It’s finally here! This year’s Euro 2024 Championship kicks off between Scotland and hosts Germany on Friday 14th June, raising the curtain on a month of action between the best of Europe.
Grosvenor Sport ambassadors Jamie O’Hara and Jose Enrique discuss the tournament favourites, players to watch out for and some of the dark horses in Germany.
O’Hara’s Hunch
I’m going to go with my heart and say England will win the Euros. We’ve got the best side with the most attacking prowess. France might have Kylian Mbappe, but we’ve got Jude Bellingham, Phil Foden, Bukayo Saka – our team is unbelievable! We just need to keep it tight at the back – that’s the only weakness. Jordan Pickford is a great goalkeeper at tournaments and will be important.
Everyone will talk about England and France but you can’t write off Portugal at 13/2 to win the tournament. They’ve got a strong side with a good midfield and attacking players. Roberto Martinez is an experienced coach at international level after his work at Belgium.
I think Scotland might surprise a few people too. I give the Scottish boys some stick but they’ve got some good players, they’re organised and hard to beat – they won’t win it but they’re 7/5 to get out of Group A, and I can see that happening.
I like the look of Hungary in Scotland’s group as well – don’t forget they beat England home and away in the Nations League a couple of years back. They can cause Germany problems and are 9/2 to reach the quarter-finals.
If England win it, Harry Kane will scoop the Golden Boot. He takes penalties which is key. Foden could be among the goals too, depending on where Gareth Southgate starts him. But I’m backing Kane at 11/2.
Jose’s Ones to Watch
Germany will enjoy a huge boost as tournament hosts and in Jamal Musiala they have one of the brightest talents on the planet. The 21-year-old continues to impress at Bayern Munich and should be handed the freedom to express his many abilities by boss Julian Nagelsmann.
Lamine Yamal became Spain’s youngest player and goalscorer when he made his debut aged just 16 last September. He is the latest prodigy to emerge from Barcelona’s academy and has impressive technical skills to cause opposition defenders a headache.
Xavi Simons flourished on loan from Paris Saint-Germain at RB Leipzig and was named in the Bundesliga Team of the Season. He barely featured at the 2022 World Cup but could catch the eye in Germany if given the chance by Netherlands boss Ronald Koeman.
Real Madrid snapped up Turkey sensation Arda Guler on a six-year deal last summer and the attacking midfielder has what it takes to inspire his country to a deep run into the knockout stages.
Premier League giants are queueing up to sign Slovenia striker Benjamin Šeško and it is easy to see why. He netted 14 Bundesliga goals for RB Leipzig last season, struck five times in qualifying and has been tipped to become his nation’s all-time top scorer.