What are the EURO 2024 groups, who will play in which preliminary round group at EURO 2024?
The group stage of EURO 2024 is of great importance, as it will decide who advances to the knockout round and has a chance of winning the European Championship title. What’s more, the preliminary round of the EURO 2024 fixture list is the tournament phase with the most matches – 36 out of a total of 51.
So here is a complete overview of the EURO 2024 groups from A to F.
EM 2024 groups: Teams & Match schedule Group A
Group A features hosts Germany, Scotland, Hungary and Switzerland.
According to the Euro 2024 group predictions and betting odds, the German team is the big favorite here. Switzerland is seen as second, ahead of Scotland and Hungary.
However, the Scots and Hungarians have shown in the European Championship qualifiers that they can cope very well with the underdog role and can spring a surprise or two.
Germany are not expected to make it out of the preliminary round despite their disappointing performances in recent years, including a preliminary round exit at the 2022 World Cup. But: European Championship hosts have failed in the group stage five times – Belgium in 2000, Switzerland and Austria in 2008 and Poland and Ukraine in 2012.
EM 2024 groups: Teams & Match schedule Group B
Group B is probably the toughest of the six EURO 2024 groups. The usual term “hammer group” or “group of death” would be more than accurate here.
With Spain (2023 Nations League winners), Italy (defending champions) and Croatia (2022 World Cup bronze medallists), there are not only three EURO 2024 favourites in this preliminary round group, but also the number 8, 9 and 10 teams in the FIFA world rankings.
Some European Championship group predictions show that a title contender could be eliminated in the preliminary round.
And then there is Albania. The team from the Balkans may only be regarded as a blatant outsider here, but: Albania secured their ticket to the European Championship as group winners in the European Championship qualifiers
EM 2024 groups: Teams & Match schedule Group C
England are the clear favorites in the third of the six Euro 2024 groups. This is evidenced by the squad market value alone, which is probably the highest of all EURO 2024 participants.
However, the Three Lions face a tough opponent in Denmark on their way to their goal of finishing first in Group C.
The Danes reached the semi-finals of the EURO 2021 after all. Even though the 2022 World Cup was disappointing, Team Denmark could well be a force to be reckoned with again.
Serbia and Slovenia are also in with a good chance of reaching the round of 16 at EURO 2024
EM 2024 groups: Teams & Match schedule Group D
Group D features France, the team ranked second behind Argentina in the FIFA world rankings and therefore Europe’s number one team at EURO 2024.
This role as favorites for the Equipe Tricolore is also reflected in the EURO 2024 group forecasts and predictions: France is expected to win the group.
The team around superstar Kylian Mbappe, who is also the big favorite in the betting odds for the top scorer at the European Championship, is to be placed above the other three teams
However, there is a strong competitor in the Netherlands – at least nominally. The Oranje have struggled in the European Championship qualifiers and were also eliminated early at the last tournaments (World Cup 2022: quarter-finals, European Championship 2021: round of 16).
Austria is a team that some experts consider to be a small insider tip for this EURO. Whether this proves to be the case will only become clear as the preliminary round progresses.
The fourth team from the play-offs is Poland. Are the Poles, with their super-scorer Robert Lewandowski, a contender for the round of 16?
EM 2024 groups: Teams & Match schedule Group E
Group E of the Euro 2024 groups is considered by many soccer fans to be the least attractive of these preliminary rounds.
The Euro group prediction is pretty clear here: Belgium are the top favorites for first place. The two other teams that have already been decided are Romania and Slovakia. While the Romanians have secured their ticket to the European Championship as group winners, the Slovaks finished second in their relatively easy qualifying group.
The fourth team in Group E is Ukraine, the winner of play-off path B. In terms of quality, Ukraine is ranked above Romania and Slovakia.
However, the Romanians and the Slovakians have shown in the European Championship qualifiers that they can take on better teams – otherwise they would not have qualified directly for this EURO 2024.
There should therefore be an exciting three-way battle for second place behind group favorites Belgium – and thus for the second fixed place in this group for the knockout round.
EM 2024 groups: Teams & Match schedule Group F
Group F, the last of the six EURO 2024 groups, features Turkey and the Czech Republic alongside EURO co-favorites Portugal.
While the Portuguese, led by former champion Cristiano Ronaldo, played a flawless European Championship qualifying campaign (10 games, 10 wins, 36:2 goals), the Turks also came top of their group (ahead of Croatia).
The Czech Republic finished second behind Albania. Accordingly, the Czechs are also expected to finish behind Portugal and Turkey in the Euro 2024 group predictions and betting odds.
The fourth team in this preliminary round group is European Championship debutant Georgia and is most likely only a blatant outsider
