Forecasting the Group Champions of UEFA Euro 2024
With Real Madrid securing their 15th Champions League victory, it’s time for European football to switch from the club to the international game. The UEFA Euro 2024 tournament is set to start on June 14th and end on July 14th, all games will be within the German borders. With 24 teams taking part, there will be some of the world’s best players on show. The format will be the same as for UEFA Euro 2020. The top two in each of the six final tournament groups will proceed to the Round of 16 along with the four best third-placed finishers. Now, let’s get into who I believe will come out victorious in each group.
Group A
The host city, Germany, headlines the group of countries that are in Group A. Along with Germany, Switzerland, Hungary, and Scotland make up the rest of the group. It’s no secret that the host country is, according to Draftkings, -260 to win Group A. This will be Toni Kroos's final competition before he retires and what better way to send him off than winning Group A and making a run at the Euro Final in his home country. Also, the young midfield combo of Florian Wirtz and Jamal Musiala makes a dangerous attack. This German starting 11 should not have trouble winning this group. I would consider the Swiss at +500 as they have an above-average defense but their attack lacks the desired offensive firepower.
Group B
Group B is loaded with talented squads. This group consists of Spain, Italy, Croatia, and Albania. We can rule out Albania from the get-go, but any of the three other squads has the capability of winning this group. The Spaniards are the favorite to win the group at -145, but I’m just not sure I can trust them. Ultimately, you will need lots of goals to win your group and I do not think that their attack is that strong. Same with Croatia, their squad has aged significantly besides Josko Gvardiol and they don’t have the same aura as past years. I believe that Italy will come out on top of Group B and harness the same type of magic back in the 2020 Euros. This is almost the exact same Italian squad that beat Spain in the Semifinals and ended up defeating England in the Final. It is hard to repeat any type of sporting tournament, but I’ve got a good feeling about them. They have the best value at +225 and if Nicolo Barella can play half as well as the last Euro, then Italy should have what it takes to win the Group.
Group C
This has got to be England’s year to win it all, much less their group. Plain and simple, this is the most talented roster Gareth Southgate has had the pleasure to manage. They were the runner ups in the 2020 Euro, losing to Italy in penalties. There’s a reason why England is listed at -250 to win the Group and I’m not going to fade them. If I were to pick another squad to win that’s not England, I would choose Denmark. They are listed at +400 to win Group C and they have a good squad. It’s headlined by players like Simon Kjaer, Rasmus Hojlund, and Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg. Ultimately, this English squad is far and aways better than Denmark, Serbia, and Slovenia.
Group D
This looks to be the “Group of Death” as some like to call it. Group D consists of France, Netherlands, Austria, and Poland. France is the notable favorite, -200, as their squad consists of star players like Kylian Mbappe, Antoine Griezmann, and Olivier Giroud. Just like England, their roster is loaded with talent and should come out victorious in Group D. Don’t sleep on the Netherlands though at +300. They will be giving France a run for their money in the group stage and could potentially find a way to win the group. They have talent in all the right positions to become the champions of Group D. Austria and Poland both have above-average squads as well but they are going up against juggernauts in France and the Netherlands so I could see one of these teams getting in through the third place advancers. In the end, I’m not going to fade the talented French roster and I predict they will win Group D.
Group E
Even though Belgium’s squad isn’t as deep as in past years, they should have no problems securing the number one spot in Group E. Belgium is listed at -285 to win the group even without players like Thibaut Courtois, Dries Mertens, Thorgan Hazard, and Michy Batshuayi. They still have plenty of talent on the squad and should win the group with relative ease given that their competition includes Ukraine, Romania, and Slovakia. I don’t see how either of those three squads can dethrone Belgium for the number one spot in Group E.
Group F
I see a lot of similarities between Group F and Group E. You have one powerhouse squad and the rest of the group is made up of less than average teams. Portugal should dominate Group F as Turkey, the Czech Republic, and Georgia aren’t exactly worthy competition. Again, there’s a reason that Portugal is the favorite and is listed as -250 to win the group. This is probably Cristiano Ronaldo and Pepe's last Euro tournament they will compete in and their squad is deep enough to make a run at glory. Expect Portugal to win Group F and advance far into the tournament.
