England are set to embark on another attempt to win a major international football tournament. It is now 58 years since the Three Lions picked up the biggest trophy in world football – the World Cup. Yet the second biggest prize available to the country’s national team still eludes them.
It was heartbreak last time round at Wembley as England lost to Italy on penalties in the final of the delayed Euro 2020 tournament. But as the European Championship Finals 2024 in Germany swing ever closer, hope springs eternal that England can end a drought for a major trophy that now spans more than half a century.
The history
History weighs heavily on English shoulders. After refusing to compete in the first two European Championships in 1960 and 1964, the team that won the World Cup in 1966 finally decided to make their continental bow in the 1968 tournament. However, a 1-0 defeat to Yugoslavia in the semi-finals meant Alf Ramsey’s men had to settle for third place.
It’s been a story of disappointment ever since, starting with an inability to qualify for the finals in 1972 and 1976, and a failure to win the tournament that extends to this day. There have been some near misses along the way – a semi-final defeat to Germany in 1996, followed by the crushing disappointment of another spotkick debacle last time around. It’s been a painful journey for English supporters.
Is the time now?
England might not get a better chance, however, than this time out. Yes, there are some strong contenders, none more so than perennial rivals France, who have assembled a squad of world class talent including Kylian Mbappe and Antoine Griezmann. The French knocked the Three Lions out of the last World Cup, and were beaten in the final of this very tournament eight years ago. In between there has been a World Cup win and final defeat. If victory is to be England’s, you’d expect this particular side will need to be vanquished along the way.
But France are not the only threat. Hosts Germany have been in a transitional stage of late, and were comfortably defeated by England at Wembley in the last tournament. However, there have been signs of a recent resurgence under new coach Julian Nagelsmann, and home comforts are usually an important factor in these tournaments. Other contenders include Spain, Belgium, and a talented Portugal side, for whom legend Cristiano Ronaldo will surely be making a final major tournament appearance. Incredibly this is CR7’s sixth finals, a record.
Who are the star men for England?
England will be led by goalscoring machine Harry Kane, who is fresh off the back of a stunning debut season in front of goal for Bayern Munich. The England skipper is also his country’s record goalscorer, and will fancy getting plenty of goals this time around, just as he has done at all recent international tournaments. The striker will be ably supported by a cast of attacking talent, including Manchester City’s Premier League Player of the Year Phil Foden, plus Arsenal’s Bukayo Saka and Declan Rice, Chelsea’s Cole Palmer, and plenty more besides.
And then there is Jude Bellingham. The 20 year old has just won La Liga and the Champions League in his first season starring for Real Madrid, and is many people’s tip to win the Ballon d’Or. If he did, he would be the first Englishman to claim the honour since Michael Owen in 2001. Owen was considered at the time to be a part of English football’s Golden Generation, boasting the likes of David Beckham and Steven Gerrard. But even that team could not end the team’s drought in the Euros. Can 2024’s talented squad finally bring home the big continental prize?
What the betting sites say
As we approach the big kick-off of Euro 2024, the online sportsbooks are certainly excited by England’s prospects. Indeed, many of the top sites place England, alongside France, as the favourites for the tournament. Those two sides are neck and neck in the betting, with hosts Germany climbing to third after a recent resurgence in performances. Spain, Portugal and Belgium are next up. As for top goalscorer, England captain Harry Kane has to settle for second in the odds pecking order behind new Real Madrid man Kylian Mbappe.
Kane has already claimed a Golden Boot award at a World Cup, though, and will fancy his chances of getting among the goals here. Cristiano Ronaldo and Romelu Lukaku are next on the list, with Jude Bellingham an outside chance, coming off his best goalscoring season to date. And if you fancied taking a punt on player of the tournament, Mbappe, Kane, Bellingham and Phil Foden are among the short odds leaders, with retiring German legend Toni Kroos another interesting tip.