With the 2024 European Championships on the verge of beginning, there will be many who have identified England as one of the main favourites to win the competition.
It’s not an uncommon theme before the beginning of a major competition, with the Three Lions boasting a squad of talent and quality across the board. However, it’s important to remember that the last time the nation won a major tournament was back in 1966.
They’ve managed to come close in recent editions of the European Championships and the FIFA World Cup, with the rescheduled 2020 Euros being the closest. To re-cap, they reached the final but were beaten by Italy in a penalty shootout at Wembley.
Now, three years later, many are expecting Gareth Southgate’s side to go one step further and finally put the near-sixty-year wait for major international silverware to an end.
Why are England considered the favourites to win Euro 2024?
As mentioned, England are the main contenders for the 2024 Euros because of the squad depth and quality that they have available to them. The Three Lions are stacked in almost every position, which has made Southgate’s task of whittling down his squad to 26 ahead of the tournament even more difficult than some other national team bosses have had to endure.
If there is an area of the pitch in which they are weaker, it’s perhaps in the middle of defence. However, there are players who seem to step up and play their very best football for England than they do for their clubs. Harry Maguire is a name that is often noted in this instance.
In addition to a strong squad, the Three Lions have arguably been handed a favourable group. They have been placed in Group C, alongside Denmark, Serbia, and Slovenia. These are three teams that should be beaten with ease on paper, although we know that football isn’t played in this way.
The bookmakers don’t appear to have any concerns with group qualification, as they have priced Southgate’s team as 2/5 favourites to qualify as the top team. In further Euro 2024 odds available from Unibet UK, England have also been made the top favourites to win the tournament outright at 3/1.
Indeed, with these odds available, it would seem many are backing the Three Lions to finally end nearly six decades of hurt and “bring football home”.
Who could challenge England for the 2024 Euros?
England might be considered the outright favourite to win the 2024 Euros, but with football being a funny game, there are others that are going to be within a shout of winning one of the biggest prizes in international football.
France are priced just behind Southgate’s men at 4/1 and many will like the value in the odds that have been provided for Les Bleus. Much like the Three Lions, Didier Deschamps has a squad that boasts quality throughout the team, and one that is star-studded in terms of the names that are available.
Kylian Mbappé will be looking to make it a summer to remember as he finally made the move to the team he supported as a boy, Real Madrid. He just missed out on the 2022 FIFA World Cup when they were beaten by Argentina in a penalty shootout, and he – along with his compatriots – will want to add France’s first Euros since 2000, having come closest in 2016 when they were beaten runners-up.
Elsewhere, we could see Germany (11/2), Portugal, and Spain (8/1) all involved in the race to be eventual winners. Germany is among the best-placed of the three, as they will have home advantage and will be looking to make it count. However, at the same time, they have been poor in major tournaments recently, and it will be the first time Julian Nagelsmann has led Die Mannschaft at one.
Quality football expected
Whether England, France, or one of the others wins the 2024 Euros, there is no doubt that we’ll have a gripping football tournament on the horizon, one that can provide fans worldwide with some of the best that the sport has to offer at this level.
