Euro 2024 Favourites: Ranking the Top Three Teams
The long-awaited Euro 2024 championship is finally underway, and the first round of games didn’t disappoint as fans were treated to a galore of goals. However, the first round of matches has taught us a lot that most football fans might not have expected before the tournament kickoff, with tournament favorites recording mixed success.
Hosts Germany kicked off their campaign with an impressive 5-1 win against Scotland, while England faced a more challenging opener that saw them labor to an unimpressive 1-0 victory over Serbia. Italy also faced similar uninspiring results, conceding the Euro’s fastest goal in history against Albania – the lowest-ranked team this summer.
But who’s likely to win the Henri Delaunay Trophy next month in Berlin? Here’s a rundown of the Euro 2024 tournament favorites you can bet on with the bookmakers’ promo codes as the group stage unfolds.
France
While leading sportsbooks ranked England as the tournament favorite for the Henri Delaunay Trophy before the kickoff, France seems ready to go the stretch. Les Bleus was among the biggest teams in Europe to display an underwhelming performance in their opener, with Australia impressively challenging them. France wasted several chances during the game, with Olivier Giroud particularly making an embarrassing mistake late in the game.
Kylian Mbappe got more attention for his broken nose than his performance, but he didn’t record any goal despite creating a series of chances. Mbappe played the cross that Maximilian Wober headed into his own goal, showing the constant threat he presents. However, Les Bleus are still among the tournament favorites as they prepare to meet the equally matched Netherlands and Poland in their upcoming games.
Germany
The tournament hosts have reached more Euro Championship finals than any other team, and there’s no reason why the Die Mannschaft can’t reach their seventh final. Germany is leading Group A after dominating over Scotland with a 5-1 victory in their opening match, the biggest winning margin ever recorded in a Euro opener. Julian Nagelsmann’s side also went ahead to win their second game 2-0 against Hungary to record six points.
Heading into the tournament, Die Mannschaft’s defense had a potential weak spot in their defense, but both Scotland and Hungary failed to exploit it. The team has a sizable confidence boost and impressive depth after their first two victories and it’s hard to see any major roadblocks between them and qualifying for the knockout stage.
England
The Three Lions opening performance in the Euro 2024 brings back memories of overhyped and underperforming teams from past tournaments. England was surprised by Serbia’s stalwart physical playing style and made their opponents seem better than they were.
To fulfill his fans’ pre-tournament expectations, manager Gareth Southgate needs to push out his team strategically and use the available talent. Watching the likes of Adam Wharton, Cole Palmer, and Anthony Gordon going unused as starters struggle is beyond disappointing and might affect England’s performance. However, fans expect the Three Lions to go past the quarter-finals and possibly lift the trophy.