Euro 2024 is all set to kick off on 14 June 2024 in Germany. The hosts will play the tournament’s first game against Scotland in Munich.
A total of 24 nations will take part in the event. The teams will be divided into six groups of four with the top two teams from each group qualifying for the Round of 16. They will be joined by four best third-place teams. The final will be played on July 14 inside Olympiastadion in Berlin.
England and France have been tipped as the favorites by the bookmakers to win the Euros with Spain, Italy, Portugal, and hosts Germany among other favorites. Before the event kicks off, let’s find out which team won the Euros last time out.
Who won Euro 2020?
Italy enter the Euro 2024 as the defending champions having won the Euro 2020 (played in 2021 due to Covid). They defeated England in the final on penalties at the Wembley Stadium. This was their first European Championship triumph since 1968 when they defeated Yugoslavia in the final.
Coming into the tournament, they were far from favorites having failed to qualify for the 2018 FIFA World Cup in Russia. However, they made their intentions clear as they swept Group A with three wins out of three.
Azzurri then beat Austria in Round of 16 and favorites Belgium in the quarter-final. In the semi-final, they overcame Spain on penalties before defeating England in their own backyard in the final to lift their second Euro title.
Italy’s Group, Fixtures, Squad at Euro 2024
Italy have been drawn in the group of death for this year’s Euros alongside Spain, Croatia, and Albania in Group B.
Italy will play their first match on 15 June against Albania at BVB Stadion, Dortmund. Their second game will be against Spain in Arena AufSchalke, Gelsenkirchen on 20 June, and will play Croatia in their final group game in Leipzig Stadium, Leipzig on 24 June.
Italy’s 30-man preliminary squad:
Goalkeepers: Gianluigi Donnarumma (PSG), Alex Meret (Napoli), Ivan Provedel (Lazio), Guglielmo Vicario (Tottenham).
Defenders: Francesco Acerbi (Inter), Alessandro Bastoni (Inter), Raoul Bellanova (Torino), Alessandro Buongiorno (Torino), Riccardo Calafiori (Bologna), Andrea Cambiaso (Juventus), Matteo Darmian (Inter), Giovanni Di Lorenzo (Napoli), Federico Dimarco (Inter), Gianluca Mancini (Roma), Giorgio Scalvini (Atalanta).
Midfielders: Nicolò Barella (Inter), Bryan Cristante (Roma), Nicolò Fagioli (Juventus), Michael Folorunsho (Hellas Verona), Davide Frattesi (Inter), Jorginho (Arsenal), Lorenzo Pellegrini (Roma), Samuele Ricci (Torino).
Forwards: Federico Chiesa (Juventus), Stephan El Shaarawy (Roma), Riccardo Orsolini (Bologna), Giacomo Raspadori (Napoli), Mateo Retegui (Genoa), Gianluca Scamacca (Atalanta), Mattia Zaccagni (Lazio).
Mohd Faisal Hakak is a sports author from Kashmir. He likes to keep tabs on the sporting world with a keen interest in football, motorsports, NBA, and other marquee sports. He is a science graduate from Islamia College Srinagar.
