Australia, it’s time to stock up on caffeine as Euro 2024 gets underway on Saturday.
Germany will play host to a whopping 51 games late at night and early in the morning as Europe’s best footballers look to lift their country to glory.
There is only one debutant at the 17th edition of the tournament: world No. 75 Georgia.
So, who are the favourites, the dark horses and heavyweights who could flounder?
Foxsports.com.au provides bite-size analysis on EVERY GROUP and breaks down all the key dates in our EURO 2024 ULTIMATE GUIDE!
ENGLAND STATE OF PLAY: Bold gamble to finally end football torture … or taint a legacy forever
GROUP A
Germany
FIFA Ranking: 16th
Best Euro performance: Winner (1972, 1980, 1996)
Star player: Jamal Musiala (Bayern Munich)
Scotland
FIFA Ranking: 39th
Best Euro performance: Group stage (1992, 1996, 2020)
Star player: Andrew Robertson (Liverpool)
Hungary
FIFA Ranking: 26th
Best Euro performance: Third (1964)
Star player: Dominik Szoboszlai (Liverpool)
Switzerland
FIFA Ranking: 19th
Best Euro performance: Quarter finals (2020)
Star player: Granit Xhaka (Bayer Leverkusen)
Analysis: Host nation Germany are the clear favourites to progress from this group and should do so with relative ease.
Expect young midfield duo Jamal Musiala and Florian Wirtz to steal the show as Germany look to banish their demons from the 2022 World Cup in which they crashed out in the group stage.
But who will finish second?
Scotland may have a solid midfield and a reasonable defensive unit but up front, one must wonder how they’ll find goals with Che Adams and Lawrence Shankland.
Across the last five major tournaments, Switzerland have found a way to make it to the knockout stages.
Led by Bayer Leverkusen midfielder Granit Xhaka, Switzerland will be a safe bet to progress from the group stages once again.
However, Hungary present somewhat of a wildcard.
Going into Euro 2024, Hungary have lost just once in their last 18 games and even secured away wins over England and Germany during that run.
We’re predicting Switzerland’s tournament nous to be enough to secure second place behind Germany.
GROUP B
Spain
FIFA Ranking: 8th
Best Euro performance: Winner (1964, 2008, 2012)
Star player: Rodri (Manchester City)
Croatia
FIFA Ranking: 10th
Best Euro performance: Quarter finals (1996, 2008)
Star player: Luka Modric (Real Madrid)
Italy
FIFA Ranking: 9th
Best Euro performance: Winner (1968, 2020)
Star player: Gianluigi Donnarumma (Paris Saint-Germain)
Albania
FIFA Ranking: 66th
Best Euro performance: Group stage (2016)
Star player: Armando Broja (Chelsea)
Analysis: Ladies and gentlemen, welcome to the infamous group of death.
For three teams ranked in the top ten, one will be left with serious questions once the group stage is completed.
Italy, the winners at Euro 2020, are a different outfit under Luciano Spalletti who took over from Roberto Mancini.
As good as the Azzurri are, there’s questions as to how they’ll score having racked up just 17 in the qualifying stage for this tournament.
Croatia looked less than convincing in their qualifying results but made it to the final of the Nations League and only lost on penalties, with the evergreen Luka Modric leading the way.
It was Spain who beat Croatia in that Nations League final and are blessed with talent all across the field, with central midfielder Rodri the standout.
Albania could end up having a large say in this group as their tireless running and effort on the field could cause an upset that derails one of their Group B rivals’ campaign.
Unfortunately the group stage will be as good as it gets for Albania and Croatia, as Italy’s resolve and Spain’s silkiness is going to prove too much to handle.
GROUP C
Slovenia
FIFA Ranking: 57th
Best Euro performance: Group stage (2020)
Star player: Benjamin Sesko (RB Leipzig)
Denmark
FIFA Ranking: 21st
Best Euro performance: Winner (1992)
Star player: Christian Eriksen (Manchester United)
Serbia
FIFA Ranking: 33rd
Best Euro performance: Runners-up (1960, 1968)
Star player: Aleksandar Mitrovic (Al Hilal)
England
FIFA Ranking: 4th
Best Euro performance: Runners-up (2020)
Star player: Harry Kane (Bayern Munich)
Analysis: All eyes will be on England as they look to go one better than Euro 2020 when they lost to Italy via a penalty shootout in the final.
Several players have improved since then and will be better for the experience, plus the emergence of Phil Foden, Cole Palmer and Jude Bellingham has made the Three Lions a heavy favourite.
However, there are major question marks over England’s defenders given several are coming back from injuries and are not at full fitness.
Joining England in Group C is Denmark, who they met in the semi finals at Euro 2020.
