In the fifteen European Championships that have been played since it all began in 1960, ten different nations have taken home the Henri Delaunay Trophy. In the early years, only four teams made the tournament. Four expanded to eight in the 80’s and sixteen teams in the 90’s. For a while, sixteen teams seemed like the magic number, but as we all know, bigger is always better. So, for the second straight tournament, twenty-four teams will compete to become Europe’s best footballing nation and all the bragging rights for the next 4 years… give or take a pandemic.

The Halftime Snack has been hungry for this tournament for more than a year now. We still have some time before we can really dig in, but we’ve created a guide to munch on until the games begin. The guide to this year’s tournament aims to enrich your viewing experience and maybe assist you on some gambling endeavors. We’ve characterized each group, broken down each team, identified players from each squad to watch out for, and provided a few interesting facts about these footballing nations. As we draw nearer to the tournament (games begin June 11th) we’ll likely update this guide and perhaps include some of our own predictions. But for now, let’s all just bask in eager anticipation of what’s sure to be an electric tournament that’ll span 26 days (1 year late) and the entire European continent.

Group A

Group A might be the most competitive group in this tournament. Now don’t confuse that statement with “best” or “most talented” group, but all four teams are fairly equally matched. In fact, out of the six European Championship groups, Group A has the least discrepancy from best (Italy 10th in the world) to worst Turkey (32nd in the world) according to the FIFA/Coca Cola World Ranking. That being said, Italy play all three of their group stage games in Rome and will certainly be the favorites to advance as the first-place team. But we don’t think anyone will be open-mouthed to see three teams from Group A advance to the round of 16. The only question, who will finish fourth?

Italy

This team is seeking vengeance. After missing out on the World Cup for the first time in 70 years back in 2018, Italy is looking for a little retribution of glory. Don’t be surprised to see a Virginia Cavaliers-esque comeback from The Azzurri. And so far, their comeback story is following the Disney movie script. They were one of only two teams (of the 55 qualifying European nations) to win every game in qualifiers, albeit in an admittedly weak Euro qualifying group. Additionally, they’ve also worked their way up to 10th in the FIFA/Coca Cola World Rankings. This is especially impressive considering they were ranked 21st (the lowest they’ve ever been ranked since 1992 when FIFA World Rankings began) just 2.5 years ago.

Players to Watch: This team is all about the young guns. Some up-and-comers to watch (if they make the final 23-man roster) are Nicolo Barella the 23-year-old midfielder from Inter Milan, Frederico Bernardeschi the 26-year-old Juventus attacking mid/forward, and Alessio Romagnoli the 25-year-old defender from AC Milan. But what might be of most interest, is who will be between the woodworks. For the last 20-years, Gigi Buffon (arguably the greatest goalie of all time) had been the last line of defense. For the Euros, Italy will likely look to 21-year-old Gianluigi Donnarumma to fill Buffon’s massive gloves.

Facts of Interest: Savoy blue is the common color of the national teams representing Italy, as it is the traditional paint of the royal House of Savoy (established in 1003), which reigned over the Kingdom of Italy from 1860 to 1946.Thus, the national team is known as gli Azzurri or “the Blues”.

Switzerland

Switzerland has long been known to have a staunchy defense and fairly fruitless offense, but this current squad looks a bit different. In their eight qualifying games, they scored 19 goals including a 6-1 win over Gibraltar and a 2-0 win over Ireland to help them finish first in their group. However, as their production on offense began to ignite, their old-reliable defense showed signs of dimming. The clearest sign of this dimming came in their home qualifying draw against Denmark (3-3). Denmark scored all three of their goals in the last ten minutes of the game to complete a spectacular comeback and devastating result for Switzerland. Furthermore, in all competitions, the Swiss have allowed 13 goals in their last 10 games and many of them sneaking in right before the final whistle. Whether this new form is ultimately better or worse than the staunch Switzerland of old is tough to say, but they’re certainly a more entertaining team to watch.

Players to Watch: Yann Sommer, the Gladbach goalkeeper, has 23 clean sheets in 53 starts for the national team. When he’s on form, he’s nearly impossible to get past. Also watch out for Xherdan Shaqiri the Liverpool winger who has 22 goals in 86 caps for the Swiss side. Shaqiri, born in Yugoslavia to Kosovar Albanian parents, has had a tumultuous relationship with his national team and showed signs of switching over to Kosovo once they were recognized (in 2016) by FIFA, but he ultimately stayed with Switzerland and has performed well.

Facts of Interest: At the 2006 FIFA World Cup, Switzerland was the first nation to be eliminated from the tournament despite not conceding a single goal in regulation. They were eventually eliminated by Ukraine on penalties in the round of sixteen. They kept the streak going and didn't concede a goal until their second match in the 2010 FIFA World Cup against Chile in the 75th minute; setting a World Cup record for consecutive minutes without conceding a goal.

Turkey

Turkey has been a consistently consistent team for a very long time. Since 1992 when FIFA began ranking national teams, Turkey has been ranked somewhere in the “good not great” 20th to 50th range for twenty of those twenty-eight years. They’re currently ranked the 32nd best team in the world. Turkey is a very consistently solid squad, but it’s tough to say their defense is anything less than great. In their ten European Championship qualification games, they allowed only 3 goals which was a Euro 2020 qualifying best tied with Belgium. Moreover, they allowed only 1 goal in two games with the defending World Cup champs France in a 2-0 victory and a 1-1 draw. The Crescent-Stars will not be an easy team to get past.

