Star-powered Euro ’24 to begin amid continental unrest
A returning Cristiano Ronaldo, a rampant Kylian Mbappé and a resurgent Germany.
Throw in a Harry Kanepowered England and defending champion Italy and Euro 2024 is wide open.
That’s without mentioning three-time winner Spain.
The unpredictability of the European Championship, which begins Friday in Munich, is what makes it such compelling viewing. Even in its expanded format of 24 teams, there is always the potential for a surprise.
This is the tournament, after all, that was won by rank outsider Greece in 2004. In 1992, it was won by Denmark, a team that hadn’t even qualified for the finals but was granted entry at the 11th hour when war-torn Yugoslavia was banned.
Host nation Germany hopes to create a welcoming and festive atmosphere for millions of soccer fans who will watch the games in stadiums or fan zones across the country — like it did when it hosted the 2006 World Cup.
However, this tournament will be played in a different political context. Europe’s biggest sporting event since the Russian invasion of Ukraine is taking place in the shadow of the most devastating conflict in Europe since World War II.
Ukraine is participating and can expect a warm reception in Germany, which hosted the team’s home matches during the qualifying campaign. Russia was excluded from qualifying — it has been suspended from all international competitions by European soccer body UEFA as well as global counterpart FIFA.
Meanwhile, Georgia is coming to its first major soccer championship as a political crisis deepens at home. The South Caucasus country has seen weeks of protests against a controversial law that opponents say would crack down on media freedom and hinder efforts to join the European Union.
And across the EU, voters will still be digesting the results of elections to the European Parliament — the 27-member bloc’s legislature — as the tournament gets underway. Early results Monday showed a surge in nationalist and far-right sentiment, which has often manifested itself in Europe’s soccer stadiums, particularly among hardcore ultras.
German authorities are stepping up border controls during the tournament. More than 20,000 police officers will be on duty.
Given the tensions surrounding the Gaza war, UEFA and Germany avoided even higher security concerns when Israel was knocked out in the playoffs for Euro 2024.
On the field of play, there is reason to expect an exciting tournament, without the COVID-19 restrictions that were in place during the previous Euros in 2021.
England and France are among the favorites.