England came desperately close to landing their first major football title since 1966 at Euro 2020. More penalty shootout heartache ensued in the final against the Italians, with England once again falling on the wrong side of the small margins. That was followed up by a run to the quarter-finals of the 2022 World Cup in Qatar, which was ended by eventual finalists, France.
The ’so near, but yet so far’ narrative continues to plague this England national team. Despite the sterling work done by boss, Gareth Southgate, the lack of a major trophy continues to rankle with players, fans and pundits alike. The supporters travel from all four corners of the globe and make extra commitments to watch the Three Lions in major finals and it would be wonderful to end that long, agonising wait in Germany.
So, what are England’s chances of breaking their duck at Euro 2024? The tournament, set to be hosted across ten cities in Germany this summer, offers another great opportunity for this generation of English stars to immortalise themselves.
At the present time, Southgate’s men find themselves at the head of the outright Euro 2024 betting market, with Betway currently setting them as 7/2 favourites ahead of France (4/1) and hosts, Germany (7/1). This places further pressure on Southgate to deliver the country’s first major football trophy in almost 60 years. Although England’s Lionesses made the nation proud by becoming European champions in 2022, which is transforming women’s football as we speak.
England’s Euro 2024 group assessed
The Three Lions were drawn in Group C of this summer’s 24-team tournament. England were given a somewhat fortuitous draw, with Serbia, Denmark and Slovenia to face in the group stage. England will fancy their chances to win all three of these match-ups and advance to the knockout stages as group winners. They have previously beaten Denmark in major tournaments, having disposed of the Danes in the Euro 2020 semis.
If they do win Group C, they’ll also advance to the round of 16 to face one of the best third-placed teams. This would be another great opportunity to lock horns with a team that’s highly likely to be in worse form than England in this scenario.
Things could get a little stickier if England only manage to finish runners up in Group C. They’ll then face the winner of Group A, which would be one of Germany, Switzerland, Scotland or Hungary. A clash with bitter rivals and host nation, Germany, so soon into the knockout stages would be a 50/50 coin flip that Gareth Southgate could do without.
A brief glance at the other Euro 2024 groups
Looking at some of the other groups at Euro 2024, England have done very well to avoid becoming embroiled in a ‘group of death’ scenario. Group B has the potential to be just that, with Spain, Croatia and Italy all drawn together, alongside first-time qualifiers, Albania.
Meanwhile Group D also features France, the Netherlands, Austria and one of the potential Euro 2024 playoff winners – Poland, Wales, Finland or Estonia.
Talking points over Southgate’s Euro 2024 squad selection
Looking at Southgate’s wealth of talent at his disposal for Euro 2024, competition will be fierce for places on the plane to Germany. Of course, there are several players who are already nailed-on to be included in the squad. These include skipper, Harry Kane, star midfielders, Jude Bellingham and Declan Rice, as well as creative outlets, Phil Foden, Jack Grealish and Bukayo Saka.
There are several areas of the team still up for debate, though. Luke Shaw is England’s best left back when fully fit. However, a leg injury has stalled his season to date and he faces a fight to prove his form and fitness to Southgate, with Chelsea’s Ben Chilwell breathing down his neck.
In terms of Euro 2024 wild cards up Southgate’s sleeve, Chelsea’s Cole Palmer could be one to watch, having demonstrated a real eye for goal since his bold move to Stamford Bridge from Manchester City. Palmer’s club teammate, Conor Gallagher, may also be hoping for inclusion, while Bournemouth striker Dominic Solanke, has come of age this season and could rival the likes of Ollie Watkins and Marcus Rashford as a back-up slot to Kane.