The Danes will be desperate to make up for a humiliating group stage exit at the 2022 World Cup as Christian Eriksen hopes to provide the spark for attacking talents like Rasmus Hojlund and Andreas Skov Olsen.
A constant dark horse, Serbia have plenty of notable firepower in Dusan Vlahovic and Aleksandar Mitrovic but some rough qualifying results including defeats to Hungary and a draw to Bulgaria doesn’t inspire much confidence.
Slovenia are the easy tip to finish outside the top two but in Benjamin Sesko they have a striker who could cause serious problems.
Expect England and Denmark to progress to the Round of 16.
GROUP D
Poland
FIFA Ranking: 28th
Best Euro performance: Quarter finals (2016)
Star player: Robert Lewandowski (Barcelona)
Netherlands
FIFA Ranking: 7th
Best Euro performance: Winner (1988)
Star player: Virgil van Dijk (Liverpool)
Austria
FIFA Ranking: 25th
Best Euro performance: Round of 16 (2020)
Star player: Marcel Sabitzer (Borussia Dortmund)
France
FIFA Ranking: 2nd
Best Euro performance: Winners (1984, 2000)
Star player: Kylian Mbappe (Real Madrid)
Analysis: Having crashed out in the Round of 16 at Euro 2020, France will be desperate to live up to their favourites tag.
Les Bleus have superstar talent in every part of the field but the man everyone will be watching is Kylian Mbappe, who will tear opposition backlines apart with his blistering pace and clinical finishing.
One defensive unit who won’t fear Mbappe is that of the Netherlands, who boast Virgil van Dijk, Matthijs de Light, Nathan Ake and Micky van de Ven in their ranks.
But as good as their defence is, the loss of Frenkie De Jong leaves the Dutch rather light in midfield while Memphis Depay’s recent muscle injury leaves the team short in attack albeit for only a few games.
Poland have already been dealt a bitter blow as striker Robert Lewandowski will miss their opener against Austria and without him, their chances of getting a result drop dramatically.
If Lewandowski cannot return to full fitness for the clashes against France and the Netherlands, Poland will need a miracle to make it out of the group stages.
Austria lack the star power of France and the Netherlands but they play exactly how boss Ralf Rangnick wants them too, as red shirts fly up the field to relentlessly press their opposition.
Led by midfield duo Marcel Sabitzer and Konrad Laimer, Austria’s energy may pose an interesting dilemma for their rivals.
That said, it would be an almighty shock if France or the Netherlands fail to make it out of the groups as they progress to the knockout stages.
GROUP E
Belgium
FIFA Ranking: 3rd
Best Euro performance: Runners-up (1980)
Star player: Kevin De Bruyne (Manchester City)
Slovakia
FIFA Ranking: 48th
Best Euro performance: Round of 16 (2016)
Star player: Milan Skriniar (Paris Saint-Germain)
Romania
FIFA Ranking: 46th
Best Euro performance: Quarter finals (2000)
Star player: Radu Dragusin (Tottenham)
Ukraine
FIFA Ranking: 22nd
Best Euro performance: Quarter finals (2020)
Star player: Mykhailo Mudryk (Chelsea)
Analysis: After suffering a humiliating group stage exit at the 2022 World Cup, Belgium’s golden generation has one last chance to win a trophy before the next generation fully takes over.
However, Thibaut Courtois will not be involved after he fell out with new manager Domenico Tedesco over the goalkeeper not being named as the new captain.
Once again, Belgium has ridiculous talent in attack and midfield with the likes of Kevin De Bruyne and Romelu Lukaku, but a slow defensive unit featuring Wout Faes and Jan Vertonghen doesn’t inspire a lot of confidence.
Romania finished top of their qualifying group having conceded just five goals, with only France and Portugal bettering their goals conceded per game.
It will be that steely resolve at the back that could steer the Romanians into a surprise knockout berth as they aren’t exactly a team known for scoring goals for fun.
Ukraine copped a tough qualifying group having been drawn alongside England and Italy but managed to make it via the play-offs.
One thing in Ukraine’s favour is their remarkable ability to conjure late results having gone behind in six of their 10 games, but coming back to ultimately win four.
Slovakia may have finished with their equal best-ever tally of games won in qualifying with seven, but when you factor in their group featured Luxembourg, Iceland, Bosnia and Herzegovina and Liechtenstein, it takes some gloss off of the achievement.
It’ll take something special for the Slovakians to step up to the level of their Group E rivals.
Anything other than Belgium finishing first looks almost impossible and we’re tipping star duo Mykhailo Mudryk and Artem Dovbyk, who won La Liga’s golden boot, to lift Ukraine into the knockout stages.
