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As the host nation, Germany will welcome 24 of Europe’s top national teams to compete across iconic stadiums, from Berlin’s Olympiastadion to Munich’s Allianz Arena. The competition, kicking off on June 14, will showcase the continent’s best talents like France, England, and Spain among the favorites. In this list, we will rank all 24 national teams in the tournament.
24. Albania
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Group B Opponents: Spain, Croatia, Italy
Brazilian manager Sylvinho is in charge of this team (coaching staff features Argentine legend Pablo Zabaleta). The roster is an amalgamation of athletes playing all over the globe — though the highest concentration of team members play in Italy. Fulham striker Armando Broja probably has the highest ceiling of any attacking option within the front line. The strength of this team is undoubtedly in the midfield, where Serie A players Nedim Bajrami (Sassuolo), Yiber Ramadani (Lecce), and Kristjan Asllani (Inter Milan) reside. The same can be said for defenders Elseid Hysaj (Lazio), Marash Kumbulla (Sassuolo), Ardian Ismajli (Empoli), and captain Berat Gjimshti (Atalanta). Albania’s best chance is to defend with fervor and hope to eke out results.
23. Georgia
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Group F Opponents: Portugal, Czechia, Turkey
Former French player Willy Sagnol is in charge of this squad. Being a defender himself, you can expect Georgia to defend with virtually everyone behind the ball — looking to counter and transition accordingly. Without question, the star of this group is Napoli attacker Khvicha Kvaratskhelia. For both club and country, Kvaratskhelia has established himself as a phenomenal talent. He could end up the best player to ever come out of Georgia. A lot will be put on his shoulders ahead of his tournament. You can expect the opposition to mark Kvaratskhelia with multiple players.
22. Slovenia
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Group C Opponents: Denmark, Serbia, England
The land of Luka Doncic has some quality footballers. Captain Jan Oblak is one of the best keepers in the world. Serie A teammates Jaka Bijol and Sandi Lovric (Udinese) are experienced players. The most exciting player to watch for is striker Benjamin Sesko. Playing at RB Leipzig, Sesko has 11 goals in 28 matches for his home country. He’s also notched 14 goals in only 31 matches for his club. With recent wins over Portugal, the United States, and Northern Ireland, this team has proven it can win on any given day.
21. Slovakia
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Group E Opponents: Ukraine, Belgium, Romania
There’s a world in which Slovakia could emerge from this group. Midfielder Stanislav Lobotka (Napoli) is the headliner on this roster. While not a goal scorer, he’s become indispensable for country and club with his work-rate in the middle of the park. PSG defender Milan Skriniar is the captain of this team. He’ll be asked to do an awful lot, as Slovakia figures to be under siege at times. Not a whole lot is expected of this group. Perhaps that’s a good thing, where Slovakia can fly under the radar and surprise some teams. Note: keep an eye on young offensive players Robert Bozenik (Boavista) and Leo Sauer (Feyenoord). The 18-year-old Sauer is one of Slovakia’s most highly-rated young players.
20. Ukraine
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Group E Opponents: Slovakia, Belgium, Romania
Considering the warfare and turmoil currently going on in their home country, one has to wonder about the mindset of the players at this given time. On one hand, the distractions might be too great to overcome. However, this premise can be flipped in a way which galvanizes this team to heights no one sees coming. Ukraine hasn’t lose since last September versus Italy. The bulk of the domestic-based players play for either Dynamo Kyiv or Shakhtar Donetsk. The midfield has players currently situated in Serie A, La Liga, and the English Premier League. Real Madrid keeper Andriy Lunin is a real talent. Lastly, the La Liga striker duo of Artem Dovbyk (Girona) and Roman Yaremchuk (Valencia) are quite capable. Keep an eye on this team…there’s some real quality littered throughout the roster.
19. Switzerland
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Group A Opponents: Germany, Scotland, Hungary
Switzerland is like a good bowl of oatmeal. It won’t ever ‘wow’ you — though it’s dependable, nutritious, and consistent. The Swiss seemingly are always a tier below the top dogs in Europe. They’ll surprise every now and again with a significant result. However in most cases, they win the matches they’re supposed to win, and lose the matches most expect them to lose. This team has a seasoned yet aging midfield, and a host of offensive players that are solid yet unspectacular.
18. Czechia
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Group F Opponents: Portugal, Georgia, Turkey
Jan Koller, Tomas Rosicky, and Petr Cech aren’t walking through this door. Much of this roster plays domestically in Czech Republic. There’s something to be said about continuity and familiarity. The team will likely benefit from those aspects. A handful of players reside at top division clubs around Europe. Tomas Soucek (West Ham), Antonin Barak (Fiorentina), and Vaclav Cerny (Wolfsburg) add some bite to the midfield. The striker pairing of Patrik Schick and Adam Hiozek (both at Bayern Leverkusen) will be tasked with providing this team some goals.
