UEFA Euro 2024: Everything from teams, schedules, groups and key players.

 UEFA Euro 2024: Everything from teams, schedules, groups and key players

England has been matched up against Serbia, Slovenia, and Denmark in Group C. Scotland has been pitted against Germany, Switzerland, and Hungary. There's a possibility for Wales to end up in Group D. The opening match of the upcoming summer's tournament is scheduled for June 14 in Munich, with the final set to be held in Berlin on July 14.

Here is what you need to know about the summer Euro 2024 tournament

The countries qualified for the tournament:

Teams from left to right: First row; Albania, Austria, Belgium, Croatia, Czech Republic, Denmark

Second row; England, France, Germany, Hungary, Italy, Netherlands

Third row; Portugal, Romania, Scotland, Serbia, Slovakia, Slovenia

Fourth row; Spain, Switzerland, Turkey

3 teams are still to be determined from the playoffs on March 21, 2024 and March 24, 2024. 

These 12 teams will compete for the 3 remaining spots in the playoffs; Wales, Finland, Poland, Estonia, Iceland, Israel, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Ukraine, Georgia, Luxembourg, Kazakhstan, and Greece. 

The Euro 2024 groups:

Key players to note for every country:

Group A

Germany: Leroy Sane

Sane's 2023-2024 season for Bayern has been nothing but amazing. Scoring 8 goals and bagging 11 assists for Bayern, the 28-year-old is definitely hungry for more goals for the tournament. Up until now, Sane has made 59 appearances for his country and scored 13 goals in those games. His quick pace and creativity on the pitch will be Germany's greatest asset and their opponents' biggest threat.

Scotland: Scott McTominay

The 27-year-old midfielder from Manchester United has had a wonderful run for the qualifier. Playing in 8 matches and scoring 7 goals, bringing them into the top spot for Steve Clarke's side, Scott is definitely the one to watch for the group stages. With Scott's experience and knowledge on the pitch, he constantly scans his surroundings before receiving possession to make better plays. He will definitely be Scotland's key player for a successful run this Euro 2024.

Hungary: Dominik Szoboszlai

5 years since his senior debut for Hungary, Dominik Szoboszlai will be playing in his second Euro and is set to make an impact for his country. Having a 9-goal contribution in 8 matches, the Hungarian midfielder from Liverpool is looking to dominate the pitch with both his goal-scoring abilities and accurate passing. 

Switzerland: Manuel Akanji

A rock at the back, the 28-year-old center-back is a key player in his club's success at Manchester City. Still in his 20s, the Swiss has played in 3 major international tournaments. Akanji is a beast for both his club and country, making crucial defensive plays and maintaining possession. His stats in the past 10 matches played have shown why he is Switzerland's key player. By having a 94.3% passing accuracy and even scoring a goal, there is no doubt that Akanji will start in the games.

Group B

Spain: Rodri 

The midfield maestro for Manchester City, it is no wonder that Pep Guardiola starts him in the center of the pitch. 27-year-old Rodri may not be scoring goals and providing assists but he is doing all the dirty work for his team. Winning tackles, making clearances, having an insane 94.58% passing accuracy for Spain, and being one of the hardest-working players for his team. It would be insane for Spain to not put him in their starting 11.

Croatia: Luka Modric

The captain of Croatia, Luka Modric is the midfield maestro for his club and country. Always giving his all for his team, this may be his last Euro before he retires from international football. Modric has had a decorated career, winning the Champions League with Real Madrid and coming in second and third for the World Cup in 2018 and 2022 respectively. Modric is definitely brimming with class and experience that is crucial for Croatia's run this Euro 2024.

Italy: Nicolo Barella

A complete midfielder for Italy, 27-year-old Nicolo Barella will feature in his second Euro this coming summer as he was in the side that won the previous Euro in 2020. Throughout his 7 matches for the qualifier, he has made 4 assists allowing his team to secure 2nd place in the qualifying rounds just behind England. He will be Italy's key to winning back-to-back Euros with his excellent passing and possessive dribbling. 

