Euro 2024: In-depth England Team Guide

Another summer, another four weeks of unbridled excitement, untenable expectations and, potentially, crushing disappointment. England fans know the drill. But is this the year it changes?

Below, we examine their chances, break down the fixtures and where you can watch them, lay out the probable starting XI and pick some attractive odds for England bettors hoping to make the most of cheering on the Three Lions.

England Euro 2024 Odds and Expectations

A best-ever showing at the Euros in 2021 — coupled with a blossoming of forward talent in Phil Foden, Jude Bellingham, Cole Palmer and Bukayo Saka, to name a few — means expectations are sky-high for these perennial underachievers.

However, they haven’t had the best build-up. A pre-tournament friendly defeat to Iceland means England have won just once in their previous five matches.

Despite the run of disappointing results, there’s a feeling England will step it up in the tournament. They are 7/2 favourites to win it all with BetMGM and odds-on at 2/5 to finish top of the group.

For the naysayers, doom-mongers and pessimists, England are a good price to not advance to the knockout stage at all. They are, for instance, a massive 25/1 to finish bottom of the group in what would be a shock of France 2002 proportions.

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For those who reckon it will be another ‘almost’ summer, the Three Lions are 5/1 to repeat their best-ever European Championships showing from 2021 and finish runners-up.

Most fans agree that a run to the final four represents the minimum expectation for this crop of England players — an elimination at that stage is 10/3 with BetMGM.

Players to Watch

We know England have a wealth of attacking talents but there is a perceived weakness at the back. We have earmarked some key defensive players alongside the leading light on who the hopes of success may rest.

Jordan Pickford

This man is like marmite. Some love him, some seem to hate him but, when he plays for England, he always seems to butter the bread.

A reliable shot-stopper and a prolific penalty-saver for the Three Lions, Pickford has 29 clean sheets in 61 caps. That’s some way off Peter Shilton’s national record of 66 shutouts but there is no reason to think he won’t remain a permanent fixture over the coming years.

At Euro 2020 he kept five clean sheets with a save percentage of 88.9% and has a direct range of passing that suits England’s fast and incisive attacking play.

He will need to be at the top of his game if the Three Lions are to navigate the latter stages of the tournament — but he often is with the national side.

John Stones

Pep Guardiola once exclaimed that Stones has “big balls”, referring to the defender’s composure and ability to beat the press.

That bravery will be needed in spades should the Three Lions make a deep run. While he and Kyle Walker make up an experienced and treble-winning right side of the defence, the likely pairing of Marc Guéhi and Kieran Trippier on the left doesn’t inspire quite as much confidence.

Stones is in the top 2% of centre-backs for progressive passes received and the top five for progressive carries across the 2023-24 season. He will have to lead from the back with the same conviction and temperament to help give England the control they need.

Jude Bellingham

The final England player to watch is the young man with the world at his feet.

Bellingham, the Champions League-winning wonderkid, is in the running to win the Ballon d’Or and would surely put himself at the front of the pack if he helps his country to a Euro 2024 triumph.

He registered 25 goals and assists in his debut season in La Liga, where he often operated as a false nine. For England, he is expected to drop deeper, potentially in a midfield three with Rice and either Kobbie Mainoo, Conor Gallagher or Phil Foden.

Still, don’t be surprised if you see Bellingham arriving into the area — a la Frank Lampard — to apply his deft finishing touch.

Declan Rice

A driving force behind the Gunners’ best points return in a season (89) since the Invincibles year in 2003-04 (90), Rice has taken to life at the Emirates like a duck to water since his £90 million move from West Ham to Arsenal.

Despite his defensive prowess — his strength and power makes him ideal as one of the expected double pivots for Southgate — he managed to register 15 goals and assists in the Premier League last season, trebling his previous best record at the Hammers.

Rice, Harry Kane and Bellingham are viewed as the main players if England are to go well at Euro 2024. Can he help lead his team to international glory?

England Group C Opponents in Focus

England have a relatively straightforward group but, as they say, there is no easy game in international football and complacency is a killer. Let’s take a closer look at the teams they will be going up against.

Slovenia

Slovenia are in their first European Championship tournament since 2000. Previously competing as part of Yugoslavia until 1992, they made their first finals at the turn of the millennium but couldn’t find a win.

More than 20 years later, they have made their return after winning seven of their 10 games in qualifying to finish second behind Denmark, who they also face in Group C this summer.

