France
What is the shape? Lesson Blue approaching a tournament in which they are one of the disjointed favorites and in search of fluidity. Kylian Mbappé sounded the alarm after a 2-0 defeat to Germany in March. “There are many warnings: technical, tactical, also in terms of desire and even efficiency,” the captain said, adding that the “leadership” was “flawed.” Not exactly the serene build-up France had hoped for, but they have known worse. The defeat against Germany came in the absence of Antoine Griezmann; without him, Didier Deschamps’ men seemed lost, and the over-reliance on individuals is a concern.
Do you have any concerns about injuries? It looks like Aurélien Tchouaméni will miss the opener against Austria, while Adrien Rabiot is also doubtful.
Selection headache? If Tchouaméni and Rabiot recover, 10 of the 11 players will choose themselves. The big question mark revolves around the number 9 position: Marcus Thuram started in the recent games against Luxembourg and Canada, but again failed to convince. There is a chance for Olivier Giroud, who may start in his last major tournament. The idea of moving Mbappé centrally cannot be ruled out either.
What is the coach’s mood? The contours of Deschamps’ side are largely defined. However, he admitted that “corrections” are needed, especially after the 0-0 draw against Canada, which the manager described as a wake-up call.
What are the expectations at home?Expectations remain as high as ever – only a win would mean success. Luke Entwistle
Spain
What is the shape? After a poor start, including defeat in Scotland, Spain qualified comfortably, as they were always likely to do despite all the fear and a few less convincing moments. They also won the Nations League, which may not be the case Real trophy, but was their first since the European Championship in 2012, reintroducing Spain to what it feels like to win and offering hope that they may not be so far off.
Do you have any concerns about injuries? No.
Selection headache? What to do with the centre-forward. Álvaro Morata is the number 9 and captain and will probably start, but he has had a terrible few months. There are alternatives: Joselu, Mikel Oyarzabal, Dani Olmo as a false 9.
What is the coach’s mood? Luis de la Fuente says he is positive, but he always says that. And he’s not the most convincing man around.
What are the expectations at home? There is a lot of excitement around Lamine Yamal and Nico Williams, but also an acceptance that Spain is unlikely to be among the favourites. Sid Lowe
England
What is the shape? Not good! England’s post-qualifying slump has flown somewhat under the radar, amid the usual psychodrama about personnel, tactics and Gareth Southgate’s future. But one win in five games is a real concern, with the caveat that England looked even worse before the last World Cup and still managed to click quickly enough.
Do you have any concerns about injuries? Luke Shaw is the biggest doubt ahead of the opener against Serbia and with John Stones limping off against Iceland and Harry Maguire already failing to make the squad, England could be without three of the back four who started their final tournament match against France in 2022 . The wider concern is around fatigue, general fitness and energy levels, with Harry Kane, Jude Bellingham and Bukayo Saka all currently below 100% and having groomed themselves through grueling club seasons.
Selection headache? Who will partner Declan Rice at the base of midfield? Conor Gallagher (sensible, boring) is probably Southgate’s favorite option; Kobbie Mainoo (flavor of the month, May) and Adam Wharton (flavor of the month, June) are more adventurous choices; Trent Alexander-Arnold (flavor of the month, April 2021) could still happen.
What is the coach’s mood? That’s fine, actually, because a man who has suffered years of toxic abuse is despised by a substantial portion of the country he represents and hasn’t been seen in public since about 2021. Southgate has been around so long that he is no longer seen in public. really has a temper. It’s more like a face with some words coming out of it.
What are the expectations at home? To win. But also win with style. Winning with rousing arrogance. Win without an Englishman being bored for a moment. Win against world-class opposition, but with the knowledge that any opposition forfeits its world-class status by simply losing to England. Win and then get to work on the beer. Win because Brexit means Brexit. Win and get rid of Southgate. But also win with humility, because everyone hates a team that believes in its own hype. Win with just enough players of color in leading roles so that the racists can claim that we’re not actually a racist nation, but not with too many players that make the racists uncomfortable. Failing that, the quarter-finals are likely to be a decent benchmark. Jonathan Liew
Germany
What is the shape? Fans are patient and optimistic, but don’t fully trust the team yet. The draw against Ukraine and the narrow victory against Greece were neither exciting nor convincing. Maybe the Germans will become one Turniermannschaft – tournament team – again.
Do you have any concerns about injuries? Leroy Sané has been plagued by a pubic bone injury for months; sometimes it gets better, sometimes it gets worse. Julian Nagelsmann’s other injury problem arose a year and a half ago, when Manuel Neuer broke his lower right leg during a ski tour. The goalkeeper is playing again, but not as well as before; he also made unusual mistakes against Ukraine and Greece. Now many in Germany are discussing whether Marc-André ter Stegen’s time has finally come to become the national team’s No. 1.
Selection headache? Nagelsmann made big choices by omitting Leon Goretzka and Mats Hummels from his team. The big question now is whether Sané makes the base. Ilkay Gündogan, the captain, also seems to be looking for a role in the team.
What is the coach’s mood? Nagelsmann says he will not make many changes to his starting XI ahead of Friday’s opener against Scotland, but Germany’s last two performances have failed to impress him, with their susceptibility to counter-attacks a particular concern for the 36-year-old. Nagelsmann also hopes that Jamal Musiala and Florian Wirtz will quickly rediscover their best form.
What are the expectations at home? Not to embarrass yourself on home soil is the first priority. Reaching the quarter-finals would be considered a fantastic achievement. And many hope that the European Championship will be at least half as great as the 2006 World Cup. Nicholas Hoorn
Portugal
What is the shape? After a perfect qualifying record, Portugal have pre-tournament friendlies against Slovenia and Croatia. In their four warm-up matches they scored ten goals, but also conceded eight. There is no reason to worry, but some adjustments are undeniably needed, especially in the later stages of the tournament.
Do you have any concerns about injuries? Roberto Martínez’s big concern is Pepe, who missed the recent games against Finland and Croatia and has not played for Porto since the end of April. Francisco Conceição had some muscle problems last week, but should be fine for the opening match against the Czech Republic.
Selection headache? Doubts surrounding Pepe appear to have prompted Martínez to play with three centre-backs and ask the more defensive midfielder – usually João Palhinha – to withdraw as the team builds possession. However, this could leave the Premier League’s king of tackles out of position if the team loses the ball. The left side of the attack isn’t nailed down either; Diogo Jota generally played in the center of attack, but he could be an option there.
What is the coach’s mood? Martínez normally never loses his cool, but he was noticeably irritated by the 2-1 defeat to Croatia. “We are stronger than before the match, but we need to synchronize and work on connections,” the Spaniard said. “We lost, Croatia deserved it, but for us it was a test that we needed.”
What are the expectations at home? Among Portuguese fans, enthusiasm always goes hand in hand with pessimism. Nuno Travassos