Tag: Euro 2024

The wait is over – today’s the day. 24 nations across Europe are gripped with football fever as Euro 2024 is about to kick off.

The first match takes place tonight, with hosts Germany taking on Scotland, and we’re then set for wall-to-wall football action for a month, with the final taking place on Sunday 14th July.

England will be desperate to be there as they look to heal the wounds of coming so close last time out. But it won’t be an easy ride, with plenty of competition looking to stop them in their tracks.

Can England end 58 years of hurt?

They’ve got a very good chance! While on paper many believe France have the best squad, England remain the bookies’ favourites. The Three Lions reached the final last time out as a penalty shootout defeat to Italy broke the nation’s hearts.

But since then, their key players have gone from strength to strength. Young stars from Euro 2021 like Jude Bellingham, Bukayo Saka, Phil Foden and Declan Rice have developed into world class talents. Meanwhile, England stalwarts like Harry Kane, John Stones, Kyle Walker and Jordan Pickford have retained their class.

Kane will be playing the tournament on home soil having enjoyed a stunning debut season at Bayern Munich, scoring 44 goals in all competitions as they reached the Champions League semi-final. Meanwhile, Bellingham took no time in finding his feet at Real Madrid. After dazzling at Borussia Dortmund for three years, the 20-year-old scored 23 times in a more advanced role as Real won La Liga and the Champions League.

Gareth Southgate has often been accused of picking his favourites and ignoring players in form but that couldn’t be further from the truth this time. He threw up a shock as Marcus Rashford was left out of the preliminary squad after a disappointing season for Manchester United. And then when the final squad was announced, Jack Grealish and James Maddison were notable omissions.

Their loss is the gain of others, as the likes of Eberechi Eze, Adam Wharton, Anthony Gordon and Kobbie Mainoo have been rewarded for their spectacular club form in recent months. England now have a genuinely quality squad, with a balance of formidable world beaters, reliable stars and exciting wildcards.

They’ll have every confidence of going all the way – the only question mark will be whether Southgate adopts a bold attitude when it comes to his team selection. He’s been guilty of a negative set up in the past but when you have a side packed with quality, you need to be on the front foot and controlling games, which certainly wasn’t the case in England’s final friendly against Iceland.

But with their opening game just a few days away, football fans up and down the country are starting to get excited and if you listen carefully, you can hear the faint sounds of ‘It’s coming home’ starting to build momentum.

England’s group games

●    England v Serbia – Sunday 16th June, 8pm
●    England v Denmark – Thursday 20th June, 5pm
●    England v Slovenia – Tuesday 25th June, 8pm

Who are England’s main challengers?

It goes without saying that France are among the biggest threats. Long gone are the days when the French would collapse at international tournaments and crash out in the group stages. Their exciting young squad won the World Cup in 2018 before reaching the final again in Qatar 18 months ago, where they couldn’t quite beat Lionel Messi’s Argentina.

Yet despite their strengths, they’re not invincible and they were shocked at the last Euros when neighbours Switzerland held them to a 3-3 draw before knocking them out on penalties.

In any case, Didier Deschamps boasts an incredible array of talent with a winning mentality. Kylian Mbappe is among the clear favourites to claim the Golden Boot (if he can shake off his illness) and as well as his young teammates, he’ll also be backed up by the experience of Olivier Giroud and Antoine Griezmann, who both seem to age like a fine wine.

Elsewhere, Germany may not be the formidable side they were 10 years ago when they won the World Cup in Brazil. However, they’ll fancy their chances at winning on home soil in what would be their first Euros triumph since 1996.

They’ve entered a new era under Julian Nagelsmann and they’re looking to the future, with exciting youngsters like Jamal Musiala and Florian Wirtz ready to take the mantle from old guard Thomas Muller, Toni Kroos and Manuel Neuer, who are surely entering their final tournament for Germany.