Players to Watch: The stalwart Turkish defense is led by 24-year-old Leicester City center back Caglar Soyuncu. Soyuncu is one of the most aggressive players in all of Europe, but because he’s such a good tackler, he typically stays out of penalty trouble. Turkey doesn’t produce much in the offensive third, but if they do, it’ll likely come from A.C. Milan midfielder Hakan Calhanoglu. He’s a playmaker and great at setting teammates up, but he can also score from range.

Facts of Interest: Despite only playing 13 games, Turkey v. Greece is considered one of the biggest international football rivalries. Both nations take pride in having been described as “punching above their weight class”. Turkey earned that descriptor after finishing in the semi-finals at the 2002 World Cup and the 2008 Euros, and Greece won that title after their Euro 2004 championship. On top of vying to be the biggest overachiever, there’s tension between the two countries with continual disputes over Cyprus and numerous incidents that have occurred during matches between Turkish and Greek clubs.

Wales

The Dragons return to the Euros after finishing 3rd in their first ever European Championship appearance in 2016. However, it was more of a crash landing than a smooth glide back for Wales. They lost 2 of their first 3 games in qualifiers, and had to get good results in their last five games to make the cut. They did. With 3 wins and 2 draws, they eked out a 2nd place finish in their qualifying group. They’ve continued to be on form since qualifiers with five wins in their last eight games and only losing once to rivals England. The only thing that should cause fans of this team some concern is the leadership off the pitch. Currently, the national team is managed by former Wales and Manchester United star Ryan Giggs; however, due to legal problems, Rob Page has filled in as “caretaker manager” which, thus far, hasn’t appeared to affect the team’s play. But this will be an interesting team to keep an eye on. They aren’t overwhelmed with talent, so team chemistry becomes paramount.

Players to Watch: The myth, the man, the legend, Gareth Bale will try to add to his goal scoring record with Wales. Bale, likely the greatest Welsh player of all time, has 33 goals in 87 caps with the national team and has a propensity to show up big on big stages. In the 2016 Euros, he scored 3 of the team’s 7 goals and set up 2 others. He’s had a bit of a dip in performance the last two years, but don’t be surprised to see some fireworks from Bale. A couple young players that might someday fill Bale’s shoes include, Daniel James the 23-year-old Man U midfielder and Harry Wilson the 23-year-old Cardiff City winger on loan from Liverpool.

Facts of Interest: Wales recorded the biggest rise in the history of the FIFA/Coca-Cola World Rankings, moving from 117th in 2011 to 8th place in 2015. They are also the smallest nation by population (a little over 3 million) to ever reach the semi-finals of the UEFA European Championship, after reaching the UEFA Euro 2016 semi-finals.

Group B

No one team benefitted from landing in Group B. Every team who is not Belgium will have to play Belgium, and Belgium essentially has to play three away games. With Copenhagen and St. Petersburg acting as two of the many Euro 2020 host cities; Belgium will first play away vs. Russia in St. Petersburg, then away in Copenhagen vs. Denmark, and finally away-ish vs. Finland in St. Petersburg which is just a 4-hour drive from Helsinki. The clear favorite is suddenly looking a little murkier.

Belgium

Everyone’s “Dark Horse” for the last decade, Belgium has been the team of the future for a while now, but this really might be their year. Belgium’s Golden Generation is now experienced, but just as importantly, they’re still fit and talented… Eden Hazard and Kevin De Bruyne are 29 and Lukaku is still only 27. They were one of two teams (Italy the other) that won every game in qualifiers and their group included two other teams that made the tourney (Russia and Scotland). On top of that, they had a qualifying high +37 goal differential scoring 40 goals in 10 games and only allowing 3. The only apparent downside to Belgium, the #1 ranked team in the world is no longer the Dark Horse. Everyone will see them coming including the gambling gods. The Red Devils have the second best odds of winning the Cup at +550 via DraftKings.

Players to Watch: As mentioned above, Eden Hazard, Kevin De Bruyne, and Romelu Lukaku are three of the most electric players in the game. Between the three of them, they have 109 goals in 273 appearances. There’s clearly a lot of offensive threats on this squad but it’s their defense in the last few years that has stepped up the most. Keep an eye on Tottenham defender Toby Alderweireld, a beast on the back line, and the 6’7” Real Madrid goliath, Thibaut Courtois, in net.

Facts of Interest: Belgium has two main rivals, the Netherlands and France. However, both of these “rivalries” are quite friendly. The match-up between the Belgians and the Dutch is known as the Low Countries derby. They’ve played 127 official games against each other as well as five unofficial matches for charity. To top those warm relations, the clash between the Belgian and French sides is nicknamed le Match Sympathique in French ("the Friendly Match").

Denmark

Group B was a bit of an unfortunate draw for this talented Danish team. In their last ten games, Denmark has won 6, drawn 2, and lost 2… their two losses both came at the hands of Belgium. In qualifiers (which fortunately didn’t involve playing Belgium), Denmark went undefeated and had a goal differential of +17. However, they still ended up finishing second in their group with only 4 wins and the rest of their results all draws. The good news is that they had three of those four qualifying wins at home in Denmark where they will be playing all their games at the group stage. It’s probably pretty safe to say that this is going to be a tough team to beat.