17. Austria
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Group D Opponents: Netherlands, France, Poland
Austria has won seven of its last eight matches — including victories over Germany, Turkey, Serbia, and Slovakia. The Bundesliga-heavy roster has a number of proven guys (Stefan Lainer, Maximillian Wober, Konrad Laimer, Michael Gregoritsch). This team might not boast a ton of high-end talent in the form of former star David Alaba. However, they play well together, and have enough quality to be a very credible opponent for anyone Austria plays.
16. Serbia
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Group C Opponents: Denmark, Slovenia, England
Serbia has been a bit uneven over the last calendar year. The team has gone 4-5-2 in its past 11 matches. Anytime you possess the striking talent of Dusan Vlahovic (Juventus) and Luka Jovic (AC Milan), you’ve got a shot to be competitive. Led by 35-year-old Dusan Tadic, the midfield is aging and lacking in collective athleticism. Serbia should be able to clip Slovenia — though its ability to advance from the group likely hinges on getting a result versus Denmark.
15. Scotland
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Group A Opponents: Germany, Hungary, Switzerland
You know what you’re going to get with Scotland. It’s an organized team with an emphasis on defending, physicality, and effort. The Scots are traditionally tough to break down. They also present some challenges on set pieces. You can expect the side to relinquish possession in favor of parking the proverbial bus. Scoring chances will likely be few and far between — though the most credible threats offensively include striker Che Adams (Southampton) and cross-merchant captain Andrew Robertson (Liverpool).
14. Romania
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Group E Opponents: Ukraine, Slovakia, Belgium
Romania, yes Romania, has a chance to make the knockout stages. It’s in arguably the worst group in the field — playing alongside Belgium, Slovakia, and Ukraine. While there’s a very Romania-heavy feel to the team in terms of club affiliation, the midfield has three players currently plying their trade in Serie A. Defensively, Andrei Ratiu (Rayo Vallecano) and Radu Drăgușin (Tottenham) give Romania a strong pairing in the back. This team might not score a ton of goals, though they’ll be tough to break down.
13. Turkey
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Group F Opponents: Czechia, Portugal, Georgia
Turkey is a bit of a wildcard in this tournament. There’s some very good young talent on the roster — most notably Kenan Yıldız (Juventus), Arda Güler (Real Madrid), and Orkun Kökçü (Benfica). Veterans Hakan Çalhanoğlu (Inter Milan) and Okay Yokuşlu (West Brom) help to fortify the midfield. In a very manageable group, Turkey is more than capable of advancing, assuming it can play with composure and organization. This tournament could function as Güler’s breakout party on the world stage.
12. Poland
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Group D Opponents: Netherlands, France, Austria
Poland is in a bit of a transition as Robert Lewandowski faces his inevitable retirement from international football. He’s no longer the type of talisman Poland can solely rely on for goal creation. With this potentially being his last go-around at a major tournament, we’ll see if he can break the trend of him not exactly being a big-time player in major tournaments. At the very least, Poland also has the talented Piotr Zielinski and a host of Serie A competitors.
11. Hungary
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Group A Opponents: Germany, Scotland, Switzerland
The Hungarians are a sneaky-tough squad to play against. Hungary has lost only two of its last 18 matches. During this time, they’ve won against the likes of Turkey, Serbia, England, and Germany. The roster has multiple players performing in the Bundesliga, as well as one in Serie A. However, the unquestioned leader of the team is Dominik Szoboslai. The Liverpool star man is good enough to carry this team into the knockout stage.
10. Denmark
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Group C Opponents: Slovenia, Serbia, England
The Danes figure to be battling with Serbia for second place in their group. There’s an element of motivation that should be in play after a disastrous showing at the 2022 World Cup. The roster has quality across the board — featuring a nice mix of veterans (Kasper Schmeichel, Christian Eriksen, Simon Kjær, Thomas Delaney) and a host of younger talents (Mikkel Damsgaard, Rasmus Højlund). Look for Denmark to exorcise the demons from years past and get out of this group.
