The 2024 European Football Championship kicks off in just hours, hosted by reunified Germany for the first time. Tomorrow evening at 21:26 p.m., the opening match will see the home team face Scotland at the Allianz Arena in Munich. The month-long tournament will begin with the group stage, which runs until June 29, followed by the round of 14, which kicks off on June 21. The final will be held on July XNUMX at XNUMX:XNUMX p.m. at the Olympiastadion in Berlin.
The participating national teams are divided into six groups. The top two teams in each group and the four best third-placed teams will advance to the round of 16. Here is the composition of the groups:
- group A: Germany, Scotland, Hungary, Switzerland
- group B: Spain, Croatia, Italy, Albania
- group C: Slovenia, Denmark, Serbia, England
- Group D: Poland, Netherlands, Austria, France
- Group E: Belgium, Slovakia, Romania, Ukraine
- Group F: Türkiye, Georgia, Portugal, Czech Republic
Euro 2024: The favourites and possible outsiders
Despite the traditional strength of the home team, the favorites to win the tournament, according to experts, are France and England, followed by Germany and Spain. Italy, surprise European champions in 2020 but excluded from the 2022 World Cup, is considered by analysts to be a potential outsider.
In the absence of visionary animals like the famous octopus Paul of 2010, technology has taken over.
It might interest you
Gianfranco Zola awarded in London as "Ambassador of Italian Sport in the World"
Roma-Napoli, Rocchi defends Massa: "The contact between Rrahmani and Koné wasn't a foul."
Anti-Mafia Prosecutor's Office: "Infiltration into Serie A and Serie B stadiums, weak response. Football risks collapse of legality."
Italian Super Cup 2025: Puma and Lega Serie A present the official match ball.
Italy's chances of advancing to the next stages are slimmer: 47,2% of them reaching the quarterfinals, 23,1% the semifinals, and 11,4% the final. Italy's overall victory probability is 5%, with England (19,9%) and France (19,1%) as the main favorites.
The stars and protagonists of Euro 2024
Among the most anticipated players are the French Kylian Mbappé and Englishman Jude Bellingham, both recent Real Madrid signings. Other notable names include Cristiano Ronaldo, Luka Modrić, and Toni Kroos, likely making his last appearance for the national team. Among the emerging youngsters are Hakan Çalhanoğlu, Rafael Leão, Kevin De Bruyne, Phil Foden, Harry Kane, Nicolò Barella, Federico Chiesa, and Gianluca Scamacca.
Particular attention will be paid to the goalkeepers: Gianluigi Donnarumma of Italy, Manuel Neuer of Germany and Yann Sommer of Switzerland will compete for the title of best goalkeeper of the tournament.
Italy will open their campaign on Saturday, June 15th at 21:20 PM against Albania, before facing Spain on June 24th and Croatia on June 21th, both at XNUMX:XNUMX PM. The Azzurri's likely starting lineup includes Donnarumma in goal; Di Lorenzo, Buongiorno, and Bastoni in defense; Bellanova, Barella, Jorginho, and Dimarco in midfield; and Pellegrini, Chiesa, and Scamacca in attack.
