We’re on the ball for a feast of Euros action
With England and Scotland playing their part at Euro 2024, ITV’S hosts and pundits share their top picks for the trophy. finds out more
AS ANY football fan knows, Euro 2024 is here, with home nations England and Scotland facing teams from across the continent.
With the Tartan Army taking part in the opening match against host nation Germany last night, thoughts will turn to tomorrow evening as the Three Lions – who were beaten finalists at Euro 2020 and are among the favourites to win the tournament this time around – take on Serbia.
With every game broadcast by either ITV or BBC, you needn’t miss a second of this summer’s tournament – no matter which team you’re cheering on.
From the group stages – which will see Gareth Southgate’s England also pitted against Denmark and Slovenia, and Steve Clarke’s Scotland taking on Hungary and Switzerland – to the nail-biting final, you can have a piece of all the action.
Here, ITV’S Euro 2024 presenting team share their thoughts on the tournament. Host Laura Woods and pundits Roy Keane, Gary Neville and Ian Wright reveal what’s to come, plus their favourites to win and the players they’re most excited to see.
Who do you think has what it takes to win Euro 2024?
LAURA: My favourites are England and France – Germany I think will also be pretty strong.
I think [with] England, I feel like the last two or three tournaments we’ve gone into it saying: ‘Oh my God, we’ve got a lot of talent’, especially the last two, and I think we are overflowing with it.
So, if England do not get to the latter stages at least, I will be thoroughly disappointed and I think it’d be a huge let-down. I really do think they can go and win it.
But France, with the knowhow, with Kylian Mbappe, even though they didn’t win the World Cup this time around, I think just the experience of doing it before and then getting to another final, I just think they get so much knowhow from that.
ROY: I hate betting against France, I think England have a very good chance, but if you asked me today: home advantage, Germany.
They’ve picked up recently, their home form, their first game, I think the group doesn’t look too bad in terms of getting momentum and belief into the group.
They still probably lack that [Harry] Kane [of England] or Mbappe, a world-class attacking player and maybe that might [mean they] come up short...
If they can get momentum, home advantage, the results have picked up lately.
Momentum is huge in sport. Yeah, I’ll tip Germany. Why not? GARY: I think the team that will win Euro 24 will be England because it’s about b ***** time!
I’m sick of going to tournaments as a player, as a coach and as a fan working in the media where we don’t get over the line.
I do feel that we’ve got some amazing players that are revered around Europe, that are producing in the Bundesliga [Germany], in the Premier League [England] and in La Liga [Spain] at the highest level, and we carry an aura that we’ve not previously carried.
Could England or Scotland bring home the trophy?
LAURA: I think Scotland’s group will be a little bit trickier. I think the opening game will be absolutely massive but, positively, I think they could get through the group. I hope they do!
IAN: [For England], semifinals or bust – anything less will be a disappointment – and they have a genuine shot at the trophy.
England should not struggle for goals or creativity. The issues, if any, will come at the back.
[John] Stones’ partner will likely be [Harry] Maguire who has had an inconsistent season, and there is lack of depth at full back.
Scotland’s first realistic aim will be to get out of the group. In [John] Mcginn and [Scott] Mctominay, they have goals from midfield.
[Billy] Gilmour can provide control and vision from midfield.
[Andy] Robertson and Kieran Tierney both coming into their prime too. [They] will need to cut out silly errors though.
ROY: I think it will be tough for Scotland ...
They’ve lost a little bit of momentum themselves lately, you know when they get over there it will be the usual stuff. You want to be hard to beat. I think they’ll do well to even get out of the group...
For England, I think they’ll be fine.
Again, like Germany, if they get momentum, they’ll get out of their group quite comfortably. I’d be pretty amazed if they didn’t top the group.
I think at some point England have to get over that line. Hopefully they’ll take maybe more gambles in these knockout games, be a bit braver, show more courage than maybe they have done previously.
Which players are you most looking forward to watching in the tournament?
GARY: [England’s] Jude Bellingham or Phil Foden. I’m hoping they’re going to both play centrally and tear other teams to shreds with their ability, their skill, their speed, their enthusiasm, and their work ethic. They are complete packages.
IAN: Florian Wirtz [of Germany] has been wonderful, as Bayer Leverkusen won the Bundesliga. A player of real guile and craft operating across the attacking midfield line. Spanish teenager Lamine Yamal is a tricky one-v-one winger with amazing control and dribbling ability.
Benjamin Sesko [of Slovenia] is a
brilliant young forward. He’s physical, great in the air but also tidy with the ball at his feet.
LAURA: It might sound a little bit biased, but I’m English, so what the hell – I cannot wait to see Jude Bellingham on a big stage like that. I can’t wait to see it.
This season he has just exploded on that stage and just become this absolute juggernaut of a player in a juggernaut of a team.
And I think he’s really poised for that... I think he will take everything that he’s learned at Real Madrid this season to England.
Kobbie Mainoo, as well, is another one that I’m really looking forward to seeing because he’s just this young kid who has suddenly, in a similar way, absolutely exploded onto the scene and I think he looks so comfortable in what he’s doing.
Coverage of Euro 2024 continues today on ITV1 with Hungary v Switzerland (1.15pm) and Spain v Croatia (4.15pm). Italy v Albania is on BBC1 (7.20pm). Watch Serbia v England on BBC1 at 7pm tomorrow