Players to Watch: Christian Eriksen’s form may have dipped since his transfer from Tottenham to Inter Milan, but he is still one of the biggest set piece threats in Europe from anywhere within 30 meters. To assist Eriksen in the midfield will be Borussia Dortmund standout Thomas Delaney. On any given day, Delaney will be one of the most physical players on the pitch.

Facts of Interest: Denmark is famous for its traveling fans, known as roligans. The movement emerged during the 1980s as a declared opposition to hooliganism. The goal of the roligan movement is calm, yet cheerful, support during the matches, as "rolig" means "calm" in the Danish language. The roligans are often considered amongst the world's best national team fans.

Finland

In 2017, Finland was ranked the 110th best team in the world by FIFA, an all-time low for them. However, in the last four years they’ve crept their way up the rankings like a strong and steady glacier, thanks in large part to qualifying for the Euros (their first major international tournament since the 1980 Olympics) and now sit at 54th. They didn’t have a stellar qualifying performance (winning 6 games and losing 4), but they won the games that mattered including splitting the home and away with Greece and Bosnia and Herzegovina and sweeping Armenia and Liechtenstein. Since qualifiers, The Eagle-owls have continued to play with a purpose and have tallied wins over Bulgaria twice, Ireland twice, and a 2-0 win over defending World Champs France… in France. They may be Euro freshmen, but they’ve proven they can read at a higher grade level.

Players to Watch: There might not be another European player more in the zone right now than Teemu Pukki. Pukki, the Norwich City striker, scored 10 of Finland’s 16 goals in their ten qualifying games. Other than Pukki, there isn’t a lot of an offensive threat from Finland, so they’ll rely on the all-star Bayer Leverkusen goalkeeping of Lukas Hradecky.

Facts of Interest: After the 1918 Civil War, Finnish sports were divided into the right-wing Finnish Gymnastics and Sports Federation (SVUL) and the leftist Finnish Workers' Sports Federation (TUL). Both sides had their own championship series, and between 1919 and 1939 the Finland national team was selected from only the right-wing Finnish Gymnastics and Sports Federation (SVUL), which resulted in many of the best Finnish players in the country to defect from the leftist TUL to the right-wing SVUL.

Russia

Similar to Demark, Group B was an unfortunate landing spot for Russia. In qualifying, Russia won 8 games and lost 2. Their two losses… you guessed it, both to Belgium. They got squashed by Belgium on the road (3-1) and then were essentially bullied off their home turf (4-1). Against Belgium, Russia had zero answers, but against everyone else, they played quite well. The Russians only gave up one other goal in their eight other qualifying games. But despite a solid qualifying performance, outside of the Euro 2020 qualification games, Russia has been highly erratic. Most recently they found themselves on the wrong side of a 5-0 walloping by Serbia. It’ll be interesting to see which team shows up for the Euros… the 2018 World Cup quarterfinalist squad that cruised through Euro qualification games that weren’t against Belgium, or the team that has only won two of it’s last eight games since clinching a spot? It certainly doesn’t hurt that two of their three group games will be in St. Petersburg.

Players to Watch: If Russia returns to their defensive prowess seen during qualifications, it’ll likely be because of the performance of Russia’s best player Mario Fernandes. The Brazilian, once banned from the Brazil national team, became a Russian citizen in 2017 and has since cleaned his act up and has excelled with CSKA Moscow and the Russian national team. The player to watch on the offensive half is 25-year-old Atalanta midfielder Aleksei Miranchuk. Miranchuk can control the middle of the pitch when he’s on form.

Facts of Interest: Although a member of FIFA since 1912 (as the Soviet Union before 1990), Russia first entered the FIFA World Cup in 1958. Since then, they have qualified for the World Cup 11 times, only missing out on 3 (Currently, they’re banned from the 2022 World Cup in Qatar due to doping). They’ve also had great success in the Euros. They won the first edition of the European Championship in 1960 and have been runners-up in 1964, 1972 and 1988. This will be their 12th appearance.

Group C

One of these teams is not like the others. Three teams in Group C are ranked in the top 25 in the FIFA/Coca Cola World Rankings: Netherlands (14th), Austria (23rd), and Ukraine (24th). North Macedonia is ranked 65th, and yet, it wouldn’t be a huge surprise if they stole some points. The three highly ranked teams have all shown they are vulnerable to being upset, while North Macedonia has eagerly been playing the role of upsetter. It’s safe to expect a lot of close, low-scoring clashes in this group and some late game heroics.

Austria

Austria started off qualifiers with two losses, they finished qualifiers with 6 wins, 1 draw, and 1 more loss. Additionally, after those first two losses, they only gave up 4 goals in their next 8 games while scoring 17 and paving the way for their second consecutive European Championship bid (their third ever). Since finishing qualifiers on the right foot, Austria has continued to build momentum like an avalanche cascading down the Central Alps. They’ve crashed down on 8 opponents since qualifiers, scoring 14 goals, allowing just 7, and have only lost once. They’ll need to continue this relentless tour-de-force if they wish to advance out of the group stage for the first time since the 1982 World Cup.

Players to Watch: David Alaba is an absolute stud. He primarily plays as center-back for Bayern Munich but can also be found in the midfield on either wing or in the center. The 28-year-old has already collected 76 caps for Austria and 14 goals (again, primarily as a defender). Other goals will likely come from the ex-Stoke/ex-West Ham forward Marko Arnautovic who’s now playing in the Chinese Super League, and from the 26-year-old RB Leipzig midfielder/forward Marcel Sabitzer.

