Who will win Euro 2024? GOAL writers have their say

Joe Strange: They might only be fourth-favourites with the bookies, but there’s just something about Portugal. Obviously, they’ve still got Cristiano Ronaldo, who simply refuses to retire from international football and looks like he could score 40-plus goals a season in Saudi Arabia into his sixties. But they also have a solid defence, supremely-talented midfielders and dangerous, more agile forwards to complement their age-defying No.7. Roberto Martinez couldn’t get Belgium’s Golden Generation over the line, but this could be different.

James Westwood: France have enough firepower to blow anyone away, and will be determined to bounce back from their painful World Cup final defeat to Argentina in 2022. Kylian Mbappe boasts an incredible record at major tournaments and Les Bleus can rely on him to spearhead their charge, but he will also benefit from a stellar supporting cast that includes the likes of Antoine Griezmann, Marcus Thuram and Kingsley Coman. The centre-back pairing of William Saliba and Ibrahima Konate also gives France the rock-solid base on which title-winning teams are traditionally built upon, and it would be a huge surprise if they don't at least make it all the way to the final.

Stephen Darwin: If not now, then when?! England have probably the best squad going into a tournament that they're ever likely to have, led by a manager who will surely have learnt a great deal from the painful nearly moments of the last few years. There will continue to be question marks about the defence and its ability to nullify the world's best forward players, but the Three Lions certainly shouldn't fear anyone. With the embarrassment of riches they have in attacking areas, it feels like it's now or never to bring an end to 58 years of hurt.

Matt O'Connor-Simpson: France should breeze through their group, provided they avoid disaster against the Netherlands, and if everything goes as expected, their first tough knockout clash will be with England in the semi-finals. That one is a coin toss, but France got the better of the Three Lions in Qatar, and many of Didier Deschamps’ charges know how to win a tournament. This experience will put them in a good place to triumph in the final, too.

Richard Martin: Forget the haters, Gareth Southgate has made England a force to be reckoned with and has got the whole country believing in the team again. He has an embarrassment of riches, especially in midfield and attack, with many players who were at the start of their careers when they got to the brink of glory at the last Euros now at their peak. Declan Rice is one of the best midfielders in the world, Phil Foden is the best player in the Premier League, Bukayo Saka is always a threat and Harry Kane has just had his most prolific season. England have a comfortable group which they should top and have world-class players to get them over the line in the crunch knockout games. Get the bunting ready, it's coming home at last.

Mark Doyle: France are obviously the team to beat at the Euros. They are as talented as they are resilient and, in Kylian Mbappe, boast the best player in the world. However, Germany have exposed a couple of chinks in their armour over the past year and there is a legitimate fear that being placed in one of the only two tough groups might take a toll on Didier Deschamps’ side. Portugal, by contrast, should coast into the last four and, in Ronaldo and Pepe, boast a couple of living legends who know how to win this tournament.

Amee Ruszkai: I cannot look pastFrance because I just don't know where their weaknesses are. Perhaps they lack a bit at right-back? But that's about it. Otherwise, this squad is absolutely stacked in all areas, there is so much star quality and a great mix of experienced heads alongside exciting up-and-comers. It's extremely well balanced and it is overseen by a coach, in Didier Deschamps, who knows what it takes to navigate these big tournaments. It'll take something remarkable to stop them.

Krishan Davis: There is something ominous, pre-tournament, about Portugal's pathway to the final. If Cristiano Ronaldo and Co top their group as expected, then they will have a favourable last-16 draw and would expect to best the Netherlands in the likely quarter-final. After that and having gathered some serious steam, you would fancy them against either Spain or Germany in the semis given their tournament know-how and alarming strength in depth. That would probably set up a final against France or England, a showdown in which Portugal - with a squad chock-full of serial winners and experienced campaigners - might well have a psychological edge, while their mastery of the dark arts could also give them an advantage in a similar vein to Argentina at the World Cup.

Tom Maston: Six months ago, picking Germany to win Euro 2024 would have felt like a fool's errand. The hosts endured a miserable 2023 after their embarrassing World Cup the previous year and looked well short of challenging on home soil. Julian Nagelsmann, however, looks to have unlocked something in the three-time winners, and after beating France in March, will feel they can go all the way. Aside from possibly England, no team has more in-form, top-class players available to them at the tournament, and if they pick up some momentum, Germany will take some stopping.