Euro 2024 may also be the final time we see Cristiano Ronaldo grace this competition. The 39-year-old helped his side to glory in France eight years ago and he’ll be desperate to go out with another piece of silverware. The Portuguese squad is littered with notable attacking stars, including Bruno Fernandes, Bernardo Silva, Diogo Jota and Joao Felix, while veteran defender Pepe is still holding firm at the back.

Meanwhile, Spain will also be looking to challenge. Their days of winning tournaments before they’ve even started are in the past, but they still boast a strong squad. However, these competitions often throw up a shock with a big nation going out in the groups and Spain find themselves in the traditional ‘group of death’ alongside Croatia and Italy.

Who are the dark horses?

It seems bizarre that the holders of the trophy can be considered outsiders but Italy aren’t particularly fancied to retain their crown. They went all the way last time out, beating England on penalties in the final. However, their squad lacks the ‘X factor’ it once had, with no standout star like Ronaldo, Mbappe or Kane that can win them a game out of nowhere. Saying that, they always seem to find a way to grind out a route to the latter stages.

Elsewhere, Croatia and Belgium will always pose a threat, with talismen Luka Modric and Romelu Lukaku regular stars in this competition. The Netherlands will fancy their chances with Virgil van Dijk at the back and although Memphis Depay struggled at Manchester United all those years ago, he always shows up for his country.

Finally, Denmark are a genuine overlooked outsider. They reached the semi-finals four years ago, narrowly losing 2-1 to England in extra-time after taking the lead at Wembley. Their squad is full of recognisable Premier League talent and we’ll truly see what they’re made of when they face England in the group stage.

With the Premier League on pause, the International break gives us the chance to take a look ahead at this year’s major tournament: Euro 2024. Gareth Southgate and his England side will once again look to make a major international tournament count after coming so close to a trophy in recent years. After agony in 2021 when beaten by Italy in the final on home turf and a narrow defeat to France in the 2022 World Cup quarter-final, will it finally be England’s year?

The appointment of Gareth Southgate brought with it a great amount of uncertainty in 2016. Limited managerial experience and disappointment from England in previous tournaments, many greeted his arrival with a lack of optimism. However, consistently good results in major tournaments have seen hope revitalised in England fans across the country. Euro 2024 will be no different, with the influx of young talent as well as the experience of the more senior players, England may have the perfect ingredients to end that 58-year wait for a trophy.

With that said, in what many describe as England’s ‘Golden Generation’, they still don’t have any titles to show for it bringing much criticism to Southgate’s ‘boring’ tactics. Add to that a scrappy defeat to Brazil on Saturday courtesy of a late Endrick goal and a last gasp draw to Belgium on Tuesday, the critics have only become worse.

The Squad

So, what is it exactly that makes everyone excited about this England squad? For the fixtures against Brazil and Belgium a stellar 25-man team was picked with the introduction of Anthony Gordon, Jarrad Branthwaite, Kobbie Manoo, James Trafford and Ezri Konsa all in the senior squad for the first time.

The squad also starred Jude Bellingham, Harry Kane and Declan Rice who have all impressed for their respective club’s this season, particularly Bellingham. The former Birmingham City and Borussia Dortmund has set the footballing world alight this campaign starring for Real Madrid in the battle for the LaLiga title with many terming him as the ‘best footballer in the world’ at the moment. The youngster will certainly be a key part of Southgate’s midfield in Germany this summer, especially after his important last-minute equaliser on Tuesday evening.

Although the strength of the England squad has been highlighted, they are a country plagued with injuries including Kane, Kieran Trippier, Trent Alexander-Arnold and Bukayo Saka. It gives Southgate a huge selection dilemma but also the opportunity to experiment as he awarded Mainoo and Konsa their first international starts, as well as Ivan Toney, in his aim to act as Harry Kane’s understudy, against Belgium.

Questions on the manager’s selection of certain individuals have been asked with the likes of Jordan Henderson and Harry Maguire continually picked despite poor form at club level. With that said, the experience of the long-time England servants will definitely have an impact on the younger players in the group. If their quality is not still there, perhaps, they can inspire the newer faces in the camp.