Facts of Interest: The match-up between Austria and Hungary is the second most-played international match in football (137 played); only Argentina and Uruguay have met each other in more matches. The bordering countries were once unified under a dual monarchy commonly referred to as the Austro-Hungarian Empire which ruled from 1867 to its collapse in 1918 following defeat in the First World War. Tensions on and off the pitch remain high as land is still being disputed between the two countries after their split.

Netherlands

The Flying Dutchmen have had an interesting journey in the last decade. They finished runners-up in the 2010 World Cup, had a small disappointment getting eliminated at the group stage in the 2012 Euros, made it back to the World Cup in 2014 and finished third, but then have failed to qualify for the last two major tourneys (Euro 2016 and World Cup 2018). They may not be back to the team they were in the early 2010s, but they’ve returned to the main stage and are looking pretty formidable. They finished just 2-points behind Germany in qualifying and split the series. They lost a nail-bitter at home (3-2) but then beat Germany with an impressive 4-2 victory in Hamburg. And yet, the best outcome the Dutch have had in the last year did not take place on the pitch. Their best outcome was drawing a spot in Group C. Ukraine, because of their impressive qualifying performance, was the top tier (Pot 1) team in Group C. However, the Netherlands have as much or more talent and will be playing all of their group games in Amsterdam, they should be the clear favorites in this group.

Players to Watch: Memphis Depay, who had a disappointing and short stint in the premier league with Manchester United, has thrived for Lyon in Ligue 1 over the past few years and has been a consistent goal scorer for the Netherlands with 21 goals in 59 caps. The Netherlands is also home to arguably the best defender in the world right now, Virgil Van Dijk. Unfortunately, Van Dijk tore his ACL in October and may not be fit to play the Euros. If he’s not available, much of his load will be placed on 21-year-old Juventus defender Matthijs de Ligt.

Facts of Interest: The team is colloquially referred to as Het Nederlands Elftal (The Dutch Eleven) or Oranje, after the House of Orange-Nassau and their distinctive orange jerseys. The House of Orange-Nassau is the current reigning house of the Netherlands that stepped in to rule in 1814 after the defeat of Napoleon.

North Macedonia

The Darlings of the 2020 Euros, North Macedonia qualified for its first ever major tournament after beating Kosovo in the playoff semi-final (2-1) and Georgia in the final (1-0) to become one of the last four teams to qualify. They are currently ranked 65th in the FIFA World Ranking… the lowest ranked team in this tournament, and yet, North Macedonia has a wild-eyed, Christopher Lloyd like energy about them. In their last ten games, they’ve been exhilarating and a little chaotic with 5 wins, 3 draws, and 2 losses. They netted a respectable 14 goals over those ten games but also allowed almost as many, 11. North Macedonia has that mad hatter, mercurial quality that you don’t know what to expect from them, but most importantly, this team is entertaining. The Red Lynxes are not a squad you want to overlook.

Players to Watch: North Macedonia isn’t deep, but they do have talent. Enis Bardhi the “score from anywhere” midfielder from La Liga’s Levante, Stefan Ristovski the uber-aggressive defender from Sporting Portugal, and Arijan Ademi the Dinamo Zagreb captain are three players who could find a spot in the starting eleven on just about any other European squad.

Facts of Interest: In the period between 1945 and 1991, the Socialist Republic of Macedonia was ineligible to play as a team for official matches. The team had mostly played exhibition matches against teams from other republics of the Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia and was represented by Macedonian players under the traditional red, yellow, and white colors. The first football clubs were formed in Ottoman times at the beginning of the 20th century.

Ukraine

Ukraine is a scary team because they are so unpredictable. The Yellow and Blue were spectacular in qualifying, finishing first in their group by tying the fifth ranked team in the world Portugal in Lisbon and then beating them at home. Additionally, they’ve beat Spain and Switzerland at home in the last five months. However, they’ve also recently suffered some pretty ugly losses. Ukraine lost to Spain 4-0 in early September, and then they received their largest defeat ever in a calamitous 7-1 thumping by France in early October. Their recent resume reads like Christmas lights with reds (losses) and greens (wins) alternating every other match. This is a risky team to bet on because they have shown that they can beat anyone or lose to them in dramatic fashion… and goal differential could play a very important role in this tournament.

Players to Watch: Oleksandr Zinchenko is one of the most exciting young players on this team. At 24, the Manchester City midfielder already has 35 appearances with the national team. But it’s the veterans who garner the most interest on this Ukraine squad. Goalkeeper Andriy Pyatov (age 36) has 96 caps for his nation and can be a brick wall or, as mentioned above, as porous as cheese cloth. Andriy Yarmolenko, the 31-year-old West Ham midfielder, should also be squarely in your sights. He’s scored 38 goals for Ukraine in 92 appearances.

Facts of Interest: Officially, the national team was formed in the early 1990s and shortly after was recognized internationally. However, the Ukrainian Soviet Socialist Republic previously had its own national team from 1925–1935. The earliest record of games they played can be traced back to August 1928 in a tournament among the national teams of the Soviet republics as well as the Moscow City team.

