Germany braced for Euro 2024 kick-off; France and England favorites

Euro 2024 kicks off this Friday in Germany (15 June , 00:30 am according to IST) , where Europe’s footballing giants will compete over the next month to dethrone reigning champions Italy. The tournament begins with Germany facing Scotland in the opening match in Munich.

The host nation hopes their journey will culminate in the final in Berlin on July 14. This marks the first time Germany has hosted a major men’s international tournament since the 2006 World Cup, promising an exciting spectacle after the underwhelming experience of the last European Championship.

Euro 2020 was postponed by a year due to the pandemic, eventually taking place in 2021 with limited crowds. The tournament was held in various cities across the continent, from Seville to Baku, which diminished much of its usual charm.

This time, all supporters will gather in Germany, where matches will be played in 10 stadiums. Germans are hoping to rekindle the excitement of 2006, when the nation fell in love with their team again after a similar period of decline leading up to this competition.

Philipp Lahm, the captain of Germany’s 2014 World Cup-winning team and now the Euro 2024 tournament director, hopes the competition will unite people during a time of division across the continent.

“I hope at the very least the Euro will lead to a more united Germany again,” said Lahm. A strong performance by Germany would help, and the outlook is brighter for Julian Nagelsmann’s team now than it was a few months ago.

With a group that includes Hungary and Switzerland, Germany’s quality—from veteran playmaker Toni Kroos to young stars Florian Wirtz and Jamal Musiala—should see them through comfortably. “We have gone through difficult phases as a national team, but something big can happen here,” Musiala of Bayern Munich told Sportbild.

However, there are compelling reasons why France and England are heavily favored to lift the Henri Delaunay trophy on July 14. France, Europe’s top-ranked nation, has appeared in the last two World Cup finals. Kylian Mbappe, fresh off his move to Real Madrid, is eager to redeem himself after his penalty miss led to France’s shoot-out defeat to Switzerland in the last Euros’ round of 16. “Kylian is our captain and a great leader. We will need him to be at his best,” said France coach Didier Deschamps.

England, though never European champions, came close in 2021, losing the final on penalties to Italy. Optimism for their chances this time is high, with star players Harry Kane, now at Bayern Munich, and Jude Bellingham, formerly of Borussia Dortmund, familiar with German soil. “We want to make history,” England midfielder Declan Rice said this week. “We genuinely have a group and a manager who believes we can do something special.”

England begins their campaign against Serbia on Sunday in Gelsenkirchen, home of Schalke 04. If both France and England top their groups, they are on course to meet in the semi-finals. (With AFP inputs)

Euro Cup 2024 Groups

24 teams are divided in six groups with each having six teams. The hosts are in Group A while the defending champions Italy are in Group B, which is also regarded as group of death. Cristiano Ronaldo’s Portugal are place in Group F, along with Turkey, Georgia and Czechia, formerly known as Czech Republic.

Group A

• Germany
• Scotland
• Hungary
• Switzerland

Group B

• Spain
• Croatia
• Italy
• Albania

Group C

• Slovenia
• Denmark
• Serbia
• England

Group D

• Poland
• Netherlands
• Austria
• France

Group E

• Belgium
• Slovakia
• Romania
• Ukraine

Group F

• Turkey
• Georgia
• Portugal
• Czechia, also known Czech Republic

Euro Cup 2024 format

• In the first round of Euro Cup 2024, the teams in each group with play one match each in a round-robin format.
• The top two teams, on the basis points table, from each group will qualify for the round of 16, which is also know as pre-quarterfinals, a knockout round.
• The remaining four teams for the pre-quarters will be filled by top third-ranked teams from six groups.
• The winners of pre-quarterfinals will lock horns in round of 8, known as quarterfinals.
• The winners of quarterfinals will qualify for the semifinals and the subsequently the semis winner clash in the grand finale.

Euro Cup 2024 full schedule, match timings (IST)

European Championship (Euro Cup) 2024 start date, match timings (IST) live streaming and telecast

MTNews Desk