It’s that time again for the UEFA conference membrrs to step up and claim the most prestigious title in the league – the UEFA European Championship (Euro). Opening day starts on 15th June headed by Germany and Scotland at the Allianz Arena in Munich, Bavaria, Germany. Who will be the Euro 2024 champion? There are five popular according to pundits and fans alike,
These five favourites have high Euro football betting odds in bookmaker outrights because of their strong performances from Euro 2020. Their prowess is further proven in the past 4 years when they were fighting for qualification. Here are the top five favourites in Euro 2024 betting and what makes them formidable contenders:
England
Team England was so close to finally winning the title in 2020 but lost to Italy in a penalty shootout. Being a runners-up in the Euro 2020 is their best performance at the Euro to date and this is their ninth participation in the last ten editions. Coach Gareth Southgate is hoping for a better result this year by doubling down on the offensive strategies.
Their fear of losing at the Euro 2020 was believed to have ultimately cost them their best shot for the title. After scoring in the first two minutes by Luke Shaw, they started playing defensively, focusing on maintaining ball control rather than taking a shot. England has only made 8 attempts for a goal while Italy has taken 19. If England adopts a more aggressive approach this edition, they stand a better chance of finally taking home the Euro trophy for the first time in history.
France
Euro 2024 tournament director and German football icon, Philipp Lahm, confessed that he believes France has the best chance to win. His primary reasons include that the current French national team is the most well-equipped out of all the participants to do so. This includes having so many gifted talents, each with the capacity to stand out individually.
Among the top prospects for France include Kylian Mbappe, Olivier Giroud, and Antoine Griezmann. Also contributing to fans’ confidence in France is their undefeated journey to qualifying for the Euro 2024. Didier Deschamps is still relying on Mike Maignan to be healthy, after his recent recovery from an injury, for the Euros because he is the core of the team’s defences this year.
Germany
Germany is a popular bet for 3rd place in Euro football betting outrights but they can break an upset and win the title altogether. It’ll be a tough battle, but with Antonio Rudiger and Jonathan Tah in the defence, it’s certainly doable.
Team coach, Julian Nagelsmann, is sad that he couldn’t fit in fan favourites like Mats Hummels or Leon Goretzka but is otherwise confident in the state of the team right now. They are aiming for their first Euro title since 1996 and they have a home-court advantage to bolster their morale. Being the top 3 favourites in Euro 2024 betting worldwide also helps ease the anticipation.
Portugal
Portugal, the Euro 2016 champions, bring a similar lineup this season to their victorious squad from then. The squad’s top players still include Bernardo Silva and Cristiano Ronaldo among other highly anticipated names. However, they are now playing under new leadership as Roberto Martinez steps up after the team’s defeat in the 2022 World Cup Quarterfinals.
They are gunning for the Euro 2024 title this time and Martinez spared no expense in their lineup. It’s a necessary investment given that they are grouped with Turkey and Czechia, this year’s underdogs with a strong potential to break upsets.
Spain
Spain has a long history of amazing performance at the European Championship having participated many times and winning 3 titles in the past. Their latest endeavours have allowed them to reach the semi-finals of Euro 2020 until they lost in a penalty shootout to that year’s champion, Italy. They’re back with high hopes for the Euro 2024 title.
However, Spain has a tough battle before reaching the Round of 16. They are placed in a group with Croatia and the defending champions, Italy. Albania is the underdog of the group but being careless against them can cause an upset. Coach Luis de la Fuente is in a tight spot this Euro 2024 because his team’s journey is a difficult series of games right from the start.
Euro 2024 underdogs who can deliver upsets
This Euro 2024 has introduced many underdogs to the roster, many of which rarely qualify for any international event as big as this. Among the favourites include Albania, Slovakia, and Slovenia. There’s also Georgia who is making their first appearance ever in Euro 2024. However, none of them are likely to advance to the playoffs, much less win the tournament.
If you’re looking to bet on the underdogs, choose those with a chance to break upsets. Italy is one example who barely qualified for Euro 2024 even though they were the Euro 2020 defending champions. This year is likely to be difficult with England and Portugal being on the quest to redeem themselves but coach Luciano Spalletti has faith in his team.
Another team worth considering is the Netherlands, now led by team captain, Virgil van Dijk. He missed the 2020 Euro because of his knee injury then but now he’s back to lead the Dutch. Turkiye is also eyeing a high placement this season with head coach Vincenzo Montella’s 23-man roster. These are the teams you can expect to be dark horses for Euro 2024.
Some fun rivalries to look forward to at the Euro 2024
Euro 2020 set the stage for several potential rivalries in this edition. The first one is a rematch between England and Italy for the final upset. The same can be said for Portugal and Italy in the semi-finals. In both cases, Italy won in a penalty shootout so fans are eagerly waiting for a fight in which both sides aim for a main game score.
France is also being targeted by various national teams because they are seen as this year’s most well-rounded contenders. Among those are the Dutch team who want to test their mettle against UEFA’s best and Spain who goes toe-to-toe with Germany in friendlies. Look forward to these matches because they’re the most fun games in Euro football betting.