Albania: Jasir Asani

As a forward for Albania's national team, Asani has participated in 8 matches, accumulating a total of 568 minutes on the field, averaging 71 minutes per match. He has scored 3 goals and provided 2 assists, showcasing his offensive prowess. Asani has made 10 attempts on goal with a passing accuracy of 80.88%. Asani's contributions have been significant, demonstrating his impact as a key player for Albania during the European Qualifiers. We hope to see more of Asani's brilliant attacking plays this Euro 2024.

Group C

Slovenia: Jan Oblak

Being the second-oldest player at 31 in Slovenia's lineup, Jan Oblak will be playing in his first-ever major international tournament and he has a lot to prove on the stage. Having 4 clean sheets in his last 8 appearances for Slovenia, Oblak is a wall in the goal for his country as has made 21 saves for his team. He will be making many more fantastic saves for Slovenia for sure this Euro 2024.

Denmark: Andreas Christensen

Playing for FC Barcelona, Danish defender Andreas Christensen has been playing with great impact for the club. He is able to solidify his spot in the Catalan club making him a crucial player in their defense. Sitting in the heart of the defense, Christensen is well-known for his accurate passes, with a 94.43% passing accuracy in his last 7 matches for Denmark. He is also great in the air, standing at 1.88m tall, he will dominate in headers against his opposition. Making him an important asset for Denmark.

Serbia: Dusan Vlahovic

Although he is not the leading goal-scorer for Serbia, Dusan Vlahovic has performed tremendously for Serbia, as he has scored 3 goals in only 5 matches in which he played an average of only 48 minutes per match. We are hoping that Dragan Stojković can start Vlahovic in more games for the Euro 2024 matches seeing his recent performance has brought Serbia some important goals. 

England: Harry Kane

The English striker has been scoring goals like crazy in the Bundesliga for his club Bayern Munich. Scoring 36 goals in 34 matches and also providing 11 assists. It is without a doubt that Southgate will start Kane in the front lines for the Euro 2024. With that said, he has had an amazing run in the qualifiers raking in 8 goals and 2 assists in only 8 matches played, coming in fourth behind the likes of Ronaldo and Lukaku. 

Group D

Netherlands: Virgil Van Dijk

As the captain for Liverpool, Virgil Van Dijk has proved time and time again why he is arguably the best defender for the Premier League. He has won many trophies (Champions League, Premier League, and FIFA Club World Cup) with Liverpool under his leadership and defensive qualities. Virgil exemplified his strong defensive presence in his last 8 games for the Dutch side, making 4 tackles and even managing to score 1 goal. We are expected to see many defensive highlights from him.

Austria: Marcel Sabitzer

It is without a doubt that Marcel Sabitzer would be the key player for Austria. Despite being a midfielder, Sabitzer has scored 4 goals and made 2 assists giving him 6 goal contributions in only 7 qualifier matches played. He is currently Austria's top goal scorer and contributor making him an important player for the team. We are hoping to see more of him in action for Austria this Euro 2024 as he has only played an average of 46 minutes per match in the qualifiers.

France: Kylian Mbappe

At only 25 years of age, Kylian Mbappe has scored a lot of goals and won major trophies for both club and country. Mbappe has set a record of being the second person to score a hat-trick in the World Cup final. With all these extraordinary stats under his belt, he is under a lot of pressure to prove to the world and himself that he is here for more after a heartbreaking defeat to Argentina in the 2022 World Cup Final. Scoring 8 goals in the last 9 qualifier matches he has played, it is safe to say that the French attacking responsibilities are in safe hands. 