Group D

This is a sneaky tough group. At first glance of the groupings, most people’s eyes will have slid right past Group D and down to Group F “The Group of Death”, and rightfully so. But upon further analysis, Group D is not a stroll in the park. First off, you have two 2018 World Cup semi-finalists with Croatia and England, the former being the World Cup runner-up. Next, you have a Czech Republic team that can beat anyone on any given day including handing England its only qualifiers loss. Last but not least, there’s Scotland, who may not be great on paper, but keep in mind, two of their three group games will be in Glasgow and their one away game is against rival England… never dismiss a rivalry match.

Croatia

Coming off their best international tournament result with a 2nd place finish at the 2018 World Cup, Croatia should be on everybody’s radar. However, this team year-in and year-out seems to slip between the cracks. In fact, they’re one of only two nations to have been named FIFA's "Best Mover of the Year" more than once, winning the award in 1994 and 1998. The Best Mover of the Year is awarded to the team who made the best progress up the FIFA rankings over the course of a year. In other words, a team undervalued by the FIFA ranking committee who shows up big in big moments. Currently (as of January 14th), Croatia has the 9th best odds (out of the 24 tournament teams) to win at +3000 according to DraftKings. Their form lately has been a bit off, but it’s clear they thrive in major tournaments. Do not make the mistake of underestimating this team… and maybe put a ten-spot down on them.

Players to Watch: Luka Modric is one appearance away from being tied with Darijo Srna for the most caps in Croatian national team history. Although the 35-year-old is getting a little long in the tooth, he’s still one of the greatest playmakers football has ever seen. It’s safe to continue to expect greatness from the Real Madrid midfielder. Another player to keep an eye on is Croatia’s 25-year-old goalie Dominik Livakovic. In the past 24 games with his club Dinamo Zagreb, he’s only allowed 17 goals in all competitions (including only 1 goal in Europa League group play) which comes to just 0.7 goals/game.

Facts of Interest: Croatia's modern-day jersey was designed in 1990 by local painter Miroslav Šutej, who also designed the nation's flag, coat of arms and banknotes. The traditional red and white motif is based on the historic Croatian checkerboard, which has been used to represent Croats since the Middle Ages.

Czech Republic

The Czech Republic is a tough team to get a good grasp of, metaphorically speaking… literally speaking, they have pretty average speed. They’re capable of competing with and even beating the best (see their wins over England and Poland over the last two years), but it’s also not uncommon for them to lose to some pretty unaccomplished squads (see their recent losses to Bulgaria and Northern Ireland). For years they’ve been most recognizable as a defensive powerhouse with Petr Cech in front of the net, but now that Cech has retired from international play (after 124 caps), Tomas Vaclik will protect the onion bag. Vaclik is a pretty accomplished keeper in his own right. He already has 30 caps for the national team and after four seasons with the Swiss Super League’s standouts, FC Basel, he signed with Sevilla in La Liga and has been thriving there as well.

Players to Watch: For all the reasons mentioned above, keep an eye on Tomas Vaclik. But since goalies rarely get to shine, also look out for Vladimir Darida. Darida has 20 more caps than anyone else on this young Czech team (63), and if the Czech Republic wish to go deep in this tournament, the Hertha BSC midfielder will need to show some veteran leadership. Finally, keep an eager eye on Patrik Schick the 25-year old RB Leipzig forward currently on loan to Bayer Leverkusen. He has 27 goals in the last 5 years playing for numerous teams in Serie A and the Bundesliga along with 9 goals in 22 appearances with the national team.

Facts of Interest: The Czech Republic team was formed shortly after the split of Czechoslovakia and played their first friendly match away to Turkey in February of 1994. They’ve been a threat from the get-go. The Czechs ended up winning their inaugural game 4-1 and two years later finished runners-up in the 1996 Euros.

England

England has all the talent to go deep in the tournament and even win it, which is nothing new, but they have a nagging tendency to crumble like a pringle at the bottom of the tube in big games. However, this time around they’re riding a wave of confidence. After an impressive World Cup showing in 2018 and dominating qualifiers (+31 GD in only 8 games), this England team may actually believe they could win it… and why not. They’re currently ranked the 4th best team in the World by the FIFA/ Coca Cola World Rankings, which is tied for the highest they’ve ever been positioned since ranking began in 1992. And, even Vegas is betting on them. England has the best odds (even better than Belgium - the #1 ranked team in the world) to win it all at +500 via DraftKings.

Players to Watch: Aside from the obvious Harry Kane (32 goals in 51 appearances), Raheem Sterling (13 goals in 58 appearances), and Marcus Rashford (11 goals in 40 appearances); keep an eye on 20-year old Jadon Sancho. The Borussia Dortmund forward has represented England at the U16, U17, and U19 levels and already has 18 appearances and 3 goals with the senior squad. Fingers crossed he makes the final 23-man roster.

Facts of Interest: England played in the world’s first international football match against Scotland in 1872. Although being one of the oldest and most recognizable footballing nations, the Three Lions have never won the UEFA European Championship (the highest they’ve finished is 3rd most recently in 1996) and they haven’t won a World Cup since 1966.

