Who will win Euro 2024? England favourites but France, Portugal and Germany will be in the mix
- Seb Sternik
- 4 June 2024
The 17th edition of the European Championship is upon us as 24 nations battle for continental bragging rights. The question is, who will go all the way?
It’s that time again. You know what I mean. Beer gardens, BBQ’s, the St George’s cross plastered on every window and international football on every TV screen.
There’s nothing quite like it when a big continental tournament comes around and even the most anti-sport family members stop talking about politics and start sharing their ridiculous football opinions.
This tournament will be a special one. And no, it’s not special because the Scots finally have their own team to support instead of backing everyone in England’s group.
But there is one question. One question which will be asked in offices up and down the country. Who will win the Euros? Guess what, you’re in luck. Over the next 300 words or so, we will provide you with enough ammunition to sound like a renowned ITV football pundit. So let’s get stuck in.
Euro 2024 – Outright odds
England - 11/4
France - 4/1
Germany - 11/2
Portugal - 8/1
Spain - 17/2
England are a huge name in international football, despite the fact that the Three Lions have never ever won a single European Championship title.
Whether it’s down to clever marketing, or simply the magic of that 1966 World Cup win, people outside of the British shores tend to respect the English national side.
Gareth Southgate’s men are seen by many as favourites to win the tournament… and many of the bookmakers agree.
There is only one reason why the Three Lions are seen as favourites and that is simply down to the wealth of individual quality in the squad.
England have been truly blessed with the likes of Jude Bellingham, Harry Kane, Cole Palmer, Phil Foden, Trent Alexander-Arnold, Declan Rice, Bukayo Saka and many many more.
The only real question mark concerns the coach. Is Southgate good enough to combine all these diamonds into a shining crown? Previous tournaments would suggest the answer is no.
Southgate became the nation’s sweetheart when he led England to the 2018 World Cup semi-final. But even then, many were left frustrated by his cautious approach in the defeat to Croatia.
Then came the 2020 European Championships – essentially a home tournament considering how many times England played on home territory.
The Three Lions reached the final but were once again criticised for their cautious approach after losing on penalties to Italy.
With so much attacking superstardom at his disposal, it’s no surprise that the fans are desperate for Southgate to live a little, show some cojones and go on the front foot.
But let’s be realistic. That’s not going to happen. England will win the group, but winning the tournament is a whole tougher challenge.
With that in mind, France are your best bet when it comes to the outright market.
Les Bleus have reached the last two World Cup finals and boast an almighty squad. Let’s run through some names.
Kylian Mbappe, Antoine Griezmann, Eduardo Camavinga, Aurélien Tchouameni… we could go on, but you get the point.
As well as having a badass squad, the French also have a winning mentality and a fearless coach in Didier Deschamps.
Once you win the World Cup, you don’t really feel too much pressure on your shoulders. Winning the Euros would simply be a cherry on an alrighty tasty pie.
If you’re a Reform voter and you don’t like the French, don’t you worry – there are other options.
Portugal is certainly one of them as Cristiano Ronaldo looks to lead his side to another European crown.
Roberto Martinez has a wealth of talent to play with, but he also had that with Belgium a few years ago and failed to make it count.
Nevertheless, the likes of Ronaldo, Joao Felix, Diogo Jota, Rafael Leao, Matheus Nunes, Bruno Fernandes and Bernardo Silva will cause problems for their opponents.
If you don’t like that, you can always back the hosts, Germany.
I know what you’re going to say, the Germans are rubbish. And you’re right. For the first time in history, Germany went out in the group stage of successive World Cup campaigns.
What’s more, their last Euros campaign ended after a defeat to England… if that’s not a sign of things going wrong then I don’t know what is.
Despite this, Germany will draw inspiration from hosting the tournament and they will be determined to impress. Plus, recent wins over France and Netherlands suggests their fortunes are beginning to change.
Spain, Italy and the Netherlands are not far behind in the outright market and are all capable of going far in the tournament.
But if you’re asking us to stick our necks on the line, then back France to go all the way.