Will England do it?

What are England’s chances of winning the tournament? They are the favourites for the trophy, but they will be met by some fierce competition.

France will once again be the ones to watch out for as Germany, Italy, Spain and Portugal amongst other European giants will be aiming for glory. Underdogs for the trophy may include Denmark and Croatia while Georgia are involved in their first major finals. Whatever happens, winning this trophy will not be a walk in the park for Southgate’s side.

Will Southgate silence his critics and finally bring home the trophy that England fans have been longing for? Germany 2024 has all the hallmarks of another special tournament, and you won’t want to miss it, especially if England perform. Watch international football and England’s Euro 2024 warmup game against Iceland with Engage Hospitality from the best seats in the house.

This week sees the end of the Euro 2024 Qualifying fixtures as England progress comfortably through to the Euros topping their qualifying group and unbeaten in all eight games. England will make the trip to Germany next summer along with 19 other sides who have also secured their place alongside the hosts, while the remaining three places are yet to be secured. Teams alongside England already qualified include hosts Germany, France, Portugal, Spain and the Netherlands to name a few. But who will reign supreme in the German Capital next summer?

Draws against Ukraine and North Macedonia were the only points dropped in England’s qualifying campaign as they marched through comfortably, and we are guaranteed to see them playing on the continent in June.

After a torrid 2022 Summer that saw England win no games in the UEFA Nations League including a 4-0 defeat at home to Hungary, it was looking very bleak for Southgate ahead of the World Cup. However, a respectable tournament saw them get to the quarter-finals where they were narrowly beaten by an inform France side.

After being unbeaten since then, things are looking up for the England manager with the prospect of triumph looming large at Euro 2024. With that said, the criticism for his ‘boring’ style of football is still very prominent and the calls for his sacking are very real. However, if he can deliver a European trophy at the second time of asking, surely all doubts will be forgotten about?

What about the other sides in the competition? As Scotland qualify for their second consecutive European trophy, there is excitement amongst Scots to see just how far ‘The Tartan Army’ will go after an impressive qualifying campaign. With only one defeat and a famous victory over Spain they look stronger than ever. It raises the question, could Scotland be the dark horses in Germany in 2024?

Unsurprisingly, France are the favourites for the championship in 2024, after an agonising World Cup Final defeat to Argentina last year. In what has been described as one of the best World Cup Finals ever, a 3-3 draw over 120 minutes of football ended with a penalty shootout as Gonzalo Montiel scored the deciding spot-kick to finish what was a fairytale World Cup for Lionel Messi. The Blues will be desperate to make amends and become the champions of the continent once again.

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Holders Italy have qualified, just, after a draw with Ukraine, going through as runner’s-up in the qualifying group. It hasn’t been all plain-sailing for the Italians after breaking English hearts two years ago with no World Cup qualification in 2022 and only four wins in the qualifying stages for the Euros this year. If they want to retain their title, manager Luciano Spalletti will have to turn their subpar performances around. One thing is for sure, you must never write off the Italians.

After another World Cup in 2022 that saw the Germans fail to make it out of the group, they will be determined to change the narrative in front of a home crowd at the Euros in 2024.

Their last major trophy came in 2014 when they were victorious in the World Cup Final courtesy of an extra-time goal via Mario Gotze to see off Argentina. Aside from that, their last Euro success was in 1996 when they beat Czech Republic to become Champions of Europe. Can they use the home support to their advantage?

Ten wins for Portugal, scoring 36 goals and conceding 2, they certainly can’t be ignored. The questions over whether starman Cristiano Ronaldo will play in Germany still remain. Currently, at 38 years old it will be impressive if he can remain their talisman next summer, however, it appears that the former Manchester United star is not letting up in this competition with 10 goals and 2 assists in the qualifiers. Can he steer Portugal to another European Championship?

Twenty-four teams, one European trophy and one winner. Going into an international tournament it’s always difficult to tell who will come out as champions, however, there are definitely some clear-cut favourites who stand out amongst the rest of the crop.