Scotland

Although Scotland is one of the two oldest national football teams in the world, they’re a bit of a rarity in international tournaments. They’ve clinched a spot in the World Cup eight times and the Euros now for a third time, and that was by the skin of their teeth. Scotland finished third in their qualifying group but had enough points to claim a spot in the qualifying playoffs in which they won both of their games in shootouts to Israel and Serbia becoming one of the last four nations to make the tournament. However, despite just narrowly clutching a Euro’s berth, they’ve been playing like a team possessed lately. The Scots are 7-1-2 in their last ten games including two wins over fellow group-mates Czech Republic. Clearly, the spirits who’ve taken over the body of this team aren’t familiar with the role Scotland typically plays as the little brother.

Players to Watch: Liverpool’s left back Andrew Robertson is undeniably the best player on this team, and although only 26, he’s been captaining Scotland for over two years now. Expect him to play more of an attacking defender role. His pace up and down the sideline and a knack for finding the back of the net makes him a threat anywhere on the pitch. John McGinn is another player to watch on this Scotland squad. McGinn scored 7 goals during qualifying but hasn’t scored for the national team since November of 2019.

Facts of Interest: Scotland supporters are collectively known as the Tartan Army. The name comes from the patterned cloth consisting of criss-crossed, horizontal and vertical bands in multiple colors seen in Scottish kilts known as tartan patterns. After a game against England at Wembley Stadium in 1979 where 349 Scottish supporters were arrested for hooliganism, The Scotland Travel Club was established with the purpose of encouraging responsible behavior. And since then, The Tartan Army has been known as some of the best and friendliest fans in Europe.

Group E

There is a lot of individual talent in this group, but aside from Spain, it’s difficult to see any of these teams making a deep run. Spain is currently ranked the 6th best team in the world and they’re not far removed from winning major tournaments on a regular basis. As for the rest of this group, they don’t lack aptitude by any means, but other than a quarter-final finish by Poland in the 2016 Euros, have failed to put together championship worthy squads. What makes this group most interesting, is that there isn’t a clear loser. Poland (19th in the world) and Sweden (20th in the world) are practically equals and Slovakia (33rd in the world) has never not advanced out of a group stage in a major tournament.

Poland

The Eagles have been a team soaring steadily higher since missing both the 2010 and 2014 World Cups. They finished 5th in the 2016 Euros and then qualified for the 2018 World Cup. Unfortunately, they’re 2018 World Cup was not what they were hoping for with a group stage knock out, but they still received some valuable tournament experience for their relatively young squad. That experience paid off in the Euro 2020 qualifiers. Poland won their six-team qualifying group with 8 wins, 1 draw, and 1 loss. Additionally, they only allowed 5 goals in their 10 qualifying games while Poland’s star forward, Robert Lewandowski, netted 7 in that time. But before we get too ahead of ourselves and crown them champions, it’s important to note that Poland has only won 4 of their last 8 games. The Eagles are a dangerous team with some explosive players, but it remains to be seen whether or not they truly have enough fire power to make a deep run in this tournament.

Players to Watch: Although the Ballon d’Or (FIFA World Player of the Year) was canceled in 2020 due to COVID-19, it is largely agreed that Robert Lewandowski would have won. He is not only the best player to watch on Poland, but probably the best player to watch in this entire tournament. Lewandowski has 63 goals for Poland in 116 appearances and over 500 goals for club (Bayern Munich) and country in his career. Although Lewandowski will certainly shine brightest, an interesting player you might want to keep tabs on is the 25-year-old Hertha BSC forward Krzysztof Piatek. Three years ago, Piatek missed the final cut for the 2018 World Cup squad and was playing for Polish club Cracovia. He’s since recorded 32 goals over the last 2.5 seasons with Genoa and Milan (Serie A) and Hertha BSC in the Bundesliga.

Facts of Interest: When the Wehrmacht (unified armed forces of Nazi Germany – Army, Navy, Air Force) invaded Poland in September 1939, all Polish institutions and associations were dissolved, including the Polish Football Association PZPN. The German occupying forces forbade Poles to organize football matches. Consequently, there was no national team from 1939-1945.

Slovakia

Slovakia had a very topsy-turvy qualification. In their qualifying group, they beat Hungary twice and tied Wales, but they also lost 4-0 at home to Croatia. Their performance was only good enough for a third place finish in their group, but they had enough points (along with fourth place Hungary) to advance to the qualifying playoffs. In the qualifying playoffs, they snuck past Ireland on penalties and then squeaked by a talented Northern Ireland team in extra time. Slovakia doesn’t often find themselves in major tournaments, this will be their third since independence, but in their previous two (World Cup 2010 and the 2016 Euros) they’ve advanced out of the group stage. It should not be a surprise to anyone if the Falcons were to swoop in and steal a few points from their group-mates.

Players to Watch: Milan Skriniar is a defensive juggernaut for Inter Milan in Serie A and the Slovakia national team. At only 25-years-old he is the leader of a stout backfield for Slovakia even though he’s alongside players 5-10 years his senior. Also, watch out for (he’s honestly hard to miss) Marek Hamsik the former Napoli mainstay. Along with great hair, the 33-year-old captain will also turn some heads with his prestigious footwork and a knack for finding the net.

Facts of Interest: Slovakia’s first official international game was a win against Nazi Germany in 1939 playing under what we now refer to as the First Slovak Republic. After World War II, the national football team was subsumed into the team of Czechoslovakia, and for over 50 years Slovakia played no matches as an independent country. Once they regained their independence in 1993, they won their first international game as the Second Slovak Republic against the United Arab Emirates.

