NFL
By: Ty Reeves
The world of football has all but made a full recovery after the Coronavirus outbreak took the world by storm. We missed out on the UEFA European Championship in 2020. But after a long wait, the EURO 2021 tournament is just six days away.
The tournament will be a month-long and feature some of the best players from around Europe. It will showcase the best football the world has to offer. It will allow players and fans to celebrate the sport they love and cherish. Let’s take a closer look at the tournament, analyzing who are the title contenders to watch.[pickup_prop id=”6077″]
Title Contenders:
France (#2 in FIFA World Rankings)
The defending World Cup Champions will be out for blood and silverware in the tournament. France arguably had the most talented team in the 2018 World Cup, and they arguably are still the most talented team heading into the EURO Tournament. They will definitely have something to prove following their extra-time loss to Portugal in the 2016 final.
The France squad alone features some of the brightest stars the game has to offer. Hugo Lloris will more than likely captain the squad throughout the tournament and be the first-choice goalkeeper for Didier Deschamps. The defense will look different than the side that won the World Cup in 2018. Defender Samuel Umtiti has not been included in the squad and neither Raphael Varane and Clement Lenglet had the best seasons during the La Liga campaign.
Moving into the midfield, Paul Pogba, Moussa Sissoko, and Corentin Tolisso all maintain their spots on the France roster. And let’s not forget N’Golo Kante who just won the Champions League with Chelsea and is a front runner in this year’s Ballon D’or race. With all the talent in the squad, some notable players have been left off the roster. Tottenham’s Tanguy Ndombele was one of those players, as well as Arsenals Alexandre Lacazette.
To lead the line for France will feature no other than PSG’s Kylian Mbappe, one of the most prominent up-and-coming players in the game. Real Madrid striker Karim Benzema has also been called up to the team for the first time following a six-year absence from the squad. World Cup winners Antoine Griezmann, Olivier Giroud, Ousmane Dembele, and Kingsley Coman, all feature in the 2021 Euro squad for France.
Looks like France are happy to have Karim Benzema back 🤗 (🎥 @equipedefrance) pic.twitter.com/Kcq0KVYJCo
— B/R Football (@brfootball) June 5, 2021
This team on paper is better than most of the top clubs across Europe. It’s hard to bet against the defending champions of the World.
Belgium (#1 in FIFA World Rankings)
The team that was considered the “Golden Boys” going into the 2018 World Cup has regained their ranking as the Number 1 international team in the world according to FIFA. In the past world cup, Belgium fell short of glory, losing to eventual champions France in the semi-final of the tournament. However, the past is the past as Belgium looks to take home the title of Champions of Europe.
The gates are open. 🔥🇧🇪 #DEVILTIME #EURO2020 pic.twitter.com/Mwsc8vPNbi
— Belgian Red Devils (@BelRedDevils) May 31, 2021
Similar to France, Belgium is arguably the most talented team from the goalkeeper to the striker, and they feature some of the best players in the world. Real Madrid Keeper Thibaut Courtois will be the clear-cut number one option for Belgium between the sticks. The Belgium squad only features five defenders, so we will more than likely see them play their preferred 3-5-2 formation. Former Tottenham teammates Toby Alderweireld and Jan Vertonghen will reunite at the heart of the defense and will carry a majority of the defensive responsibilities for the squad throughout the tournament.
Moving to the midfield the player that will take up most of the spotlight will be Kevin De Bruyne. The Manchester City player recently won the Premier League title and was in the run for Premier League Player of the Year even after missing a decent amount of games due to injury. De Bruyne will miss Belgium’s opening game against Russia after suffering multiple facial injuries in the Champions League final this past week. So, look for the young and talented Youri Tielemans to be the anchor of the midfield for the first game.
And of course, the Belgium squad features one of the best strikers in the world in Romelu Lukaku. Lukaku led Inter Milan to the Serie A title, ending Juventus’s eight-season run atop the league. He finished the campaign with 26 goals and 10 assists. So with Eden Hazard struggling with injuries and fitness, Lukaku will be the man to provide the goals for Belgium during the tournament.
England (#4 in FIFA World Rankings)
It’s been some time since England has brought home any international silverware, but looking at this England squad, it seems that Gareth Southgate has found the right mixture of youth and experience.
Reporting for #ThreeLions duty.
