Portugal entered the pandemic-delayed Euro 2020 competition as the defending champions, but France are the reigning World Cup champions and some argue that this instalment of Les Blues is even better than the one that lifted the Jules Rimet Trophy in 2018.
As per Youwager, both teams are amongst the top faves to win the Euro Cup albeit France emerge as the top bet in pre-tournament betting markets. Elsewhere, England, Belgium, Germany, Spain and Italy are all in the thick of the mix, shortlisted as legitimate contenders to be crowned European champions. So, if you’re a soccer fan there’s only one question rattling around in your head right now: who will win the coveted Euro Cup this summer?
Pushed back by a year because of the global coronavirus pandemic, Europe’s top-flight national competition is finally here. It’s been a long, arduous, taxing wait for those qualified national teams and in turn their fans. The excitement is palpable, verging on the point of hysteria after an extraordinary year in which just about every competition is either delayed or cancelled entirely.
Eleven different cities across the continent are set to host the event with Rome launching the event on Friday, June 11 when Turkey and Italy collide at the Stadio Olimpico in the majestic Italian capital. London will host the tournament final on July 11, 2021 at the Wembley Stadium, bringing the curtain down on what is sure to be an epic Euros that will be forevermore be associated with the coronavirus pandemic and remembered for its place in history as one of the most turbulent periods in our lifetimes.
In total, 24 teams have qualified for the tournament and they’ll battle it out through the group stages to advance into the knockout rounds at which point only the winners of each round advance until the final two nations are left standing to battle it out for the ultimate prize at Wembley Stadium.
France are garnering the most attention amongst bettors thanks to their recent World Cup triumph. Les Bleus are young, energetic and widely talented and with veteran leadership in the form of Karim Benzema who’s come out of retirement to play for France once again, they’re arguably one of the strongest looking teams on paper.
However, France are getting no favours in the draw as they fall into one of the toughest groups in the competition – the dreaded group of death. Group F contains Germany, Portugal and Hungary. Something’s gotta give in this section and given how stacked it is, it’s very possible that a heavy-hitter might be eliminated prematurely.
England emerges as the second best bet to win the Euros and with the finale set to take place in their nation’s capital they have added incentive to go all the way. Gareth Southgate’s side enjoyed a solid Euro campaign in 2016 before the wheels came spectacularly undone against Iceland in the knockout rounds. It was a bitter disappointment for a side that really did fancy its chances even then.
The Three Lions tournament begins against World Cup rivals Croatia in a repeat of the 2018 World Cup semi-final that they lost. It’s going to be a real test of England and it’ll potentially give fans an idea of what England is really made of and whether they truly deserve to be considered the second best bet in the competition.
Spain along with Germany are two of the most decorated nations in the Euros with three titles apiece. Spain enjoyed a golden era in football when they won back-to-back Euros and the World Cup during a four-year stretch that spanned from 2008 and 2012. Germany clinched the 2016 World Cup in Brazil before things started to go awry.
Since then, the going got tough for both Spain and Germany in international competition, prompting a modicum of redevelopment and wholesale changes. As both nations have a proud history in football, executing a perfect turnaround hasn’t taken too long.
On paper, La Furia Roja and Die Mannschaft look solid again but the former has the easier path to the knockouts at Euro 2020. That said neither side can be discounted from the competition because of their championship pedigree. .
Interestingly, the defending European champions Portugal are somewhat lower down the list of faves, trailing behind the likes of Belgium and Spain. The reason for this is simple: they’re in the proverbial group of death alongside France, Germany and Hungary. It really doesn’t get tougher than this section and getting out of this group as one of the top two teams or as one of the best third-placed teams in the competition is going to be quite the challenge.
However, if there is a side that could potentially deliver on expectations, it’s Portugal. Cristiano Ronaldo remains one of the best players in the world despite turning 36 years of age earlier this year. In his words, “I’m as motivated as in 2004, or maybe more.”
At the individual level, there’s perhaps no player that wants to reach the final more than Ronaldo does after his campaign was cut short during Portugal’s final against France in 2016. Just 25 minutes into the final, Ronaldo was forced off the pitch – understandably distraught and in tears — when he injured his knee and couldn’t play anymore. It was a devastating blow to the Portuguese striker that has done so much for soccer at both the club and national level. However, to his credit, he did his bit by rallying his side from the side lines.
The Roberto Martinez-inspired Belgians are considered to be the third-best bet in the competition. On paper, they strike an attractive pose with a star-studded cast that plies its trade amongst the best clubs in European soccer – from Romelu Lukaku (AC Milan) to Kevin De Bruyne (Manchester City) and in between there’s plenty of talent and skill on the Red Devils roster. However, if there’s a knockback it’s the fact that country lacks championship pedigree (they’ve never won the Euros or World Cup) and this instalment of the national team has already failed to deliver on similar such expectations three times. Belgium was fancied during the 2014 and 2018 World Cup as well as the 2016 Euros. At the last Euros they were eliminated in the quarterfinals by Wales.