Can England Win Euro 2024?
The Premier League may be hurtling towards a thrilling climax, but the end of the domestic season represents only a brief lull in the footballing entertainment in 2024. Less than a month after the final Premier League fixtures on 19 May, the eyes of the sporting world turn to Germany for the 2024 European Championships. Kicking off on Friday 14 June, and running through to the final at the Olympiastadion on Sunday 14 July, a footballing feast awaits.
What makes this summer's tournament all the more exciting is the fact that England might actually go and win the thing – at least if you believe the bookmakers who have installed the Three Lions as the outright favourites for the competition – the 3/1 available with Betfred being representative of the general price available for Gareth Southgate's troops. Are the UK compilers swayed by home bias? Or is there substance to England’s chances?
So Near and Yet So Far in 2020
The first thing to note when considering a bet on England is that you will be backing them to do something they have never done before. First qualifying for the finals in 1968, their status as World Champions only took them to a third-placed finish. Fast forward to 1996, and, despite enjoying home advantage, a semi-final exit at the hands of the dastardly Germans awaited – yes, we lost on penalties again, with none other than Gareth Southgate the man to see his kick saved in sudden death.
However, we can draw encouragement from England’s most recent European Championships performance, which was their best ever – making it to the final, only to lose out on penalties (again) to Italy.
Squad Even Better This Time Around?
When looking at the starting lineup from that 2020 final, a few of the eleven remain fixtures in the side four years on. Jordan Pickford is still the number one, Kyle Walker and Harry Maguire dominate the right side of the back four, Declan Rice provides stability and legs through the middle, and Harry Kane is still one of the deadliest centre forwards in world football.
Gareth Southgate probably wouldn’t swap his squad for any other in the tournament.
What elevates this squad is the emergence of a cast of young talent, which is the envy of almost every other squad in the competition. Bukayo Saka is a better player than in 2020, Phil Foden has blossomed into the world-class talent he always promised to be, and Jude Bellingham is arguably the best player in his position on the planet. And then we have Cole Palmer, who is making an improbable tilt at the Golden Boot, and Ollie Watkins, who provides superb backup in the number nine position. Gareth Southgate probably wouldn’t swap his squad for any other in the tournament.
If there are any weaknesses, they likely lie on the left-hand side of defence – Luke Shaw and Ben Chilwell are solid enough options, but it would be no surprise if the opposition targets this side of the pitch.
Group Stage Appears a Formality
You can never take anything for granted in international football, but England could certainly have fared much worse with the draw. Currently ranked fourth in the FIFA World Rankings, England have landed in Group C alongside Denmark, Serbia, and Slovenia - ranked 21st, 33rd, and 57th, respectively. All three sides have their standout talents; Rasmus Højlund and Christian Eriksen for Denmark, Aleksandr Mitrovic for Serbia, and Benjamin Šeško for Slovenia, but none boast anything like the depth of England. England are 4/11 favourites to win the Group with BetFred.
Biggest Threats
The most obvious obstacle in England’s way is France (7/2 with Betfred). Going agonisingly close to winning the 2022 World Cup - only losing out to Argentina in the Final - Les Bleus dumped England out of that tournament and remain a hugely talented outfit. Lucas Hernadez, Dayot Upamecano, Ibrahima Konaté, and William Saliba probably represent the best centre-back options in the competition; the midfield is similarly robust with the likes of Eduardo Camavinga, Aurélien Tchouaméni, and Adrien Rabiot, whilst Antoine Griezmann provides the creativity behind Kylian Mbappé, who can win any match in an instant.
"Die Mannschaft" have rather annoyingly found their form just in time
Twelve months ago, it would have been hard to imagine Germany (6/1 with Betfred) winning this on home soil. However, "Die Mannschaft" have rather annoyingly found their form just in time, with their two most recent games seeing them beat the Netherlands on home soil and, more impressively, seeing off France 2-0 on the road. Now ticking along nicely under Julien Nagelsmann, they boast a solid spine of Marc-André ter Stegen, Antonio Rüdiger, Toni Kroos, and Kai Havertz, surrounded by a nice mix of experience and youth – headlined by the sensational Jamal Musiala
Further down the list, Spain (15/2) blitzed through qualifying but don’t look the force of old despite a raft of talent in midfield. Portugal (8/1) may be a bigger threat in what will surely be Cristiano Ronaldo’s last major international tournament. A perfect ten from ten in qualifying, they rattled in 36 goals and conceded only twice. More expansive these days under Roberto Martinez, they rate a tough assignment for anyone.
England’s Route to the Final
Assuming England skates through Group C, and all other groups go as forecast, the Three Lions will face a likely Last 16 clash with Austria, Romania, or Turkey, followed by a Quarter Final against Italy. Things then become much tougher, with France likely to lie in wait in the Semi-Final. Win that, and Germany, Spain, or Portugal are the most realistic opponents in the final.
So can England win it? It won’t be easy, but it’s hard to disagree that 2024 doesn’t represent their best chance in quite some time. Germany, France, and Portugal are respected, but England, propelled by the most dangerous midfield in the tournament, may bring it home at long, long, last.