Benjamin Sesko is the nation’s great hope. The RB Leipzig forward has been linked with the likes of Arsenal and Manchester United this summer after a breakthrough Bundesliga campaign in which he scored 14 goals in 17 starts as RB Leipzig finished fourth to return to the Champions League.

In goal, they have the ever-dependable Jan Oblak, who captains the team and is widely considered one of the best stoppers in the world.

Given their impressive qualifying campaign and four third-place teams making it to the knockout rounds, 5/2 for Slovenia to qualify from section could represent some value.

Denmark

The Danes are definitely the chief threat to England’s hopes of topping the group. England’s semi-final opponents from Euro 2020 will be out for vengeance after a painful defeat to the Three Lions as a result of a somewhat controversial extra-time penalty (Harry Kane missed the spot kick but tapped in the rebound).

They topped the group in qualifying by virtue of having a better head-to-head record than Slovenia. It’s the 10th appearance at the tournament for the 1992 champions and they have some interesting players — not least Manchester United striker Rasmus Højlund.

Pacey, powerful and with an eye for a goal, Højlund had an injury-ridden first season in the Premier League but still impressed supporters enough to get fans excited with 12 goals and assists in 25 starts for the Red Devils.

If you fancy Højlund to have a prolific tournament, you can back him at 40/1 to finish Euro 2024 as top goalscorer.

Serbia

Serbia overcame an admittedly gentle qualifying group, finishing runners-up behind Hungary and ahead of Montenegro, but they have some formidable players nonetheless.

Dusan Tadic and Dusan Vlahovic are two recognisable names. The former was a fixture of some great Ajax teams of recent years, while great hopes remain around Juventus striker Vlahovic, who scored the winning goal for the Old Lady in his team’s Coppa Italia final win over Atalanta.

With Vlahovic, you can expect to face some shots on goal. He averaged almost four shots per 90 minutes in Serie A in the season just finished, the second-most in the division (minimum 900 minutes played).

He could be the key if Serbia are to advance. You can back them at odds of 23/20 to qualify.

Probable England Starting Line-up

Gareth Southgate made some big calls in the build up to the tournament such as omitting Jack Grealish and James Maddison, while also leaving a struggling Harry Maguire at home to recuperate.

There are lots of question marks around defence. Who will partner Stones at centre-back? Can Luke Shaw play a meaningful part after missing most of the campaign through injury? Does the right-footed Kieran Trippier imbalance the left side when deputising for Shaw at left-back?

Then there is the midfield conundrum. How do you get the best out of Foden? Is it Gallagher or Mainoo who partners Rice in midfield?

We think it’s likely Southgate will go for the 4-3-3 formation, with Rice lining up alongside the assured and composed Mainoo. Foden was subpar when used in the central position behind the striker in the pre-season friendly against Iceland and as such he is likely to be used out wide, with Saka occupying the right side and the main man, talisman and captain, Kane, up front.

England Euro 2024 Squad in Full

Southgate has named his final 26-man squad for Euro 2024. The squad is in full here:

Goalkeepers: Dean Henderson (Crystal Palace), Jordan Pickford (Everton), Aaron Ramsdale (Arsenal)

Defenders: Lewis Dunk (Brighton), Joe Gomez (Liverpool), Marc Guehi (Crystal Palace), Ezri Konsa (Aston Villa), Luke Shaw (Manchester United), John Stones (Manchester City), Kieran Trippier (Newcastle United), Kyle Walker (Manchester City)

Midfielders: Trent Alexander-Arnold (Liverpool), Jude Bellingham (Real Madrid), Conor Gallagher (Chelsea), Kobbie Mainoo (Manchester United), Declan Rice (Arsenal), Adam Wharton (Crystal Palace)

Forwards: Jarrod Bowen (West Ham United), Eberechi Eze (Crystal Palace), Phil Foden (Manchester City), Anthony Gordon (Newcastle United), Harry Kane (Bayern Munich), Cole Palmer (Chelsea), Bukayo Saka (Arsenal), Ivan Toney (Brentford), Ollie Watkins (Aston Villa)

England Euro 2024 Fixtures

England’s Group C schedule and where to watch is as follows:

England vs Serbia: 16th June (BBC, 20:00)
England vs Denmark: 20th June (BBC, 17:00)
England vs Slovenia: 25th June (ITV, 20:00)

Odds and player information correct at time of publication but subject to change