Now that the opening match of the European Championship is just around the corner, Telegraph SportsGermany’s football reporters, who will make Germany their home for the next five weeks, make their predictions.
Player of the tournament
Harry Kane
Why not? If England want to win, their captain must excel. He has not won anything with Bayern Munich this season, but is in excellent form. Jason Burt
Phil Foden
The best player in the Premier League this season and now at the stage of his career where he needs to be confident there are no barriers to what he can do in the game. Tournament football suits him – he is already a World Cup winner with England Under-17 – and he is finally a starter for England. Sam Wallace
Kylian Mbappe
Now that the soap opera surrounding his move to Real Madrid has concluded, the French superstar should be in the mood to deliver. No one brings a better pedigree with a hat-trick in a World Cup final. Olivier Brown
Phil Foden
There will be a lot of focus from England on Harry Kane and Jude Bellingham, but Foden has been the outstanding player in the Premier League this season and it is time he did for England what he does for Manchester City. James Ducker
Judas Bellingham
He rises to the occasion every step of the way and now everything is ready for him on the international stage. Opponents will try to wind him up to react, but he can deal with that and let his football do the talking. Mike McGrath
Jamal Musiala
Still just 21 years old, he has the talent and personality to lead Germany to glory on home soil. Musiala is a sensational dribbler and a player who creates something from nothing. When things get exciting in the knockout stages, he can make the difference. Sam Dean
Toni Kroos
He was brought home on a wave of goodwill and overdue appreciation at his last international tournament. Like Ryan Giggs winning PFA Player of the Year in 2009, as if it were a lifetime achievement award. Thom Gibbs
Top scorer
Harry Kane
Expect a few strikers – such as Belgian Romelu Lukaku – to fill their boots in the group matches, while Bruno Fernandes is productive for Portugal. But Kane could top it all. JB
Kylian Mbappe
Mbappe scored eight at the last World Cup, including a hat-trick in the final to win the Golden Boot. Hard to look past a man who scored 40 goals for his former club PSG and another four for France last season. SW
Kylian Mbappe
The 25-year-old’s 46 goals for his country came in just 77 games. With the eight that earned him the Golden Boot in 2022, he will be hungry for more. OB
Kylian Mbappe
Scorer of a hat-trick in the 2022 World Cup final, it is rarely wise to back the French striker. J.D
Romelu Lukaku
Slovakia, Romania and Ukraine will be Belgium’s opponents in the group stages and he will be confident of adding to his 83 international goals. Watch out for a player in the window for a summer move. MM
Harry Kane
The England captain will be backing himself to do some serious damage against Slovenia, Denmark and Serbia in the group stages. SD
Romelu Lukaku
Was overall qualifying top scorer and Golden Boots can often be won with a hat-trick in a group match and a few more. The Belgian group (Slovakia, Romania, Ukraine) appears to be the weakest. TG
Winner
England
There are concerns about defense and teams with strong defenses tend to win tournaments, but it feels like time for England if Gareth Southgate can get the permutations right. JB
England
Not a perfect team with clear gaps at left centre-back and left-back. Nevertheless, a very strong attacking team, and a team and manager with good tournament experience. Portugal and France the main threats. SW
France
The margins are so small, but I think France’s knowledge of major tournaments (six finals in 26 years) versus England’s (one in 58) should be decisive. OB
England
It’s all there for Gareth Southgate’s side, it really is. They have so many players who are at the top of their game. It would probably mean beating France, perhaps the other standout team in the tournament, in the semi-finals, but England have the resources to do that. J.D
England
Experience the experience of reaching the final at the last European Championship and they can beat France on their day. Players are in good form and some like Bellingham have gone to another level since the World Cup. MM
Germany
The home advantage will help and there is a nice mix of seasoned experts (Antonio Rüdiger, Ilkay Gundogan, Toni Kroos) and emerging stars (Florian Wirtz, Jamal Musiala). Kai Havertz comes into the tournament as one of Europe’s in-form strikers. SD
France
Sigh. They seem to be the least flawed team and are building that collective mentality that spans generations and gets teams to the finals no matter the circumstances. TG
Upcoming talent
Florian Wirtz
Hardly an unknown, the Bayer Leverkusen playmaker has had an excellent club season and is now the mainstay of the German team. I’d also like to see more of Spain’s 16-year-old winger Lamine Yamal. JB
He’s not even in England’s first XI yet, but should still be in the first wave of substitutes and potentially a starter if things turn around for Gareth Southgate. Unflappable character. He has won twice at international tournaments for English junior teams. SW
Cole Palmer
In a torrid season for Chelsea, Palmer was the one shining presence, applying pressure intelligently and never failing under maximum control. He could transform the England campaign. OB
Florian Wirtz
After a fantastic season with two-time Bundesliga winners Bayer Leverkusen, the stage is clear for the 21-year-old to highlight his burgeoning talent on home soil for Germany, alongside another gifted youngster in Jamal Musiala. J.D
The biggest clubs in Europe have been watching Kvaratskhelia for the past two seasons at Napoli and now he can show what he can do on the international stage. The winger has the ability to seize control of matches. MM
Xavi Simons
The Dutch forward has emerged as one of the most exciting young players in Europe. He was loaned to RB Leipzig from Paris St-Germain last season and can play as an attacking midfielder or winger. SD
Florian Wirtz
Has the feel of a textbook European summer romance. Won the league with Bayer Leverkusen so his stock is high and he is expected to start on the left of an attacking three for Germany. TG
Surprise package
Austria
They are in an extremely difficult group, but could lead the Netherlands to second place and reach the quarter-finals under Ralf Rangnick. JB
Scotland
Imagine them leaving their group. Steve Clarke is an excellent manager and there are some great talents in John McGinn, Andrew Robertson, Billy Gilmour and Scott McTominay. Could get a point or better from Germany in the opening match. SW
Denmark
Kasper Hjulmand’s side are under the radar after a dismal World Cup in Qatar, but the 2021 semi-finalists have now added Manchester United’s Rasmus Hojlund and should be able to go far. OB
Portugal
They’re not exactly an unknown entity here, but they have one of the most balanced squads in the tournament and quality in all areas. The 2016 winners could be a serious force at the tournament. J.D
Scotland
Will relish their underdog role and have the perfect opener, against hosts Germany, to make an immediate impact. There is talent and solidarity in the team. MM
Ukraine
They have reliable players at the back (Bournemouth’s Illia Zabarnyi had an excellent season), technicians in midfield and spark in attack. Keep an eye on playmaker Georgi Sudakov. SD
Albania
They are believed to be the whipping boys against Spain, Croatia and Italy, but they won their qualifying group and specialize in surrendering possession. They weren’t expecting a Greece 2004 scenario, but they could reach the knockouts. TG