It’s been a while since England have been reasonably confident that they’ll go the distance in an international tournament. England fans may have been singing, “It’s coming home” for decades but the team itself has usually downplayed its chances. That’s all about to change this summer when Euro 2024 offers the side its best chance for a trophy since they lifted the World Cup back in 1966.
And, as we see, that confidence is pretty well justified. Though it’s far from a certainty, there are plenty of good reasons why England may finally taste victory again on July 14th.
The Golden Generation
There’s an obvious reason why England will go into the tournament with confidence, and that’s simply that they’ve never had a better squad than they do right now. The media labelled the Beckham, Gerrard, Rooney, and Lampard era ‘The Golden Generation,’ but the current England team is arguably even more talented — and they don’t have the flashy ego of the players of the past, either.
Harry Kane, Jude Bellingham, Phil Foden, and John Stones are probably the best four players for their positions in Europe. Those talented players are supported by footballers who could reasonably get into any club side in the world. It’s a team that’s stacked with talent. On their day, they’ll fancy their chances against any team.
England: Leading the Pack
England look like a good side at the moment. But that’s not the only reason why sports betting online platforms like Betano have made England favourites to win Euro 2024. It’s also, in part, because of the problems that other leading national teams currently face. Unlike in previous tournaments, the competition for victory isn’t quite as fierce. Teams like Spain, Germany, Italy, and Portugal aren’t as strong as they have been in years past, and even France, next on the list of favourites for victory, are more vulnerable than they were at the World Cup. This slight dip in quality throughout Europe will give England extra belief that they can finally end their trophy drought.
Experience and Developing Talent
Take a look at teams who win trophies and you’ll usually find that there’s a nice balance between youthful and more experienced players. England currently has that balance to perfection. At the senior end, you have players such as Harry Kane, Kyle Walker, John Stones, and Jordan Henderson, all of whom have first-hand experience of playing in some of football’s biggest games. Then you have young players such as Saka, Declan Rice, Jude Bellingham, and Kobbie Mainoo, all of whom will have something to prove in an England shirt.
Those players, put together, have all the qualities you look for in a team, and there’s arguably no other country that is as finely balanced.
A Favourable Draw
There are no ‘easy games’ at international tournament level. But there are easier games — and England have them. England jumped to the top of the likely Euro 2024 winners’ list following the announcement of the draw, which saw Southgate’s team scheduled to play Serbia, Denmark, and Slovenia. Those games are far from a formality, but they’re definitely winnable. They present an opportunity for England to get into the rhythm of the tournament before they come up against sterner opposition. After the group stage, they’ll likely face Turkey and Italy in the Round of 16 and Quarterfinals respectively, two sides who are struggling for form.
It’s About Time
Finally, perhaps the last reason why England will be confident they can win a trophy is that it’s about time they win an international tournament. It’s been nearly sixty years since they last won a trophy, and though they’ve been somewhat close in tournaments since then, they’ve never quite made it. Unwanted records must be broken at some stage, and looking at it objectively, England will never have a better chance to win a trophy than this summer. If they can, they’ll go down in history.
