukayo Saka (Arsenal) and Phil Foden (Manchester City), four major players from last season. With a coach in office for eight years, England also relies on unusual stability, having only lost one alone in his last 18 Euro matches without taking into account penalties (against Iceland in 2016).

Outsiders: Germany, Spain, Portugal

A notch below England and France, Portugal is however a scarecrow in this Euro. With its workforce as dense as it is complete, the Selecao, crowned in 2016, comes forward full of ambition after a frustrating World Cup. Except that, since then, Portugal has revised its copy. Of course, Cristiano Ronaldo is still there, at 39 years old, but the Portuguese are now coached by Roberto Martinez. The former coach of Belgium, which he led in the semi-finals of the 2018 World Cup, has offensive playing principles which stick much more closely to the squad than his cautious predecessor, Fernando Santos.

Another highly anticipated nation at this Euro: Spain. Winners of the last League of Nations, the Spaniards are gradually regaining their rank. With 25 goals scored, they were the third best attack in the qualifiers, behind Portugal and France. Certainly deprived of the Barcelonan Gavi, the Roja advances with talent in all positions, despite his youth.

Germany has no shortage of talent either. But the host country – always expected – also relies on the second oldest squad in the tournament (28.6 years average age). At home, the Germans hope to regain their rank, they who no longer exist on the international scene since their semi-final of Euro 2016 (two eliminations from the group stage at the World Cup in 2018 and 2022, exit in the round of 16 of Euro 2020). For that, der NationalElf will rely in particular on its golden youth (Florian Wirtz, Jamal Musiala…) and on its captains (Toni Kroos, Ilkay Gündogan, Manuel Neuer, Joshua Kimmich…). By beating the Blues and then the Netherlands in a friendly in March, Julian Nagelsmann’s Germans reminded us that they could look anyone in the eye.

Surprises: Italy, Netherlands, Belgium

Title holder, Italy has a status to assume in this Euro. However, with only eight survivors of this coronation in the squad, the Squadra Azzurra displays modest ambitions when it comes to setting foot in Germany. Because although they are reigning European champions, the Italians have missed the last two World Cups, and are facing a generational trough, particularly offensively.

Generation renewal is also a subject in Belgium. The Belgian golden generation is gradually fading, and Kevin De Bruyne, Romelu Lukaku and Thibaut Courtois are its last representatives. But the Red Devils can rely on a new wave of talent (Loïs Openda, Jérémy Doku, Leandro Trossard…). This is also the case for the Netherlands, eliminated in the round of 16 during the last Euro and then in the quarterfinals of the last World Cup, but who can still compete with the big nations. In Qatar, they came very close to qualifying against the future Argentinian world champions.