Will Southgate’s England be able to finally win that trophy that we have come so close to in the last 6 years? Want to see England live in their Euro preparations, why not watch them live from Wembley in the best seats in the house with Engage.

Dust off your England flags and get ‘Three Lions’ on your speakers because EURO 2024 is just around the corner. We’re now just nine months away from the tournament in Germany and England will be desperate to avenge their 2021 penalty shootout heartbreak in the final.

In what seems to have become a strangely familiar feeling, England fans have every reason to be optimistic. We’ve got a squad full of young, exciting talent, and Gareth Southgate’s record in major tournaments speaks for itself.

Ahead of the Euros, we’ve taken a look at who might make the final squad and whether they can go all the way.

Who will definitely be in the England squad?

While even Gareth Southgate won’t know how his final squad will look, there are some players that we already know will be on the plane providing they’re fit and available. Captain Harry Kane will be familiar with the German venues following his switch to Bayern Munich and he’ll be keen to make amends following his penalty miss in the World Cup defeat to France.

Meanwhile, he’ll be joined in attack by Bukayo Saka, Marcus Rashford, Phil Foden and Jack Grealish. Superstar midfielders Jude Bellingham and Declan Rice are shoo-ins following their big-money moves over the summer.

At the back, Manchester City duo John Stones and Kyle Walker are guaranteed to feature in the final squad, along with Kieran Trippier and Jordan Pickford. Elsewhere, left-backs Luke Shaw and Ben Chilwell should also be called up.

Southgate has come under scrutiny for being too loyal to his favourites, even when they’re not playing for their clubs. And while their inclusion may not please everyone, there’s a strong chance that Harry Maguire, Jordan Henderson and Kalvin Phillips will also be in the squad.

Who will be hoping to force their way in?

For any other country in the world, Trent Alexander-Arnold would be one of the first names on the plane. However, he’s never quite forced his way into Southgate’s plans, particularly given our strength at right-back. Yet his recent England appearances have seen him deployed in central midfield so there’s hope for the Liverpool man yet.

James Maddison has been on the fringes for a few years and having started the season strongly at Tottenham, you’d expect him to be in contention. Similarly, a return to form for Raheem Sterling could thrust the Chelsea winger back into the fold, despite him being ignored for the recent international break.

Crystal Palace star Eberechi Eze has also featured in the last few squads but with such strength in depth in attacking areas, he may just miss out.

Stones seems to be the only nailed centre-back, which gives an opportunity for the likes of Marc Guehi, Lewis Dunk, Levi Colwill and Fikayo Tomori to impress from now until the end of the season.

Meanwhile, it remains to be seen who will be trusted to provide back-up for Kane up top. Callum Wilson appears to be the frontrunner but he’ll be looking over his shoulder at the form of Eddie Nketiah and Ollie Watkins alongside Ivan Toney, with his gambling ban ending in January, giving him 5 months to fire himself back into form.

England haven’t quite secured their place yet, with a few more qualifiers to go. You can cheer on the boys in style as they take on Italy and Malta at Wembley.

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Can England win EURO 2024?

After narrowly losing the final on penalties last time out, England will fancy their chances at going one better next summer. But they’ll face stiff competition from France, who are favourites to go all the way.

They boast a squad packed full of young talent, spearheaded by Kylian Mbappe, who has cemented his place among the world’s elite. But England aren’t far behind and having run France close at the World Cup, combined with their young stars getting another 18 months of experience under their belts, there’s no reason to fear anybody.

Hosts Germany will inevitably improve in time to be in contention next summer. A recent 4-1 defeat to Japan saw manager Hansi Flick dismissed. Yet more often than not, the Germans step up when it matters in tournaments.

As ever, Spain and Portugal will be among the contenders. Cristiano Ronaldo will be 39 by the time the competition gets underway and it will likely be his final chance to claim another international trophy.

Meanwhile, holders Italy will be looking to retain their crown, while the Netherlands and Belgium will always be dark horses.