Group E

Belgium: Kevin De Bruyne

Playing as an attacking midfielder, Kevin De Bruyne is Pep Guardiola's secret ingredient for success at Manchester City. Making plays, dribbling past defenders, crossing, assisting, and even scoring goals, what more can't the Belgian do? De Bruyne has scored 1 goal and made 5 assists in the last 9 matches for The Cityzens. When he is not scoring goals or assisting, we can expect some majestic passes and through balls for building up play. Arguably one of the best players in the Premier League, there is no doubt that De Bruyne will play a huge role in Belgium's success this Euro 2024. 

Slovakia: Milan Škriniar

Slovakia's spotlight player has to be their captain, Milan Škriniar. He and his fellow center-back Dávid Hancko were rock solid at the back. Both of them were able to help Slovakia climb to second place in their qualifier group with their chemistry. Škriniar played the full 90 minutes in all of the qualifying matches and kept 5 clean sheets out of 8 matches for his country. He is a reliable workhorse for Slovakia, proving his worth as both captain and player for the team. 

Romania: Radu Drăgușin 

22-year-old defender Radu Drăgușin is an extremely talented center-back for Romania. Playing in all 10 qualifying matches, Drăgușin and his team were able to keep 6 clean sheets in 10 games. Only conceding 5 goals in 10 matches, there is no question that Romania's defense is something to not be taken lightly. Solidifying his position for Romania in the heart of the defense, Drăgușin put up some impressive numbers with 11 successful tackles made and a passing accuracy of 82.2%. 

Group F    

Turkey: Hakan Çalhanoglu

Despite not having scored a goal or making an assist yet for Turkey in the qualifying matches, Çalhanoglu's midfield presence is crucial for Inter Milan's recent success as they lead the Serie A with 24 wins. It is without a doubt that in time Çalhanoglu will be able to find his first goal or assist for Turkey. Having scored 9 goals and 3 assists in 25 appearances in the Serie A, he is expected to get back on the scoring sheet for Turkey.

Portugal: Cristiano Ronaldo

Portugal has been in tremendous form, having won all 10 matches and only conceded 2 goals in all 10 games. But it is without a doubt that their top goal scorer in the team, Cristiano Ronaldo was their main man. Scoring 10 goals in only 9 games played, he is currently sitting at 2nd in the list of top goal scorers for the Euro 2024 qualifiers behind Romelu Lukaku at 14 goals. We will definitely see Ronaldo back on form as this would probably be his last Euro before retiring.

Czechia: Tomáš Souček

West Ham's midfielder Tomáš Souček has been on great form recently for the club, stepping up in the middle of the pitch after Declan Rice's departure. As the captain for Czech Republic, Souček has played in 8 matches even scoring 3 goals and providing 1 assist. A reliable midfield that is capable of scoring goals and providing assists, he is definitely going to pull the strings for Czechia in the group stages.    

Playoff winners:

Poland: Robert Lewandowski

Currently sitting at 3 goals in 8 matches played, Lewandowski is Poland's top scorer despite winning only 4 out of 10 games. Despite being the oldest striker in Poland's side at 35, Lewandowski is still a sharpshooter for his national team and club. With 21 goal contributions for Barcelona in 28 matches this 23/24 LaLiga season, we are expected to see him score in the Euro 2024 tournament. 

Ukraine: Viktor Tsygankov

Ukrainian midfielder, Viktor Tsygankov has been a joy to watch this season. Performing well for his club in Girona alongside national and club teammate, Artem Dovbyk, Viktor and Atrem both have 19-goal contributions for their club, and Viktor himself has scored 3 goals in 7 matches for the qualifiers. Ukraine has a high expectation for Viktor to perform in the tournament to help them pull through.  

Georgia: Khvicha Kvaratskhelia

Making their first-ever debut in the Euros, Georgia has got their winger to thank as Kvaratskhelia made a significant impact for his country. Scoring 4 goals and making 1 assist in 9 games, the Georgian striker from Napoli is going to set the stage on fire with his explosive runs and creative plays. Being the standout player for Georgia, he will be the one to watch for the group stage.

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