The top teams in Europe will vie for glory when Euro 2020 takes center stage this summer. All four semi-finalists at the 2018 World Cup hailed from Europe, so the level of competition will be ferocious. These are the leading contenders to lift the famous trophy at Wembley on July 12:
England
The Three Lions will head into Euro 2020 as favourites after banging in 31 goals during eight games in qualifying. They reached the semi-finals of the World Cup and the Nations League, and manager Gareth Southgate has a wealth of exciting young talent at his disposal.
Their status as tournament favourites could have something to do with France landing in a group of death alongside Germany and Portugal, but take nothing away from England’s improvement over the past few years. The likes of Harry Kane, Jadon Sancho, and Raheem Sterling can rip teams apart, but fans might be concerned by the caliber of English defenders right now.
The semi-finals and final will also be hosted at Wembley, so they could benefit from passionate home support if they make it that far. Yet at such short odds, punters might find it hard to justify a bet on them right now.
France
Les Bleus were invincible at the World Cup in 2018 and they lifted the trophy thrashing Croatia in the final. They did not exactly set the world alight in qualifying for Euro 2020 – they took just one point from their two games against an unheralded Turkey side – but they still have a phenomenal collection of world-class players.
N’Golo Kante and Paul Pogba form a terrific midfield, while Kylian Mbappe and Antoine Griezmann are extremely dangerous up front and Raphael Varane is a top defender. It is interesting to note that they are favourites to win the 2022 World Cup with many of the bookmakers listed in Sportsbook Review’s World Cup odds page, comfortably ahead of England in the betting, but only second-favorites for Euro 2020. That is due to their tricky draw, but they really should be able to fight their way out of that group and they then have the quality to beat anyone, so odds of 13/2 on France winning this tournament look really attractive.
Belgium
Kevin De Bruyne has been the best player in the Premier League this season and he will be crucial to Belgium’s chances of winning Euro 2020. Eden Hazard is a brilliant forward and Romelu Lukaku is typically among the goals, while the likes of Axel Witsel, Dries Mertens and Youri Tielemans provide plenty of quality.
The main issue for Belgium is at the back, as Vincent Kompany has hung up his boots and Tottenham duo Jan Vertonghen and Toby Alderweireld appear to have regressed.
Netherlands
There are no defensive issues for a Dutch team built upon the might of Virgil Van Dijk. The Liverpool talisman has a promising partner in Juventus’ Matthijs de Light, and Barcelona midfielder Frenkie de Jong is a magnificent talent. Both men left Ajax in the summer of 2019, but many of their former teammates are still thriving in the Eredivisie, including Donny van de Beek.
The Netherlands’ main problem is upfront, as Luuk de Jong is not particularly prolific, but Myron Boadu shows promise. The Dutch have secured a pretty comfortable draw and they will be extremely dangerous if they reach the knockout stage of this tournament.
The Rest
Germany is fifth in the betting, followed by Spain, Italy, Portugal, and Croatia. Italy stands out as boasting an extremely strong defense if Giorgio Chiellini returns from injury to partner Leonardo Bonucci, while forward Ciro Immobile is having a great season. Spain has plenty of technically gifted players, but recent results at big tournaments have been abysmal. Croatia has gone backward since reaching the World Cup final, as their key players are the wrong side of 30, while Germany does not look anywhere near as strong as they did when winning the World Cup in 2014. Portugal looks like a really good each-way bet at 20/1.
They are the reigning European champions after their triumph at Euro 2016 and they won the UEFA Nations League in 2019. Cristiano Ronaldo, Joao Felix, and Bernardo Silva form a strong attacking triumvirate, and the rest of the team works hard, so Portugal could enjoy another excellent tournament.