Top 20 Betting Offers
18+. New Customers Only. Max 1 x £10 Free Bet. Qualifying bets at Odds of 1/1 or greater. Paid as Bonus Token Min 4/5 Odds Req. Skrill, Neteller, Paypal not eligible. T&Cs Apply |
|||||
New customers only. 7 days to place qualifying bet of £10 at 1/1 (2.0) to receive 1 x £10 Football Free Bet, 1 x £10 Horse Racing Free Bet, 2 x £10 Free Bet Builders. 7 day expiry. Exclusions apply. Stake not returned. 18+. T&Cs apply. |
|||||
Min deposit requirement. Free Bets are paid as Bet Credits and are available for use upon settlement of bets to value of qualifying deposit. Min odds, bet and payment method exclusions apply. Returns exclude Bet Credits stake. Time limits and T&Cs apply. Registration required. |
|||||
18+ New UK+IRE Customers only. Min first £5 bet within 14 days of account reg at min odds 1/2 to get 4x £5 free bets. Stake not returned. Restrictions + Free bet T&Cs apply. |
|||||
New customers online only. Eligibility restrictions apply. Only valid with code B10G40 on registration. £10 min qualifying bet at 1/1 (2.0) odds or greater across sports or racing (if EW then min £10 Win + £10 Place). Receive £20 Tote Credit, £10 Free Sports Bet and 50 Free Spins on Big Bass Bonanza within 48 hours of qualifying bet settlement. 7-day expiry on free bets & Tote Credit. Your first bet will be your qualifying bet. One per customer. UK & ROI customers only. 18+. Full T&Cs apply. Gambleaware.org.Full T&Cs apply. |
|||||
18+ New UK+ROI Customers only. Min deposit & bet £10 at min odds 1/2 to qualify for 4 x £10 free bets. Certain deposit methods and bet types excl. Free bets valid for 7 days, stake not returned. Restrictions + T&Cs apply. |
|||||
18+ New customers only. Opt in via mobile or app & bet £10+ on any football market at 2.00+ odds within 7 days. No Cash out. Get 6x £5 Free Bets on selected markets. Free bets expire in 7 days. T&Cs apply. GambleAware.org | Please gamble responsibly |
|||||
New UK Customers only. Use code welcomeMB40. Sign up and place at least 3 bets of £10 or more on seperate events on your first day of betting. If account has net sportsbook losses at the end of first day's betting, Gentleman Jim will refund 50% of these as a free bet up to £40. Full Terms apply. 18+ begambleaware. |
|||||
New UK Customers. Register using code BETGETSPORTS. Must bet £10 in total on 4+ legs, min odds 4.0. £20 awarded as 4 X £5 free bets once settled, AND 50 Free Spins to use on Big Bass Splash (valued at 10p per spin). Free bet T&Cs Apply. 18+. BeGambleAware.org |
|||||
18+. BeGambleAware.org. New customers only. Min. £10 deposit, debit card only. Up to 50x wagering, game contributions vary, max. stake applies, 7 day expiry. See full terms. #AD |
|||||
New UK customers only. Qualifying bet should be a Single or Accumulator bet, min stake £10, and min odds 1.9. Get £50 in Free bets which must be placed with a min odds of 2.0 include: 1 x £10 Free bet for horse racing, 1 x £10 Free bet on football, 2 x 10 Free bet In-play, 1 x £10 Free bet Acca (min 3 selections). To unlock the offer, complete the first deposit via the banking app. Max payout – £500. 7 day expiry. 18+. Begambleaware.org |
|||||
New bettors; Code SPORT; Wager deposit & bonus 8x; Max qualifying bet stake=initial bonus; Valid 60 days; Min odds, payment method exclusions apply; New customers only. T&C apply; 18+ |
|||||
New Customers place a £25 fixed odds bet at minimum odds of 1/2. Get £50 in Free Bets as: 5 x £5 free fixed odds bets + 4 x £5 free Total Goals spread bets + 50 free spins on Starburst 18+. Full promotions terms apply. |
|||||
New customers only. Register with BETFRED50. Deposit £10+ via Debit Card and place first bet £10+ at Evens (2.0)+ on Sports within 7 days to get 3 x £10 in Sports Free Bets & 2 x £10 in Acca Free Bets within 10 hours of settlement. 7-day expiry. Eligibility & payment exclusions apply. Full T&Cs apply. |
|||||
18+. New Customers Only. Min deposit £20. Maximum one £10 Free Bet & two £5 Bet Builder Free Bets. Qualifying bet must be placed at odds of Evens (2.00) or greater. Paid as bonus tokens: Token 1 Min odds Req: 4/5 (1.80). Token 2 & 3 are valid for Bet Builder only and are subject to min odds of 2/1 (3.00). T&Cs Apply. |
|||||
New customers Deposit and place your first bet on Sports at odds of Evens (2.0) or greater. Once bet is settled you will receive 1x £10 Free Bet Token to be used on Football, 1x £10 Free Bet Token to be used on Horse Racing, and 20 Extra spins (value per spin 50p), to be used on Book of Dead. Total bonus value £30. Full terms apply. 18+ begambleaware. |
|||||
New Customers. Min Deposit: £5. Maximum Free Bet: £30. First qualifying bet with 3+ selections. Overall odds: 3.00+ (2/1). If first bet loses free bets will be credited after bet settled. 100 Free Spins on Gold Blitz credited on settlement of qualifying Acca bet. 18+. BeGambleAware.org. Bet The Responsible Way. Full terms apply |
|||||
New Customers Only. Sign up with bonus code: EB20. Bet £20 and get £20 in Free Bets. Paid as £5 Free Bet on Soccer, £5 Free Bet on Horse Racing, £5 Free Bet on Multiples and a £5 Free Bet on any Market. Terms apply 18+ gambleaware.org. |
|||||
£10 min deposit. First bet mins odds 1.5 placed within 14 days of sign-up. 2 x £10 in Free Bets: valid for 7 days, free bet stakes not returned. Bet Responsibly. BeGambleAware.org. 18+ T&Cs apply.
|
|||||
New customers only. Min deposit £10. Max one £15 Free Bet. Min Turnover £15 to qualify. Qualifying bets must be at odds of Evens (2.0) or bigger. Full Terms apply. 18+ begambleaware. |