Euro 2024: Winner Preview and Odds

Euro 2024 - Outright Winner Preview

Below, we have listed the odds favourites to win the Euro 2024, sharing some background on each and giving our predictions.

England - 7/2

Gareth Southgate's final adventure with the national team is upon us and he will be looking to sign off with a trophy, having failed in his first three attempts: semi-finals at the 2018 World Cup, runner-up in the 2020 Euros and quarter-finals at the 2022 World Cup. His tenure is coming to a natural end, in other words, but there is scope for joyful ending.

Key players include the likes of Harry Kane, Jude Bellingham, John Stones and many more as Southgate certainly has a great squad at his disposal. With this in mind, as well as the unbeaten run in the qualifiers, the odds of 7/2 on England to win are fitting. The question, however, is if they will be able to overcome the tournament nerves.

Tactical brilliance has occasionally been lacking for England, resulting in great criticism for Southgate, and the manager is under some pressure to get it right this time. With Denmark, Serbia and Slovenia in the group, they could potentially gain some momentum ahead of the knockout stages, which they should reach without major issues.

Our Prediction: England are strong, there is no doubt about that, but the question marks regarding Southgate's tactical ability remain. Therefore, we are going to say that their journey will come to an end in the semi-finals.

France - 4/1

Having lost the 2022 World Cup final on penalties, France will be out for revenge and they also have a point to prove in the Euros, having been knocked out in the round of 16 of the 2020 edition against Switzerland (!). Kylian Mbappe missed the decisive penalty then and a lot has changed since, with Didier Deschamps now relying on the star forward.

Indeed, Mbappe along with the likes of Theo Hernandez, Adrien Rabiot and Antoine Griezmann will be crucial for Deschamps this summer. The manager was nearly flawless in the qualifiers as France only dropped points once, drawing against Greece in the final round. They are rightfully heading into the tournament as one of the favourites, with odds of 4/1.

Some would even argue that they are more likely to win than England, given that they seem to thrive more in big tournaments than the Three Lions. However, the group is certainly tougher for Le Bleus, facing the Netherlands (as in the qualifiers group) along with Austria and Poland. Everyone still expects them to go through, but it's something to keep in mind.

Our Prediction: Deschamps has some very talented players in this squad and should Mbappe replicate the form we saw at the World Cup, then they ought to reach the final. If there is one worry, though, it's the defensive solidity.

Germany - 11/2

The last few years have been far from easy for those who support the German national team, knocked out in the round of 16 at the 2022 Euros and the group stage at the 2022 World Cup. However, things are now looking up as Julian Nagelsmann has worked his magic, with some predicting them to clinch the trophy.

Since Germany are hosting the tournament, Nagelsmann only has seven friendly games (3W, 2D, 2L) under his belt and to which extent this affects their chances remains to be seen. Florian Wirtz and Kai Havertz have been lighting up the attack lately, with Niclas Füllkrug acting as a super-sub, and Toni Kroos is preparing for his last games as a football player.

This Germany side is interesting, that's for sure, but whether they can make it all the way is a completely different ballgame. Experienced players such as the aforementioned Kroos, Manuel Neuer and Thomas Müller will certainly help in such a big tournament but a lot of pressure ultimately falls on Nagelmann's shoulders.

Our prediction: Germany have a very promising team and if everything comes together, they might be able to challenge for the trophy. However, having played no 'proper' games under Nagelmann's guidance, their philosophy will be put to the test and a quarter-final exit seems appropriate.

Portugal - 7/1

With Roberto Martinez at the helm, replacing the national hero Fernando Santos, Portugal dominated the qualifiers with 10/10 wins in their group. Granted that the opposition wasn't the toughest, Portugal are heading into this tournament with a lot of confidence and the odds reflect this at 8/1.

Cristiano Ronaldo, Bruno Fernandes and Ruben Dias are some of the key players for Portugal, but the truth is that Martinez has several world-class players at his disposal. This was also the case when he coached Belgium, of course, but he never really got the most out of that team once the big tournaments arrived.

Portugal are certainly the favourites to win their group, which includes the Czech Republic, Georgia and Turkey. The 39-year-old Ronaldo is still firing on all cylinders and could perhaps have some fun, among the favourites to score the most goals in the tournament. However, a team effort is needed more than anything to make it far.

Our prediction: One could argue that Portugal are in the top three when it comes to the individual qualities of the players, but this should only ever be the icing on the cake. Indeed, Martinez will have to get the tactics right for his players to blossom and, above all, to play as a team through success and adversity. Only then can a final be reached.

Spain - 15/2

Luis de la Fuente took over from Luis Enrique after the group-stage exit in the 2022 World Cup, but most football fans remain unfamiliar with the 62-year-old manager. In the qualifiers, Spain lost just one game (2-0 away at Scotland) and won the remaining seven rather convincingly. Therefore, the odds of 8/1 are not exactly surprising.

Key players these days include Aymeric Laporte, Rodri, Ferran Torres and Alvaro Morata, so there is clearly some quality for the manager to exploit. The Bayer Leverkusen sensation Alex Grimaldo has also been called up and is expected to be a starter, full of confidence after a fantastic season. In short, Spain could be onto something here.

However, they will be in the 'Group of Death' along with Albania, Croatia and Italy so the road to the knockout stages might not be easy. If the 2020 edition of the Euros is anything to go by, they knocked out Croatia on penalties in the round of 16 and lost the shootout against Italy in the semi-final.

Our prediction: Comparing Spain's team with other nations, they are not as established and a quarter-final exit would be fully acceptable. With a little bit of luck, perhaps they could reach the semi-finals but it's difficult to envision them in the final this summer.

Italy - 14/1

Italy just about clinched qualification for the tournament and things haven't exactly been perfect since Luciano Spalletti took over from Roberto Mancini. Of course, they are the reigning champions after the fairytale journey in 2021, hence the odds, but a lot has changed since. Indeed, most would agree that the Azzurri are a much weaker side now.

Veterans such as Leonardo Bonucci and Giorgio Chiellini are no longer in the picture, with Spalletti relying on the likes of Alessandro Bastoni, Nicolo Barella and Federico Chiesa instead. Gianluca Scamacca is coming off a great season with Atalanta and will be looking to end Italy's struggles up front, but talk of Italy's chances this summer includes a lot of what-ifs.

As already mentioned above, Spalletti's men are in the 'Group of Death' and a ticket to the knockout stage is by no means certain. They will take on Albania in the first round, though, so a win in that game could create some momentum and build confidence. Again, what-ifs are at the centre of Italy's summer.

Our prediction: Spalletti is a very capable coach, there is no doubt about that, but the squad is not on par with the 2020 edition. He will need all of his starters, plus a few more, at their best to challenge the favourites. Frankly, we think the odds are a bit too low, as a quarter-final exit seems to be on the cards.