GROUP F
Turkey
FIFA Ranking: 40th
Best Euro performance: Third (2008)
Star player: Hakan Calhanoglu (Inter Milan)
Georgia
FIFA Ranking: 75th
Best Euro performance: Tournament debut
Star player: Khvicha Kvaratskhelia (Napoli)
Portugal
FIFA Ranking: 6th
Best Euro performance: Winner (2016)
Star player: Cristiano Ronaldo (Al Nassr)
Czech Republic
FIFA Ranking: 36th
Best Euro performance: Runners-up (1996)
Star player: Patrik Schick (Bayer Leverkusen)
Analysis: Portugal’s qualification campaign was as good as it gets: ten wins from ten along with 36 goals scored and just two conceded.
The football was free-flowing under Roberto Martinez, but they’ll be up against stronger opposition at Euro 2024.
Crucial to Portugal’s hopes will be Cristiano Ronaldo, but how will Martinez — and the team — cope with the superstar struggles with form early on?
It could prove to be an unwanted sideshow.
Turkey have often been people’s go-to nation for who will be the dark horse of the tournament, but they’ve lost six of their last seven games at the Euros.
However, they’ve got a non-Turkish manager for the first time since 1954 in the form of Vincenzo Montella and he might be the man to finally justify the dark horse claims.
Expect young duo Arda Guler and Kenan Yildiz, who play for Real Madrid and Juventus respectively, to offer plenty of flair in the final third.
The Czech Republic are consistent guests at the Euros having qualified eight consecutive times and are the second-highest ranked team in the group.
Striker Patrik Shick shared the golden boot at Euro 2020 alongside Cristiano Ronaldo and will no doubt be entrusted with shouldering the goalscoring burden once again.
But a glance at their midfield leaves pundits wondering where the creativity will come to thread that killer pass or break down a low block.
Tournament debutants Georgia aren’t being given much of a hope and justifiably so given they came fourth in their group behind Spain, Scotland and Norway.
But thanks to the their standing in the Nations League they made it to a playoff where they beat Greece on penalties.
Napoli winger Khvicha Kvaratskhelia is Georgia’s best hope of a goal but if their Group F rivals can shackle him, the minnows will struggle badly.
Portugal won’t have any issues progressing and we’re boldly declaring Turkey finally live up to the dark horse label and progress to the knockouts.
FULL EURO 2024 SCHEDULE (all times AEST)
Saturday, June 15
Germany v Scotland – 5am
Hungary v Switzerland – 11pm
Sunday, June 16
Spain v Croatia – 2am
Italy v Albania – 5am
Poland v Netherlands – 11pm
Monday, June 17
Slovenia v Denmark – 2am
Serbia v England – 5am
Romania v Ukraine – 11pm
Tuesday, June 18
Belgium v Slovakia – 2am
Austria v France – 5am
Wednesday, June 19
Turkey v Georgia – 2am
Portugal v Czech Republic- 5am
Croatia v Albania – 11pm
Thursday, June 20
Germany v Hungary – 2am
Scotland v Switzerland – 5am
Slovenia v Serbia – 11pm
Friday, June 21
Denmark v England – 2am
Spain v Italy – 5am
Slovakia v Ukraine – 11pm
Saturday, June 22
Poland v Austria – 2am
Netherlands v France – 5am
Georgia v Czech Republic – 11pm
Sunday, June 23
Turkey v Portugal – 2am
Belgium v Romania – 5am
Monday, June 24
Scotland v Hungary – 5am
Switzerland v Germany – 5am
Tuesday, June 25
Croatia v Italy – 5am
Albania v Spain – 5am
Wednesday, June 26
France v Poland – 2am
Netherlands v Austria – 2am
Denmark v Serbia – 5am
England v Slovenia – 5am
Thursday, June 27
Ukraine v Belgium – 2am
Slovakia v Romania – 2am
Czech Republic v Turkey – 5am
Georgia v Portugal – 5am
Sunday, June 30
Round of 16 #1: Group A runner-up v Group B runner-up – 2am
Round of 16 #2: Group A winner v Group C runner-up – 5am
Monday, July 1
Round of 16 #3: Group C winner v Group D/E/F third-place – 2am
Round of 16 #4: Group B winner v Group A/D/E/F third-place – 5am
Tuesday, July 2
Round of 16 #5: Group D runner-up v Group E runner-up – 2am
Round of 16 #6: Group F winner v Group A/B/C third-place – 5am
Wednesday, July 3
Round of 16 #7: Group E winner v Group A/B/C/D third-place – 2am
Round of 16 #8: Group D winner v Group F runner-up – 5am
Saturday, July 6
Quarter-final #1 – 2am
Quarter-final #2 – 5am
Sunday, July 7
Quarter-final #3 – 2am
Quarter-final #4 – 5am
Wednesday, July 10
Semi-final #1 – 5am
Thursday, July 11
Semi-final #2 – 5am
Monday, July 15
Final – 5am
Source Agencies
