Now there is a big statement even before Euro 2024 starts; in fact, it’s still over three months away, but we all know the European Championships will be another memorable showcase.
30 days of action with Europe’s best players on show is a mouth-watering prospect in itself, but football is getting bigger and better by the year, and this tournament could be the best ever. So let’s take a look at five compelling reasons why the championships will be must-see entertainment.
I’m sure there are more than five, but here’s the SBOTOP selection.
The hosts are under pressure to achieve
Germany are hosting the 17th edition of the European Championships for the first time since 1988 and for the first time as a unified nation. It’s a big moment for the country, but it comes at a time when the national football team is in a period of reinvention.
The fans of Germany, certainly those over 25 years of age, have been used to regular success as world champions in 2014 and a team that goes deep into competitions.
But the last few years have been grim, with early exits all too familiar, and now a home tournament gives Germany a chance to climb back to the top table. Head coach Julian Nagelsmann is one of the world’s best young managers, and he will not shirk this challenge. With a team that sits 12th in the FIFA World Rankings, he has a chance to shine. But the first step is to make sure his team gets out of the group.
Will French pride take a fall?
They have been the most successful European nation in recent times, and Les Bleus are the team to beat according to the Euro 2024 betting odds. The Twice-European champions won the World Cup in 2018 and the UEFA Nations League in 2021.
PSG star, Kylian Mbappe, is box office stuff and sure to make his fair share of Euro 2024 highlights, and manager Didier Deschamps has a wealth of talent to draw from.
Les Bleus’ rivals will be lining up to try to give the French a nasty surprise. England haven’t won a tournament since 1966, and, led by Bayern striker Harry Kane, they will be a threat, while Germany, as hosts, and Spain will also be ready to topple the favourites.
The chance to see football in Dortmund
It’s one of the most iconic stadiums in world football, and fans will flock to Signal Iduna Park in Dortmund. The home of the famous Yellow Wall, which holds 25,000 fans on a Bundesliga match day, Borussia Dortmund’s ground holds the European record for the most spectators in a league season, set in 2012 at a whopping 1.37 million and an average of over 80,000 fans per game. It’s in the heart of Germany’s Ruhr region, famed for its coal, steel, and beer, and Dortmund will be swamped with the colours of Europe’s top teams. The atmosphere at Signal Iduna Park is always electric.
Built for the 1974 World Cup, the stadium has been modernized over the years and was a World Cup semi-final venue in 2006, and fans will be queuing up to get a ticket for a match at BVB’s home.
Italy versus Spain in Group B
What a contest we’ll see in Group B, where the most eye-catching clash of the tournament will take place. The group also contains Croatia and Albania, but it is the meeting of Spain and reigning European champions Italy which captures our attention. They sit alongside each other in the FIFA World Rankings, with the Azzurri in sixth and Spain in seventh, and both will have their eyes on the big prize.
Italy were the surprise package in 2022, and they beat Spain in a pulsating semi-final. Now led by Luciano Spalletti, they will be largely represented by Serie A players and as hard to beat as ever.
Spain have a young squad yet to reach their full potential, but they could have the player of the tournament in Manchester City star Rodri, the best defensive midfielder in the world.
Bellingham, Lamal, and Wirtz
Some of Europe’s most exciting young stars could have a huge impact in Germany this summer, and two of them are well known in the Bundesliga. Jude Bellingham made his name at Borussia Dortmund, and, still only 20 years of age, he has made over 100 league appearances at the best clubs in Europe.
Now a Real Madrid player, he has already scored 20 goals for Los Blancos, becoming the club’s joint top English scorer of all time. That is an incredible achievement for a box-to-box midfielder, and Bellingham is crucial to England’s chances.
Barcelona’s 16-year-old winger, Lamine Yamal, has already made four appearances for Spain, and he is the youngest player in history to score for the Blaugrana and La Roja.
He plays without fear, and Yamal could be the breakthrough star of the tournament, and he is sure to showcase his self-belief and outrageous skills on the right flank.
The other young Bundesliga man to watch is Bayer Leverkusen star Florian Wirtz, who, at the age of 20, has made 100 appearances for Die Werkself and looks set to pick up a Bundesliga winners medal to celebrate his 21st birthday in May. An attacking midfielder, Wirtz can play through the middle or out wide on the left wing, and he makes the game look easy.
What Germany fans would give to see Wirtz win Player of the Tournament!
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