da betobet: Plenty of teams are arriving in Germany with high hopes, but only one will come out on top – who will it be?
da mrbet: It's so close we can almost taste it. Euro 2024 is now just hours away, with the best players from around the continent descending on Germany for what promises to be a superb summer of football.
While some teams will solely harbour dreams of getting out of the groups, others know that anything other than a trophy parade in mid-July will go down as failure. We're set, then, for four weeks of drama, filled with joy and heartbreak in equal measure.
Here at GOAL, we like to think we know a thing or two about the beautiful game, and so we've asked our team of writers and editors to make their predictions for the tournament. From the Golden Boot and Player of the Tournament winners to the dark horses and biggest disappointments, we've got you covered on what to expect from the this hotly-anticipated Euros.
Today, we asked our team to predict who will win the tournament – here's what they had to say…
Getty Images'Just something about Portugal'
Joe Strange: They might only be fourth-favourites with the bookies, but there’s just something about Portugal. Obviously, they’ve still got Cristiano Ronaldo, who simply refuses to retire from international football and looks like he could score 40-plus goals a season in Saudi Arabia into his sixties. But they also have a solid defence, supremely-talented midfielders and dangerous, more agile forwards to complement their age-defying No.7. Roberto Martinez couldn’t get Belgium’s Golden Generation over the line, but this could be different.
AdvertisementGetty Images'France can blow anyone anyway'
James Westwood: France have enough firepower to blow anyone away, and will be determined to bounce back from their painful World Cup final defeat to Argentina in 2022. Kylian Mbappe boasts an incredible record at major tournaments and Les Bleus can rely on him to spearhead their charge, but he will also benefit from a stellar supporting cast that includes the likes of Antoine Griezmann, Marcus Thuram and Kingsley Coman. The centre-back pairing of William Saliba and Ibrahima Konate also gives France the rock-solid base on which title-winning teams are traditionally built upon, and it would be a huge surprise if they don't at least make it all the way to the final.
Getty'England shouldn't fear anyone'
Stephen Darwin: If not now, then when?! England have probably the best squad going into a tournament that they're ever likely to have, led by a manager who will surely have learnt a great deal from the painful nearly moments of the last few years. There will continue to be question marks about the defence and its ability to nullify the world's best forward players, but the Three Lions certainly shouldn't fear anyone. With the embarrassment of riches they have in attacking areas, it feels like it's now or never to bring an end to 58 years of hurt.
Getty'France know how to win a tournament'
Matt O'Connor-Simpson: France should breeze through their group, provided they avoid disaster against the Netherlands, and if everything goes as expected, their first tough knockout clash will be with England in the semi-finals. That one is a coin toss, but France got the better of the Three Lions in Qatar, and many of Didier Deschamps’ charges know how to win a tournament. This experience will put them in a good place to triumph in the final, too.