Vilka take themselves forward from "death group" and can the debutant Georgia shock themselves through?
Here is everything you need to know about the groups in the football European Championship.
Group A: Germany, Hungary, Scotland, Switzerland
The host nation Germany is on the hunt for its fourth European Championship title. However, reaching the knockout stage may be difficult – and the nation has underperformed in recent championships. Hungary is in its third consecutive European Championship and has shown good form ahead of the tournament. Scotland and Switzerland are underdogs, but have the potential to advance from the group. Switzerland, for example, reached the European Championship quarter-finals last time out, after shocking France in the round of 16.
Group B: Spain, Croatia, Italy, Albania
Albania drew the short straw and ended up in "death group" with heavyweight Spain, reigning champion Italy, and Croatia led by superstar Luka Modric. Spain is a narrow favourite to win the group, having beaten both Italy and Croatia on their way to becoming the 2023 Nations League champions. Italy, which defeated England in the European Championship final three years ago, is a gold candidate again this year. A key factor will be goalkeeping, where Gianluigi Donnarumma, usually of Paris SG, was the golden hero in 2021. In Croatia, 38-year-old superstar Luka Modric will likely play in his last major tournament.
Group C: England, Denmark, Slovenia, Serbia
England, along with France, is a European Championship favourite. The English have never won the European Championship – closest they came was last time out, when they lost to Italy in the final. It is likely that second place behind England will be between Denmark and Serbia – and Denmark may seek revenge after a poor World Cup in Qatar 2022. Slovenia is making its first appearance since 2000. Perhaps Leipzig star Benjamin Sesko can help Slovenia shock their way to the European Championship knockout stage.
Group D: France, Netherlands, Austria, Poland
France has had some heavy losses in its squad in recent years: goalkeeper Hugo Lloris, defender Raphaël Varane, midfielder Paul Pogba, and forward Antoine Griezmann. Now only the last-mentioned remains – and the question is whether France has found a suitable replacement for the others. There is no concern about France's scoring, as the team also has superstar Kylian Mbappé – it's just a matter of defending that is the problem. Despite this, the team is not only favourite to win the group but also the entire European Championship. The Dutch team has cautious optimism, with several players injured – including Barcelona defender Frenkie de Jong and Atlético Madrid forward Memphis Depay. If they can recover in time, it could be a key factor for the Netherlands.
Group E: Belgium, Slovakia, Romania, Ukraine
Belgium's golden generation failed to win a championship. Now a new group of young stars will try to secure Belgium's first European Championship title. Fortunately, there are some experienced players left to lead the way – for example, Romelu Lukaku and Kevin De Bruyne. Ukraine's European Championship team has, like Belgium's, several young talents. They played out a draw with both England and Italy in the European Championship qualifiers – a clear indication that Ukraine can compete with the best teams. The team should be able to advance from the group stage.
Group F: Portugal, Turkey, Czech Republic, Georgia
On paper, Portugal looks like it has landed in an easy group. The team's 39-year-old star Cristiano Ronaldo hopes to prove he is still at the highest level. It looks like it will be a battle between Turkey and the Czech Republic for second place. Georgia is the clear outsider in the group. It is the first time the nation has qualified for the European Championship – and maybe a shock win over one of the teams in the group stage will be enough to take them through to the round of 16 as one of the best third-placed teams.
Friday 14/6: Germany–Scotland (21:00)
Saturday 15/6: Hungary–Switzerland (15:00), Spain–Croatia (18:00), Italy–Albania (21:00)
Sunday 16/6: Poland–Netherlands (15:00), Slovenia–Denmark (18:00), Serbia–England (21:00)
Monday 17/6: Romania–Ukraine (15:00), Belgium–Slovakia (18:00), Austria–France (21:00)
Tuesday 18/6: Turkey–Georgia (18:00), Portugal–Czech Republic (21:00)
The two best teams in each group will advance to the round of 16. In addition to these, the four best third-placed teams will also advance. The European Football Championship takes place from 14 June to 14 July.