Spain

It seems like only yesterday when La Furia Roja were winning every major international tournament (2008 Euros, 2010 World Cup, and the 2012 Euros). Maybe they still feel so relevant because they’ve remained a threat. They aren’t that David Villa/Xavi/Fernando Torres squad of lore anymore, but they’ve still had good results in their last two major tournaments advancing out of the group stage in the 2016 Euros and the 2018 World Cup. Moreover, they might be the most individually talented team in Europe. Based on the EA Sports FIFA 21 player ratings, Spain has 12 of the 100 best players in the world, which is tied for the most with Germany, and has the most players (148) in the top 1000 players in the world. All of this talent and depth helped Spain go undefeated in qualifiers with 8 wins and 2 draws and a +26 goal differential. La Furia Roja indeed.

Players to Watch: I think it’s essential to recognize Sergio Ramos here. Ramos is the most capped player (178) in the long history of the Spanish national team and rightfully the captain of the current squad. The Real Madrid star is also one of the most talented defenders football has ever seen. As mentioned above, Spain is a brimming sangria bowl of talent. They have more individual strength and skill than any other nation, but a couple specific guys to keep in your peripherals include Alvaro Morata (that forward who lines up next to Cristiano on Juventus) and Liverpool’s Thiago.

Facts of Interest: Spain is the only national team with three consecutive major titles, as well as the only to win back-to-back European Championships in 2008 and 2012. Because of this, every year from 2008 to 2013, the national team won the FIFA Team of the Year award. Their six team of the year titles is second only to Brazil… who has 12 since 1993.

Sweden

Sweden fought their way out of arguably the toughest qualifying group which included formidable teams like Romania, a tough rival in Norway, and European powerhouse Spain. And unfortunately for Sweden, they don’t get much of a respite from Spain (the only team to beat them in qualifiers). But it’s not qualifying that seems to be the issue for Sweden. They’re pros at that. They’ve qualified for every European Championship in the last 28 years except for one. Sweden’s issue is advancing out of the group stage once in the major tournament. Of the six European Championships they’ve been in, they’ve only made it out of their group twice and they haven’t done so since 2004. A quarter-finals finish in the 2018 World Cup might be the confidence the Swedes need to get over the Euros group stage hump.

Players to Watch: With no Zlatan on the pitch, you’ll have to find someone else to satiate your Swedish footballing needs. Luckily, there are a couple players definitely worth watching on this squad. Emil Forsberg is a structurally sound/all parts included (undoubtedly very difficult to assemble) playmaker. He’s smart and creative and can hurt you whether he’s playing down the center or along the wings. And if you’re interested in Sweden’s future Zlatan-eque player, look no further than Alexander Isak. The 21-year-old Isak is a 6’4” forward currently playing for La Liga’s Real Sociedad, and this kid is electric in the attacking third.

Facts of Interest: Sweden has some of the best traveling supporters in the world. In the 2006 FIFA World Cup in Germany, Sweden had one of the largest groups of traveling supporters on record for any international tournament. In a group stage game against Paraguay, there was a reported 50,000 Swedish supporters in attendance plus an additional 50,000 fans watching the game from outside the stadium.

Group F

It’s simple, this is the group of death. There’s no honest argument against Group F not being the most talented collection of teams and the most grueling path to the knockout stage. It consists of 3 of the top 15 teams in the world (France 2nd, Portugal 5th, and Germany 13th) and the fourth team, Hungary, will have home field advantage for two of their three games. The four countries in this group have a combined 21 semi-finals births, 11 finals appearances, and 6 Championships in the 15 total European Championship tournaments. Prepare for a blood bath, hope for… also a blood bath.

France

The defending world champs will be fighting for their third European Championship and their first since 2000. If they do manage to win it all, they’ll be level with Spain and fellow group member Germany for the most European Championship titles. Like a tried-and-true romantic comedy, France was formulaically victorious (the last time they didn’t qualify for the Euros was 1988) and highly entertaining. They finished first in a difficult group with eight wins, one draw, and only one loss. It’s no surprise to see them as one of the favorites to win this tournament (third best odds according to DraftKings). The Blues have some of the top individual talent in the world. In fact, France has 6 of the 50 best players in the world according to the EA Sports FIFA 21 player ratings, which is more than any other European country.

Players to Watch: As alluded to above, there isn’t an area on the pitch that doesn’t contain a superstar when France’s A-squad is out there. But the brightest star is unarguably 22-year-old PSG phenom Kylian Mbappé. Mbappé made his debut with the senior national team at the ripe-old age of 18, and a year later became the youngest French player to score in a World Cup and only the second teenager (Pelé being the first) to score in a World Cup final. Mbappé will have assistance in the attacking third with fellow phenoms Antoine Greizmann of Atlético Madrid and Barcelona fame and Paul Pogba of currently (maybe not for much longer) Manchester United fame.

Facts of Interest: France was one of the four European teams (along with Belgium, Romania, and Yugoslavia) that participated at the inaugural World Cup in 1930 in Uruguay. Because airplane technology would not become advanced enough to transport a whole team for at least 20 more years, France and the other European countries travelled for 15 days by ship across the Atlantic.

