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#3 Belgium
Belgium, when they get things right, are capable of winning Euro 2020. They haven’t won a trophy in their history, but they’ve been the #1 ranked side for a long time and have so many quality players from the top-five European leagues.
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Having represented the country across a handful of major tournaments, I can recall our squad being referred to as the golden generation at the time. For Belgium, though, this is their golden generation and their record under Martinez is a stirring example of why people are right to think so. They’ve only lost three competitive games under him over the years and that is a staggering record that shows how good they are.
The likes of Thibaut Courtois and Romelu Lukaku are coming on the back of outstanding seasons for their respective clubs, while Youri Tielemans has also enjoyed a lot of success with Leicester City in the Premier League.
Kevin De Bruyne had a bit of a stop-start season by his lofty standards, but he showed his quality against Denmark with a match-winning performance in the second half. Eden Hazard, who I hadn’t even mentioned, is a world-class footballer who is slowly returning to peak physical condition ahead of the knockout stages. He looks much more comfortable playing for Belgium than he has for Real Madrid over the past two seasons and will look to make a big impression in the games ahead.
I’ve seen a lot of people refer to the average age of the Belgium squad and say it could prove to be detrimental to their hopes of winning Euro 2020, but it’s important to understand that at a major tournament, you only have to be at your best for four to five weeks. The likes of Jan Vertonghen and Toby Alderweireld should get the job done at the back and they have the experience to do so for Belgium at Euro 2020.
They may not be the favorites, but their quality is apparent and their record under Martinez speaks for itself.
#2 Italy
You look at France’s squad and the success they’ve had over the years, but this youthful Italian side is a force to reckon with and have won ten games on the bounce without conceding a single goal. They’ve looked confident at Euro 2020 so far and haven’t even used the likes of Marco Verratti and Federico Chiesa to their full potential. The latter came on against Switzerland and made a massive impression, indicating that they have the strength in depth required to go all the way and win the tournament.
Under a manager like Roberto Mancini, they’ve found the right balance. You look at the squad and it’s a scary team, with Gianluigi Donnarumma between the sticks and the experience of Giorgio Chiellini and Leonardo Bonucci ahead of him. There is quality throughout the side and they even have players who can come off the bench to make significant contributions, as I mentioned with Chiesa earlier.
Mancini has tremendous experience as a manager and a player and that will be crucial to Italy’s hopes of winning Euro 2020. They are unbeaten in their last 29 matches and have recorded ten successive shut-outs, but Mancini will have to ask his team to play the game and not the occasion. If they continue performing well and winning games, the records will keep coming, there is no doubt about that.
There’s a lot of football to be played and a wonderful rollercoaster of emotions involved as games prepare to come thick and fast in the knockout stages. I don’t want to get drawn into the momentum argument, but Italy have every chance of going all the way to win Euro 2020.
#1 France
The reigning world champions France have lived up to their billing as the competition favorites. I look at their squad and think they have no glaring weaknesses, it’s phenomenal, really. They have so many world-class players and matchwinners across the pitch, this team is so, so good.
With N’Golo Kante in midfield, who is one of the favorites for the 2021 Ballon d’Or as things stand, they have an incredible player at the center of the park. He is coming on the back of an outstanding season with Chelsea and has already proved to be a force to be reckoned with. Paul Pogba, on the other hand, seems to enjoy his football a lot more with France than he does for Manchester United and ran the show against Germany with an outstanding display.
When you look at the attack, you’ve got Antoine Griezmann and Kylian Mbappe, who is undoubtedly one of the hottest properties in world football currently. Karim Benzema earning a recall to a side that won the World Cup three years ago is the icing on the cake, and they’ve even got the likes of Raphael Varane and Presnel Kimpembe at the back, who are fantastic players in their own right.
I look at Didier Deschamps’ squad and as an England fan, it bothers me a little bit. They have the tools to go all the way and it’s important to remember that this team reached the Euro 2016 final and won the FIFA World Cup in 2018. Spain’s golden generation won three major competitions between 2008 and 2012 and they did so by getting their hands on the European Championships 13 years ago.
For France, though, it could be the other way around. They won the World Cup three years ago and are favorites to win Euro 2020, and it’s hard to look past them when you think about the World Cup in Qatar next year. They are that good and have it in them to emulate Spain’s feat from nearly a decade ago.
