Euro 2024 continues to move at breakneck speed with three teams already through to the knockout stage after the first two rounds of group games. Spain and Portugal know they will top their groups while Germany, the other side with maximum points to their name, are guaranteed a top-two berth. Despite some surprise results and disappointing performances, most of the other leading contenders -- England, France, the Netherlands -- seem bound to join them. But who are the favorites to win it all in Berlin next month? Let our power rankings guide you.
| Rank | Change | Team | Euro 2024 prospects |
|---|---|---|---|
1 | -- | France | It might still be a bit too stodgy in attack, especially when Kylian Mbappe is on the sidelines, but no matter how tedious it is to keep hammering this point home, France win tournaments playing like this. Anyway, more chances could have been converted in the draw with the Dutch had Antoine Griezmann not had that most curious of things, a lackluster finishing night in a France shirt. |
2 | -- | Germany | Putting up gaudy possession numbers -- through their first two games they have had 70.5% of the ball -- Germany seem utterly at ease with the stakes on them as home nation. Indeed they seem to be forging diamonds under the pressure, not just the big names like Jamal Musiala but Maximilian Mittelstadt and Robert Andrich. |
3 | +1 | Spain | It might be argued that no one has had a tougher early fixture list than Spain, who have brushed past both Croatia and Italy while putting up a competition leading four non-penalty expected goals (npxG). More significantly, a defense that looked a little vulnerable going into this tournament has only given up 1.5 npxG, rather impressive given they are not dominating possession in the way they once did. |
4 | +1 | Portugal | Through to the last 16 in robust fashion, Portugal remain Euro 2024's most enigmatic contender. Rafael Leao has garnered more attention for his dives than his wing play while 41-year-old Pepe was too much busy against Turkiye for a man roughly equidistant to the start and end of one's working life. |
5 | -2 | England | England have had plenty of other drab draws in group stages of major tournaments but rarely in Gareth Southgate's tenure have they looked so far from a basic formula. The quick fix is there -- play some players whose first instinct is to move into space rather than towards the ball -- but England really are going to limit their tournament possibilities if they insist on clinging on for grim death every time they score a goal. |
6 | -1 | Netherlands | The chief culprits in the crime against Friday nights that was their 0-0 draw, Ronald Koeman's side are another theoretical contender who look a little less than the sum of their parts. Surely there is more the Dutch can do against top-tier opponents then try to nick a goal on the counter in the 70 minutes before they hit the big orange button marked Wout Weghorst? |
7 | +1 | Switzerland | You don't love them. You don't have much to say about them. But by god you respect them. Switzerland, we'll see you in the last 16. |
8 | +1 | Belgium | If Romelu Lukaku were not trapped in a waking nightmare then Belgium might find themselves being talked up as challengers to win it all in Germany. The chances are coming and their star striker can only be offside for so many of them. |
9 | -2 | Italy | Perhaps the difference between Italy and the team who sit directly above them is that we have seen how the former fare against one of the best of the best. Luciano Spalletti's side looked to have some of the right ideas but struggled to put them into practice against an opponent that was simply superior to them in every key facet. |
10 | -- | Austria | At last, a dark horse at a Euros that doesn't fall at the first hurdle. Indeed, it is easy to see Ralf Rangnick's side building real momentum if they overcome the Dutch in the final round of group games. All this without the greatest Austrian footballer in a generation. David Alaba, you're on Ewing Theory watch. |
11 | -- | Denmark | Not quite the force of three years ago, Denmark certainly showed an energy off the ball to discombobulate England. The industry and incision of Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg on the international stage is an ongoing revelation and there is plenty of quality to surround him in the engine room. With second the likely limit of their ambitions, it may be that they don't quite have enough to overcome Germany. |
| 12 | +1 | Turkiye | Rising because Czechia and Georgia delivered the result Vincenzo Montella needed earlier on Saturday, Turkiye never really got to show what they could be after a couple of sloppy moments early on gave Portugal the win in Dortmund. |
13 | +8 | Ukraine | There is still a huge amount of work for Ukraine to do against Belgium and they may yet pay the price for that heavy defeat to Romania. Less likely to qualify from Group E, with Georgiy Sudakov and an intriguing Mykhailo Mudryk in their lineup, they might make more impact than Romania and Slovakia if they get out. |
14 | -2 | Croatia | It really is not looking very good from the 2018 World Cup finalists, who seemed to have the energy only to rouse themselves in patches to earn a draw with Albania. Their fate remains within their hands and Monday's meeting with Italy could be the most joyously chaotic match of the group stages. Still, it is not one you would make them favorites to win. |
15 | +1 | Romania | The current leaders in the absorbing Group E, Romania showed enough in pursuit of parity against Belgium to make them slight favorites to edge Slovakia in their decisive meeting in Frankfurt. Radu Dragusin might have done more good for his standing than any Premier League player at this tournament. |
16 | -2 | Slovakia | Repeat their first half against Ukraine in their Romania clash and Francesco Calzona's side should be toasting a last 16 berth. Ivan Schranz's first two goals in a year have been the missing ingredient for a Slovakia squad that looked strong in defense and midfield coming into the tournament. |
17 | +1 | Czechia | A dominant attacking display against Georgia nearly went disastrously wrong in the last few minutes; what should be viewed as two dropped points now means Czechia are going to have to win against Turkey. Exploit their size at set pieces and they might be able to do just that. |
18 | -3 | Serbia | For a side that came into the tournament with a reputation for formidable, front-footed attacking, Serbia have been a deep disappointment. Having spent most of this tournament in catch up mode, they have registered just 1.8 npxG, a tally almost as underwhelming as the British teams. It will take something much better for them to beat Denmark. |
19 | -2 | Slovenia | Their tournament so far has been personified by their bright young striker Benjamin Sesko, who seems to have a burgeoning ability to fiercely smash shots just off the target. Slovenia look like a team who aren't that far from doing something on this stage but who might not quite have what is needed to beat an England. |
20 | +4 | Scotland | Much improved in drawing with Switzerland, Scotland's fear will be how much Kieran Tierney's absence dents the left-hand side that was their great strength in getting to Euro 2024. Beat Hungary and they are almost certainly through but that will be a hard ask given their patched-up defense. |
21 | +1 | Albania | Given that no one in Euro 2024 had a harder draw, Sylvinho's side deserve to be garlanded with praise for keeping themselves in the mix with a game to go. Veteran Atalanta defender Berat Djmisiti has set the tone for a forceful, organized approach to the tournament so far. |
22 | -2 | Hungary | With their tournament nearly over, it has been hard to get a grasp on how effective Hungary can be. A disastrous start against Switzerland has largely negated the promise they showed in defeat to Germany in matchday two. With a heavy goal difference deficit, they don't need to just beat Scotland but do so in style if they are to claim one of the four spots for the best-performing third-placed sides. |
23 | -- | Georgia | Giorgi Mamardashvili -- player of the tournament? But for the excellence of the Valencia goalkeeper, Georgia would have been on the end of a battering by Czechia and might have lost even more heavily to Turkey. Fun and fearless though this team may have been, one suspects their first international tournament will come to an abrupt end at Portugal's hands. |
24 | -5 | Poland | The first team eliminated from Euro 2024, it would be harsh to say that Poland have been the worst team in the competition, they have simply had the misfortune of results falling against their favor. Had Robert Lewandowski been fit enough to start he might have delivered the X factor to beat Austria. We shall never know. |
