Who are the favourite countries to win Euro 2024?

The Euros is one of the biggest competitions in the world, and some fans will argue that it is the second biggest after the World Cup.

Europe has the biggest leagues in the world, so their homegrown talents are used in this competition, ensuring that there is a lot of quality on display for fans to see in every edition.

The competition is also hotly anticipated because it happens just once every four years, so fans are starved of it when the next edition is being played.

Euro 2020 was played in 2021 because of the outbreak of covid-19, which altered the football calendar around the world.

The next edition will go ahead in 2024 unless something as mighty as the last covid-19 outbreak stops it.

Germany is the next host after UEFA experimented with several countries in the matches for the last edition.

The Germans remain one of the powerhouses of European football and would be eager to ensure they end the competition as champions in front of their fans.

However, that would be much easier said than done, considering the quality of the countries that are competing with them for the title.

Fans who buy Euro 2024 tickets want to see the best players in the world game, and they also want to enjoy the ambience and community this competition creates.

Perhaps, more importantly, they want to witness greatness when their countries emerge as champions at the end of the competition.

Every country that goes to the Euros hopes to end the competition as champions, so their fans are allowed to dream at the start of the competition.

Several nations are considered favourites before it begins, but there is room for upsets, and one of the most upsetting wins in the recent history of the competition was when Greece won Euro 2004 against all odds.

The Greeks played a style of football that no one enjoyed as they invested almost everything in defence, but it worked for them, and they won the trophy in Portugal.

In the next edition, one minnow might be working hard to stun all of us and win the competition, but that does not mean there are no countries that can be considered favourites to be champions.

In this article, we look at some of the top European footballing nations that can emerge victorious in Germany.

England

Gareth Southgate has done an amazing job as the manager of England, and the gaffer would feel lucky that he has a huge talent pool to choose from.

England has the strongest league in the world and often goes into competitions as favourites to win it.

However, the Three Lions are yet to win a major honour since they won the World Cup in 1966.

The team reached the final of Euro 2020 before losing to Italy via penalties, but they have continued to make remarkable progress, thanks to their ever-improving pool of players.

With the likes of Harry Kane, Bukayo Saka and Marcus Rashford in attack, Mason Mount, Jude Bellingham and Declan Rice in midfield and a superb defence that boosts John Stones and Kyle Walker, England seems prepared to finally win a trophy.

The Three Lions do not lack talent and are easily the most talented team on the continent, but they always fall short, and this competition could be when they finally win a major trophy for their country.

Spain

Spain was knocked out of the last World Cup by Morocco, which was embarrassing, but they are a country to fear and have too many good players to do badly at Euro 2024.

La Roja won the competition in 2008 and 2012 with some scintillating football, and they also won the World Cup in 2010.

The players in that era have all retired from playing, but there is a new generation of players from the country who make them favourites.

In midfield, Gavi and Pedri are running the show at Barcelona already, where they won the last Spanish league title.

These youngsters play like veterans and could be the Xavi and Iniesta of the class of Euro 2024, making Spain one of the big favourites to win the competition.

In defence, they boast the experience of Aymeric Laporte, Robin Le Normand and the exciting Fran Garcia.

In attack, Alvaro Morata is expected to remain in the team, but the likes of Ansu Fati, Nico Williams, Bryan Gil and Ferran Torres would be ready to get the goals for their country.

France

France won the 2018 World Cup in Russia and reached the final of the last edition, meaning they nearly became one of the few countries that have retained the trophy.

They fell short, but Les Bleus remains one of the finest national teams in the world, and they have too many world-class players not to be considered favourites.

Kylian Mbappe is set to take over from Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo as the world's best player alongside the likes of Erling Haaland and others.

He bagged a hat trick in the final against Argentina, and France proved throughout the competition that they simply have too much talent not to be taken seriously.

Didier Deschamps's squad feature many young players who are already established players in their respective clubs.

Raphael Varane may have retired, but their defence still boasts the likes of Liverpool's Ibrahima Konate, Bayern Munich's Dayot Upamecano and William Saliba of Arsenal.

France is probably only second to England in terms of talent, and they could easily win Euro 2024.

Germany

Germany remains one of the strongest nations in European football, and they also thrive in developing talents around the world, just like England does.

The Germans have suffered embarrassing exits at the last two World Cups, and it is not because they lack the talent to do better.

Their players are scattered around Europe, from Kai Havertz to Timo Werner, Leroy Sane and Serge Gnabry.

With these talented players, they were terrible at the last World Cup, and it now seems clear they need to change their manager.

Hansi Flick had a very successful short spell as the manager of Bayern Munich, but he has simply been terrible since he became the gaffer of the national team.

Nevertheless, Germany will go to the competition as one of the leading sides in the continent, and this might be the year they will end their wait to win yet another international honour.

The Germans do not seem to have an exciting team like France and England, but their Bayern contingent are used to winning trophies and would feel they can translate that form to the international stage.

Italy

Roberto Mancini led Italy to win Euro 2020, which was shocking because the same Italian team missed out on qualification for the 2018 World Cup.

Despite winning the Euros, they still did not qualify for the last World Cup in Qatar, which is sad.

Mancini met a very fractured Italy team that had struggled to replace its form-top players who had won the 2006 FIFA World Cup for their country.

However, he is doing an amazing job to ensure he rebuilds the European champions now and for the future.

Italy had a club in the final of all the top European club competitions last season, which shows their league is strong, and that means there are good eligible players for their national team.

The likes of Federico Chiesa and Manuel Locatelli proved they were top European players at Euro 2020 and should help their country again in this competition.

There is room for surprises at the Euros, but there is a good chance that at least one of the teams we have mentioned here will become champion at the end of the competition.