Great to see you, lads! 👋 pic.twitter.com/bDpq0jvY72
— England (@England) June 4, 2021
Dean Henderson has emerged as the frontrunner to be the new starting keeper for England, replacing Everton Jordan Pickford who has been the main man in the goal for Southgate in recent times. Southgate will also have his pick of the litter when it comes to defenders like John Stones, Harry Maguire, Luke Shaw, and Kyle Walker all feature in the squad.
The midfield is where the youth definitely outways the experience. Jordan Henderson will be the only experienced midfielder in the team for England during the tournament. He will play alongside Leeds United’s Kalvin Phillips, West Ham’s Declan Rice, and Chelsea’s Mason Mount. 17-year-old Jude Bellingham has also been named in Southgate’s midfield selections for the tournament.
Leading the team will be Harry Kane who finished his Premier League season with 23 goals and 14 assists, winning the Golden Boot award. He will have tons of talent around him with Jadon Sancho, Marcus Rashford, Phil Foden, Bukayo Saka, Raheem Sterling, Jack Grealish, and Dominic Calvert-Lewin all being included in the team for the competition.
On paper, England is one of the strongest teams in the tournament. Fans know it’s not a matter of if they have the personnel to win the tournament, rather do they have the coaching to. So going into the tournament, the real question mark is regarding Southgate and his squad selection and tactics.
Portugal (#5 in FIFA World Rankings)
How can you not include the defending champs as contenders? Let’s not forget, Portugal won the 2016 tournament without Cristiano Ronaldo, who was injured in the finals. Now, it might’ve taken until the 109th minute for that to happen, but a win is a win. However, Ronaldo is healthy and Portugal has some new talent to showcase to the world.
⚔️🔥 pic.twitter.com/ibnCFsgJTU
— 433 (@433) June 4, 2021
Wolves Goalkeeper Rui Patricio will be the man in the net for Portugal throughout the tournament. The defensive partnership with Porto’s Pepe and Manchester City’s Ruben Dias will be arguably the best center-back duo in the competition. Portugal has loads of talent on the outside part of their defense with Joao Cancelo, Raphael Guerreiro, and Nelson Semedo all being available for selection.
The talent that will be in the middle of the field for Portugal during the competition will be something amazing to see. Manchester United’s Bruno Fernandes will be the main guy to watch after finishing his Premier League season with 18 goals and 12 assists. He will be featured with the likes of Renato Sanches, Ruben Neves, and Joao Moutinho.
In this tournament, it seems that Ronaldo has the talent around him to help defend Portugal’s title as Champions of Europe. We all know what Cristiano brings to the table as he scored 38 goals in all competitions for Juventus this past season. Diogo Jota, Bernardo Silva, and Joao Felix will be the other attacking contributors for Portugal during the tournament.
Germany (#12 in FIFA World Rankings)
With one era ends, another one begins and that is the case for Germany. Joachim Löw is going into his last tournament as manager of Germany and his squad looks a lot different compared to the one that won the World Cup in 2014.
Another day of #EURO2020 prep in Seefeld 📸#DieMannschaft pic.twitter.com/sCqEypN1Vt
— germanfootball_dfb (@DFB_Team_EN) June 5, 2021
Manuel Neuer will be the man in the net, but what else is new. The defense features Champions League winner Antonio Rudiger as well as World Cup winner Mats Hummels. Bayern Munich’s Niklas Sule will also play a key role in the German defense throughout the tournament.
The midfield will have to carry a majority of the attacking threat as the team only features two forwards. Thomas Muller will be a huge contributing factor for Germany finishing his Bundesliga season with 11 goals and 21 assists for Bayern Munich. His teammate Serge Gnabry will also need to contribute offensively if Germany hopes to get out of Group F, which many consider the group of death. Champions League winner Kai Havertz and Premier League champion Ilkay Gundogan are in the squad as well as Leroy Sane who will be one of the main players out wide.
The forward play is where it seems to be an issue for Germany. Timo Werner will be the main target for Germany in the tournament and he is coming off a poor season with Chelsea. The Champions League winner finished with only 12 goals in 45 games for Chelsea this season. If Germany hopes to be successful in this year’s competition, Werner will need to find his form, wherever it may be.
Fans across the world are excited to see what this year’s tournament holds. It seems as though after a long year, the game of football is back to normal. Packed stadiums. Screaming fans. 24 teams. One Champion. What can be better than this?
Teams at the Euros this summer, arranged by FIFA rankings 🌍 pic.twitter.com/RFK7IXXwYJ
— B/R Football (@brfootball) June 3, 2021
