While it doesn’t have the globe-spanning juice of the World Cup, the UEFA European Championship still gives fans a month of extremely high-level soccer, featuring some of the world’s biggest stars. The continental tournament begins Friday and continues through July 14. Here’s a quick look at the favorites, some long shots and a few other angles to consider.
All odds were taken Thursday
The favorites
As of Wednesday, DraftKings listed five teams with odds of 10-1 or better to win Euro 2024: France, England, Germany, Spain and Portugal. All other teams have to be considered long shots.
France (+350)
Les Bleus have advanced to the final in three of their past four major international tournaments and might be a good bet to do so again after allowing all of three goals in Euro 2024 qualifying (two of them in a meaningless finale against Greece in which France rested many of its starters). Kylian Mbappé, soon to suit up for Real Madrid after seven years at Paris Saint-Germain, is now France’s captain, and at only 25 years old he needs five goals to surpass Thierry Henry for second on the country’s all-time goals list.
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England (+350 to win)
Is it now or never for the Three Lions, who have not lifted a major international trophy since winning the World Cup in 1966? Their talent is undeniable, with budding Real Madrid star Jude Bellingham leading the attack, and this is probably a better team than the one that lost to Italy on penalties in the Euro final three years ago. But there always is a lingering sense of dread with England, that something will go horrifically awry. Maybe this is the team to erase that feeling.
Germany (+550)
Every year a single nation has hosted the European Championship, it has advanced to at least the semifinals, and three hosts have won it all, though none since France in 1984. But Die Mannschaft has been in the midst of a particularly fallow international period, having failed to get out of the group stage at the past two World Cups and getting bounced by England in the round of 16 at Euro 2020. Results in 2023 didn’t lead to a whole lot of optimism — the nadir was a 4-1 loss at home to Japan, which led to the departure of coach Hansi Flick, the first German national team manager to ever be fired. But new coach Julian Nagelsmann, 36, has led Germany to three wins and a draw in four friendlies this year.
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Portugal (+700)
The 2016 Euro champion may have the easiest path out of the group stage, with no other Group F team ranked higher than No. 36 in FIFA’s rankings. Portugal is the only team that has advanced to the knockout stage in each of the past seven European Championships, thanks in large part to Cristiano Ronaldo, who is back for his 11th major international tournament. Portugal also won all 10 of its Euro qualifying contests and scored 36 goals, the most of any team.
Spain (+800)
La Roja enters with injury concerns. Young midfielder Gavi, who has been playing with Barcelona since he was 17, tore his ACL in November and will miss the tournament, while Pedri — another young Barcelona superstar in the making — has battled injuries for the past two seasons. Eighth-ranked Spain also is in Euro 2024’s only group with three teams in the top 10 of FIFA’s rankings, joining No. 9 Italy and No. 10 Croatia.
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(After Spain, the leading contenders in the markets include Italy, Belgium and the Netherlands — all at +1600 odds — followed by Denmark at +3500.)
The longer shots
While chalk tends to rule at the World Cup, surprise winners occasionally bubble to the surface at the European Championship (the Soviet Union in 1960, Czechoslovakia in 1976, Denmark in 1992, Greece in 2004 and Portugal in 2016). Here’s a look at some teams from further down the odds board that could make an impression this year:
Croatia (+4000): Croatia has advanced to at least the semifinals in each of the past two World Cups but somehow has never won a knockout-round game at the European Championship. Croatian icon Luka Modric, 38, leads a probably too old group of players and there’s a question of whether he still has it, but it’s worth watching to see if Croatia can summon its magic one more time.
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Switzerland (+6500): There are two European teams that have advanced to the knockout round in each of the past five major international tournaments (World Cup and European Championship). One of them is mighty France. The other is comparative minnow Switzerland, which knocked France out of Euro 2020 in the round of 16 and nearly did the same to Spain in the quarterfinals, falling on penalties.
Hungary (+8000): The Magyars, who advanced to the round of 16 eight years ago and nearly got out of a group-of-death situation in this tournament four years ago, have lost just twice in their past 18 international matches, with away wins over England and Germany in that stretch. They also won their qualifying group for the first time. Liverpool star Dominik Szoboszlai is a generational talent, and Italian coach Marco Rossi has a head for the international game.
Other bets to consider
Austria to advance to the knockout round (-150)
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Austria comes in with a head of steam, having gone 6-0-1 in its past seven matches, including a 2-0 blanking of Germany in November. France will be tough to beat in Group D, but the Netherlands has severe injury concerns and Poland labored through the qualification process, needing a trip to the qualification playoffs and a penalty-kick win over Wales to get here.
Italy stage of elimination: group stage (+500)
The defending Euro champions got no favors from the draw, landing in a group with Spain and Croatia plus Albania. Italy also is in a state of transition: 37 players started during qualifying, far more than traditional powerhouses such as Belgium (22), England (23) and France (24), and the Azzurri won just four of eight matches, with two coming against tiny Malta. Three of the past seven defending Euro champions flamed out in the group stage, and it could happen again.
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Georgia to concede the most goals (+900)
The Crusaders are playing in their first major international tournament despite allowing 18 goals during the qualifying phase, the most of any team playing in Germany this year. Georgia is in a group with Cristiano Ronaldo’s Portugal, which must be salivating at the chance, along with Turkey and the Czech Republic, who both like to press the issue.
Belgium’s Romelu Lukaku top goal scorer (+1300)
Lukaku was the goat of Belgium’s group-stage flameout at World Cup 2022, missing on four almost perfect chances late in the Red Devils’ tournament-ending draw against Croatia. He has since made up for his sins, scoring 14 goals in eight Euro 2024 qualifying matches, a record for that stage. Belgium’s golden generation might be in the past, but this team seems pointed toward at least the quarterfinals, giving Lukaku plenty of chances.
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