Germany

It doesn’t matter the year, or the squad, or the location (but doesn’t hurt that Germany will play all of their group stage games in Munich); Germany is always a threat when it comes to major tournaments. They had a disappointing 2018 World Cup where they were knocked out in the group stage, but previous to that, they had made it to the finals or semi-finals in six consecutive major tournaments (Euros and World Cups) from 2006-2016 including a World Cup championship in 2014. They’re basically the 90’s Tar Heels of European football. And like clockwork, the Germans performed predictably well during Euro qualifying, losing only one game to the Netherlands and winning the rest. On top of that, they scored 30 goals in their eight qualifying games (3.75/game). Everything leading up to the Euros was fairly routine for Germany… until they met Spain on November 17th in a UEFA Nations League game. The Germans suffered their worst defeat since 1931 in a 6-0 beat down. Suddenly, the predictable powerhouse has a few flickering lights.

Players to Watch: Although he’s been on a bit of a slump with his new club Chelsea, 24-year-old Timo Werner can be one of the best goal scorers in the world. In the 2019-20 season with RB Leipzig, Werner scored 28 goals in 34 games. He has 15 goals in 35 appearances with Germany. Another young talent to keep an eye on is Bayern Munich’s Leroy Sané. The former Man City star is one of the fastest players in football; however, after an ACL tear in 2019, he’s only made a handful of appearances for his country and new club.

Facts of Interest: From 1945-1990 Germany had three national teams. After 1950, West Germany was recognized by FIFA and UEFA as the continuation of the DFB (German Football Association) and maintained and continued the record of the pre-war German team. The Saarland, a German French state under French control between 1947-1956, was barred from participating in pan-German organizations. So, Saarland sent their own team to the 1952 Summer Olympics and to the 1954 World Cup qualifiers until they rejoined with West Germany 1957. Communist controlled East Germany also had their own team and footballing association which participated individually in major international competitions until German reunification in 1990.

Hungary

Hungary is the clear outlier in this group, but they should not be overlooked. They had their ups and downs during qualifying, beating teams like Croatia (2-1) and Wales (1-0) but also losing to Slovakia twice. Luckily, they had just enough points and did well enough in the UEFA Nation’s League to earn a spot in the qualifier playoffs. In the playoffs, they breezed by Bulgaria (3-1) and then snuck past Iceland scoring a goal in the 88th minute and another in stoppage time to win (2-1) becoming one of the last four teams to qualify. They’ve continued their hot streak with only 1 loss in their last 8 games including two victories over fellow Euro 2020 qualifiers Turkey. Hungary will also have the benefit of playing at home in Budapest for 2 of their 3 group games, which will help even the playing field against better talent. Do not count this team out, they are capable of pulling off a few upsets.

Players to Watch: Twenty-year-old Dominik Szoboszlai is quickly becoming Hungary’s most prominent player. He made his senior debut at the Euro 2020 qualifiers, helping Hungary qualify by scoring in stoppage time in the play-offs against Iceland. He also just became the most expensive Hungarian player in history with his four-and-a-half year contract with RB Leipzig. Szoboszlai will have veteran help up front in the form of Ádám Szalai. The 33-year-old Szalai has been a fixture in the Bundesliga for the past 12 years and has 21 goals in 67 caps with the national team.

Facts of Interest: Although Hungary and Austria have one of the longest standing rivalries in the world (see Austria’s Facts of Interest), Hungary’s most bitter rival is Romania. It is not uncommon to see fights and riots breakout between supporters before, during, and after their matches. The rivalry between the two nations dates back to the Treaty of Trianon, where Hungary lost Transylvania to Romania, after World War I and the Hungarian-Romanian War.

Portugal

Portugal will have a tough road ahead of them if they are to become just the second team to win back-to-back Euros after their rival Spain did it in 2008 and 2012. Unfortunately, they’re starting off on the wrong foot. They finished second in their qualifying group behind Ukraine (who beat and tied them) and just ahead of Serbia (who stole a point off of them in Lisbon). Because of these spiritless results, they weren’t even one of the four best second place finishers during qualifying. And thus, Portugal was ranked the 13th best team in qualifiers landing themselves in pot 3 of 4 (one team from each pot is selected to create a group - Pot 1 include the six best teams, Pot 4 the six worst) and effectively assured whatever group they were drawn into would be the Group of Death. Now, anyone who’s ever watched Portugal in the last two decades knows that they are not worse than half the teams in this tournament, but it’s clear they have vulnerabilities that Ukraine and Serbia capitalized on during qualifiers. Since qualifying, Portugal has played more like Portugal. They’ve only lost one of their last eight games and have beaten some of Europe’s best including Croatia twice. If the team that helped them climb the FIFA rankings all the way to 5th shows up, they could win it all… but they’re also capable of being knocked out in the group stage.

Players to Watch: Cristiano Ronaldo now has over 100 goals for his national team becoming only the second player in history to reach that mark. Additionally, he holds the record as the player who has scored against the most national teams, 40. This could be his final major international tournament, gotta lap up everything we can. To set up the scoring opportunities and maybe provide a few goals of his own, look to Manchester United’s Bruno Fernandes. Fernandes has been a lightning rod since joining Man U with 19-goal and 14-assists in his 31 matches with the premier league squad.

Facts of Interest: Portugal is colloquially referred to as A Seleção das Quinas (The Selection of the Shields) referring to the five escutcheons (shields) found on the country's flag and coat of arms. They have notable rivalries with Brazil, with whom they once colonially ruled, and with Spain. The Portugal Spain rivalry is known as “The Iberian War”. The contention between the two countries dates back to 1581.