European Football Championship
Mbappé, Kane, Ronaldo & Co. – The favorites and their stars
France with Kylian Mbappé is once again the big favorite for the European Championship. photo
© Christian Charisius/dpa
Before the European Football Championship there are not just one or two favorites. Numerous players want to leave their mark on the tournament. Germany’s hopes also rest on a veteran.
France
The two-time world and European champion is the top favorite for many experts – and Mbappé (still Paris Saint-Germain) is the Équipe Tricolore’s greatest hope. The 25-year-old is the leader of an offensive department that is second to none. Among others, former Dortmund player Ousmane Dembélé, ex-Frankfurt player Randal Kolo Muani (both also from Paris) and veteran star Olivier Giroud (AC Milan) are also included. If they don’t get caught up in internal friction as they have so often in the past, the French will be a top candidate for the title.
England
At the European Championships three years ago, the “Three Lions” were very close to their first title since winning the 1966 World Cup, only losing on penalties against Italy in the final at London’s Wembley Stadium. The squad is still outstanding – the offensive duo Phil Foden (Manchester City) and Jude Bellingham (Real Madrid) have matured even further since then. Captain and storm hope Kane has been delivering at the highest level for years – including in his first season in the Bundesliga.
Germany
The victories in France and against the Netherlands in March increased the euphoria around national coach Julian Nagelsmann’s team. Football Germany wants to celebrate another summer fairy tale 18 years after the home World Cup. One of the biggest hopes is midfielder Toni Kroos. The Real Madrid star’s return to the national team could be a main factor for a successful European Championship. “He has this callousness. Toni is the player who has calm and composure,” said DFB sports director Rudi Völler recently about Kroos.
Judging by the ability of the individual players, the DFB team has what it takes to win the European Championship. However, she already had that at the most recent tournaments – and was disappointed.
Spain
The most successful years with the World Cup triumph in 2010 and two European Championship titles in 2008 and 2012 are long over for the Spaniards. In the last five major tournaments, Furia Roja only made it past the round of 16 once – at the European Championships in 2021, they reached the semi-finals. Coach Luis de la Fuente still has an exciting team together. Whether it’s the midfield aces Rodri (Manchester City), Gavi (FC Barcelona), Dani Olmo (RB Leipzig) or veteran striker Álvaro Morata (Atlético Madrid): they can all shape a tournament with their extra class. It will also be interesting to see to what extent the super talents Lamine Yamal (16) and Pau Cubarsí (17) will use the European Championships as a big stage. Even if Spain doesn’t go into the European Championship as the absolute top favorite, the title is possible.
Portugal
The multiple world footballer Ronaldo is still the biggest star in the ranks of the Portuguese Seleção. But how much does the 39-year-old actually have left in the tank? And how would his team, but also himself, deal with a possible dip in performance? Ronaldo has scored more than 40 competitive goals for his club Al-Nassr in Saudi Arabia this season. Even after more than 200 international matches, the attacker’s hunger has not been satisfied; he scored ten times in qualifying. The question will be whether his greed is enough to get involved in the tournament at the highest level.
Italy
It was only on the last group match day of the qualification that the defending champions secured their European Championship ticket with a 0-0 draw against Ukraine. The Italians were not even at the World Cup in Qatar in 2022. Coach Luciano Spalletti’s team doesn’t have one outstanding star. The defense – once the showpiece of the Squadra Azzurra – hasn’t always seemed as stable as it used to. The European Championships three years ago showed once again that the Italians are almost always a force to be reckoned with at the European Championships. They have reached the final three times in the last six continental championships. Italy was not the big favorite in 2021 either – and then prevailed against England in the final.