9. Italy
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Group B Opponents: Spain, Croatia, Albania
Defending champions Italy enter Euro 2024 with significant changes, including a new coach in Luciano Spalletti, who took over after Roberto Mancini’s departure. Spalletti led Napoli to a stunning Scudetto win, and now faces the challenge of navigating Italy through one of the toughest groups, featuring Spain, Croatia, and Albania. Key players like Nicolò Barella and Gianluigi Donnarumma will need to step up in the absence of veterans like Leonardo Bonucci and Giorgio Chiellini. Despite not being favorites, Italy’s history of defying odds and Spalletti’s strategic mindset could make them a formidable contender once again.
8. Netherlands
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Group D Opponents: France, Poland, Austria
The Oranje haven’t had the most decorated EURO history lately. Having not reached the quarter final since 2008, they certainly have enough firepower in their lineup to rectify that. However, the Dutch have a lot to be excited about. Coach Ronald Koeman has them playing great football, and they technically didn’t lose a single game at the 2022 World Cup — only losing out to eventual winners Argentina on penalties. As long as the likes of van Dijk and Frenkie de Jong are anchoring the outfield, the Dutch will be a real problem.
7. Croatia
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Group B Opponents: Spain, Italy, Albania
No, we are not accepting age as a valid reason as to why Croatia might perform poorly. If Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo can still produce their numbers at their age, then Luka Modric is still capable of pulling a slick pass or two. At the same time, Croatia has incredible players on the younger side, such as Premier League winner Joško Gvardiol, Luka Sučić, and Josip Šutalo. This newfound mix of old and young may be the perfect combination for Croatia to thrive this time around.
6. Belgium
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Group E Opponents: Ukraine, Slovakia, Romania
Kevin de Bryune recently stated that he thinks Belgium will be tricky opponents, and who are we to argue? Speaking of de Bryune, this may be his last EURO tournament — either as a Manchester City player or as a player in general. With heavy rumors of him leaving Europe sooner rather than later, many Belgian fans will be expecting a strong performance as a potential swan song. Regardless, Belgium are on a hot streak, having not lost a game in nearly two years. Whether or not this momentum can carry to their performances in this tournament remains to be seen.
5. Spain
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Group B Opponents: Croatia, Italy, Albania
Spain, alongside the eternal Alvaro Morata, are always a threat in knockout-style tournaments. Coach Luis de la Fuente was not a seasoned player, but it seems like the best coaches never were. He has Spain playing some great football, with the likes of Rodri anchoring the midfield. We are also expecting a statement from Barcelona phenom Lamine Yamal, who turns 17 years old in July. The youngster has broken all sorts of records at Barcelona, and we would back him to continue that form into the EURO tournament.
4. Germany
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Group A Opponents: Scotland, Hungary, Switzerland
The 2024 EURO hosts will be looking to make amends for their disappointing Round of 16 exit in 2020. German eyes will likely be on Toni Kroos, who may be playing in his last EURO tournament. Expectations will also be placed on Jamal Musiala, who is yet to fully establish himself as one of Europe’s top young players. However, Julian Nagelsmann’s Germany is a new side to be treated with respect. They are coming into this tournament with perfect momentum, securing big wins against France and the Netherlands. With a group they are expected to top along with homefield advantage, Germany should be making a big statement.
3. Portugal
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Group F Opponents: Czechia, Georgia, Turkey
Cristiano Ronaldo looks like he could play football for another decade. As long as he’s in the squad, then Portugal are a threat. Surround his talent with the likes of Diogo Jota, Bruno Fernandes, and Rafael Leao — then you wouldn’t be surprised if the 2016 EURO winners replicate their heroics once again. Add in a relatively straightforward group, and we’re expecting Portugal to make a deep run in this tournament.
2. England
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Group C Opponents: Serbia, Slovenia, Denmark
The English are in a tough position. While this is easily their most talented group in recent history, that means expectations are high — and when expectations are high, that’s when England typically slips. Here’s the good news, though: this England squad is full of serial winners. Jude Bellingham is racking up accolades at Real Madrid. Kyle Walker, John Stones, and Phil Foden are dominating the Premier League. This newfound winning mentality permeating throughout the squad could be the difference maker for the English this time around.
1. France
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Group D Opponents: Netherlands, Poland, Austria
Yes, this may be a boring pick. As long as France has Kylian Mbappé on the pitch, then they will be the favorite to win. Didier Deschamps has one of the most talented French teams at his disposal, with the likes of William Saliba, who put in an impressive run in the Premier League with Arsenal, Champions League winners Eduardo Camavinga and Aurelien Tchouameni, and — who else — Olivier Giroud. However, despite this talent, their form has been less than ideal recently, with a 2-0 defeat to Germany and scraping past an aging Chile 3-2. If Deschamps can galvanize his side, then they are capable of going all the way. But in a knockout tournament typically full of surprises, an underwhelming group stage exit could be just as likely.
