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Euro 2024 – Which Team Can Win the Whole Thing?
The focus will shift to international football in the summer, as the all-important EURO 2024 comes alive in Germany.
The EURO, the second-biggest competition in the world, has a special place in the hearts of every football fan, and this year’s tournament is set to be the biggest ever.
While the kick-off of the European Championship is days away, all eyes are on which team will be the favorites to win the Euro 2024 final tickets.
1 England
Could this be England’s year? Fans always seem to think so, but they could be right this year. The Three Lions have one of the most-rated squads in Europe, spearheaded by captain and serial goalscorer Harry Kane.
Littered with stars from some of the world’s biggest clubs – Jude Bellingham, Phil Foden, and Bukayo Saka – they should be aiming for victory.
Gareth Southgate’s men lost in the worst way possible three years ago, and they will want to ensure it doesn’t happen again.
England is the frontrunner in getting its Euro 2024 final tickets, with the vast array of talent it has in store at this time. Coach Gareth Southgate had to make critical cuts to his team this time, including calls such as dropping Marcus Rashford from the Euro squad to pick the best combination.
He will soon need to trim the squad further. Regardless of the cuts, there is hope within England that they have the talent to go all the way.
2 France
England’s closest rivals are likely to be France. They finished second at the 2022 World Cup, with star man Kylian Mbappe becoming only the second-ever player to score a hat-trick in the final, and they still lost.
They knocked out England en route, and if they face each other again, it promises to be a match to remember.
Mbappe is arguably the best player heading to the tournament, and he could be the difference.
3 Germany
Since lifting the World Cup in 2018, Germany has underperformed at major tournaments, but they have a home advantage this year.
England knocked them out en route to the final three years ago, but history shows that in knockout games against each other, the Germans usually come out on top.
While they’ll pose a huge threat, they don’t go into a home tournament as favorites.
Who Will be the Top Scorer
Several of Europe’s top strikers hope to fire their country to glory. However, only one can win the coveted Golden Boot.
Portugal’s Cristiano Ronaldo won his first-ever international Golden Boot at Euro 2020, scoring five goals. He will return for a record seventh time this summer and, in doing so, become one of the oldest outfield players to feature at the tournament.
The quest to win the Golden Boot becomes synonymous with how far the team progresses in the tournament. While fans anxiously wait to book their Euro 2024 final tickets, the destiny of the teams will depend on their star players.
If these players excel, they can win the Golden Boot and the Euro 2024 title.
Here are the top picks of players who can win the Golden Boot.
1 – Harry Kane
Harry Kane has been breaking records for Bayern Munich in the Bundesliga this season and is regarded as one of the best strikers in the world.
He’ll feel at home in Germany and is England’s best goalscorer. He also has a World Cup Golden Boot on his trophy cabinet, having scored the most goals in 2018.
2 – Kylian Mbappe
Only the second person in history to score a hat-trick in a World Cup final, France’s Kylian Mbappe clinched the Golden Boot in Qatar in 2022.
He is likely to be Les Bleus’ greatest goalscoring threat at this summer’s Euros, and given their expected success, this gives him a great opportunity to win the Golden Boot.
3 – Cristiano Ronaldo
It’s hard to ignore, quite possibly, the greatest goalscorer in history. Yes, he’s currently playing in Saudi Arabia, which is a much less intense league than Europe’s top five, but he’s still a massive threat.
Portugal tends to play through Cristiano Ronaldo, which gives him a great chance of winning the award. However, it’s likely to depend on how far they get in the tournament.
4 – Jude Bellingham
Jude Bellingham is another star for England who knows how to find the back of the net. He has played further forward since moving to giants Real Madrid in the summer, resulting in 19 league goals.
His goalscoring threat this summer largely depends on how far forward Gareth Southgate chooses to play him. He may play a more profound role in accommodating the likes of Kane and Phil Foden.
5 – Olivier Giroud
It’s no surprise to see Giroud’s name on this list. He is France’s all-time leading goalscorer, and his record at major tournaments speaks for itself.
He’s aging but will remain a threat to France at this summer’s tournament, which will probably be his last.
Experts Pip Jude Bellingham to Pivot England to a Win
Fabio Capello believes that Jude Bellingham, a “super player,” can help drive England to Euro 2024 glory this summer.
Former England manager Capello was at the Bernabeu on Sunday to see Bellingham score a stoppage-time winner as Real Madrid beat Barcelona 3-2 earlier in La Liga.
He believes that Bellingham was the missing piece in England’s puzzle that would bring them the silverware.
The 20-year-old midfielder has made an incredible impact at Real since joining from Borussia Dortmund last summer. That superb El Clasico strike was his 21st goal of the season.
“Only the super players can play like him at this age – (Lionel) Messi and some others,” Capello said at the Laureus World Sports Awards in Madrid.
“It was an incredible performance that I saw in a crucial game like El Clasico because he was excellent on every part of the pitch.
“He ran back and covered the ball. The fans understand a lot of this.
“As supporters, they know this player wants to win. He runs and fights.”
Capello, who managed England between 2008 and 2012, has tipped the Three Lions to end their 58-year wait for a major trophy in Germany this summer.
The Italian believes Gareth Southgate’s side has the best attack in the tournament, although he admits to concerns over the defense and goalkeeper Jordan Pickford.
When asked who he thought would win the Euros, Capello said: “I like England.
“Their midfielders and forwards are the best – Bellingham, (Harry) Kane, (Bukayo) Saka.
“Right and left defenders are good, but I doubt the center-backs and the goalkeeper. It’s not the same level as the other part of the team.
“Sometimes, the goalkeeper is good, but I saw the game they lost against Italy, the (Euro 2020) final at Wembley.
Laureus ambassador Capello added: “I liked the last game they played (against Belgium) – fight, pressing.
“The problem is when they arrive at the moment to win, they play with fear sometimes.”
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