A summer of football awaits as the European Championship arrives in Germany, three years on from the delayed Euro 2020 tournament won by Italy at Wembley Stadium.
Among those hoping to upset the favourites will be Belgium, who have long looked capable of winning a first major honour on paper without backing up their promise on the pitch.
They have been handed one of the kinder draws among the top seeds, with Slovakia and Romania confirming their places ahead of Ukraine, who made it through the play-offs to punch their ticket to the Euros.
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ByLuke RandallJun 13, 2024 Slovakia
Francesco Calzona
Milan Skriniar
48th
25th
Lukas Haraslin (3)
Group J runners-up, 22 points
Winners (1976; as Czechoslovakia)
Slovakia are into their third consecutive European Championship, having qualified for every tournament since its expansion in 2016.
Having fallen short last time out, exiting as victims of a 5-0 demolition from Spain, they will look to at least repeat their exploits from eight years ago by making the knockout stages – and they may just fancy their chances in this group.
Wed 5th June
Slovakia 4-0 San Marino
Sun 9th June
Slovakia 4-0 Wales
Managed by ex-Napoli boss Francesco Calzona, Slovakia’s roster has some well-known and experienced heads, which perhaps belies their status in European football. Skipper Milan Skriniar is the standout name, while Sparta Prague’s Lukas Haraslin could be one to watch if his form in qualifying is anything to go by.
Position
Player
Club
Goalkeeper
Martin Dubravka
Newcastle
Goalkeeper
Heinrich Ravas
New England Revolution
Goalkeeper
Marek Rodak
Fulham
Defender
Vernon De Marco
Hatta
Defender
Norbert Gyomber
Salernitana
Defender
David Hancko
Feyenoord
Defender
Sebastian Kosa
Spartak Trnava
Defender
Adam Obert
Cagliari
Defender
Peter Pekarik
Hertha Berlin
Defender
Milan Skriniar
Paris Saint-Germain
Defender
Denis Vavro
Copenhagen
Midfielder
Laszlo Benes
Hamburg
Midfielder
Matus Bero
Bochum
Midfielder
Ondrej Duda
Hellas Verona
Midfielder
Patrik Hrosovsky
Genk
Midfielder
Juraj Kucka
Slovan Bratislava
Midfielder
Stanislav Lobotka
Napoli
Midfielder
Tomas Rigo
Banik Ostrava
Forward
Robert Bozenik
Boavista
Forward
David Duris
Ascoli
Forward
Lukas Haraslin
Sparta Prague
Forward
Leo Sauer
Feyenoord
Forward
Ivan Schranz
Slavia Prague
Forward
David Strelec
Slovan Bratislava
Forward
Tomas Suslov
Hellas Verona
Forward
Lubomir Tupta
Slovan Liberec
Romania
Edward Iordanescu
Nicolae Stanciu
46th
23rd
Denis Alibec, Valentin Mihaila, Nicolae Stanciu (3)
Group I winners, 22 points
Quarter-finals (2000)
Romania are back in the European Championship after missing out on the finals completely in 2021, largely thanks to an extremely impressive qualifying campaign that saw them seal their place ahead of Switzerland in Group I.
With three players topping the scoring charts and conceding just five times in ten group clashes, it seems as though this is a team greater than the sum of its parts.
Tue 4th June
Romania 0-0 Bulgaria
Fri 7th June
Romania 0-0 Liechtenstein
While emulating the quarter-finalists of 2000 may be a bit of a stretch, this is an open group which could mean one of these less-fancied sides go far with a bit of luck.
That said, coming into the tournament off the back of two lacklustre goalless draws against winnable opposition will hardly inspire much confidence.
Position
Player
Club
Goalkeeper
Horatiu Moldovan
Atletico Madrid
Goalkeeper
Florin Nita
Gaziantep
Goalkeeper
Stefan Tarnovanu
FCSB
Defender
Nicusor Bancu
Universitatea Craiova
Defender
Andrei Burca
Al-Okhdood
Defender
Radu Dragusin
Tottenham
Defender
Vasile Mogos
CFR Cluj
Defender
Ionut Nedelcearu
Palermo
Defender
Bogdan Racovitan
Rakow Czestochowa
Defender
Andrei Ratiu
Rayo Vallecano
Defender
Adrian Rus
Pafos
Midfielder
Alexandru Cicaldau
Konyaspor
Midfielder
Florinel Coman
FCSB
Midfielder
Ianis Hagi
Alaves
Midfielder
Dennis Man
Parma
Midfielder
Marius Marin
Pisa
Midfielder
Razvan Marin
Empoli
Midfielder
Valentin Mihaila
Parma
Midfielder
Darius Olaru
FCSB
Midfielder
Deian Sorescu
Gaziantep
Midfielder
Nicolae Stanciu
Damac
Midfielder
Adrian Sut
FCSB
Forward
Denis Alibec
Muaither
Forward
Daniel Birligea
CFR Cluj
Forward
Denis Dragus
Gaziantep
Forward
George Puscas
Bari
Ukraine
Serhiy Rebrov
Andriy Yarmolenko
22nd
12th
Artem Dovbyk, Viktor Tsygankov (2)
Play-off winner Path B
Quarter-finals (2020)
Ukraine qualified having squeezed past Bosnia & Herzegovina and Iceland in the play-offs, with Serhiy Rebrov’s side proving a stubborn nut to crack since the start of qualifying.
The preliminary stages saw Ukraine miss out on an automatic spot by virtue of their head-to-head record with Italy, having been unbeaten during their 'home' matches – played across Europe due to the ongoing war – by holding England and the Azzurri to draws.
Mon 3rd June
Germany 0-0 Ukraine
Fri 7th June
Poland 3-1 Ukraine
Tue 11th June
Moldova 0-4 Ukraine
So their place at the finals, albeit via their Nations League performance where they came second to Scotland, is by all means merited.
Having missed out on a World Cup place at the play-off stage in 2022, they have the opportunity to right those wrongs by claiming a last-16 spot from an unpredictable group.
Position
Player
Club
Goalkeeper
Heorhiy Bushchan
Dynamo Kyiv
Goalkeeper
Andriy Lunin
Real Madrid
Goalkeeper
Anatoliy Trubin
Benfica
Defender
Valeriy Bondar
Shakhtar Donetsk
Defender
Yukhym Konoplia
Shakhtar Donetsk
Defender
Mykola Matvienko
Shakhtar Donetsk
Defender
Bogdan Mykhaylichenko
Polissya Zhytomyr
Defender
Vitalii Mykolenko
Everton
Defender
Oleksandr Svatok
Dnipro-1
Defender
Maksym Talovierov
LASK
Defender
Oleksandr Tymchyk
Dynamo Kyiv
Defender
Illia Zabarnyi
Bournemouth
Midfielder
Volodymyr Brazhko
Dynamo Kyiv
Midfielder
Ruslan Malinovskyi
Genoa
Midfielder
Mykhailo Mudryk
Chelsea
Midfielder
Mykola Shaparenko
Dynamo Kyiv
Midfielder
Taras Stepanenko
Shakhtar Donetsk
Midfielder
Heorhiy Sudakov
Shakhtar Donetsk
Midfielder
Serhiy Sydorchuk
Westerlo
Midfielder
Viktor Tsygankov
Girona
Midfielder
Andriy Yarmolenko
Dynamo Kyiv
Midfielder
Oleksandr Zinchenko
Arsenal
Midfielder
Oleksandr Zubkov
Shakhtar Donetsk
Forward
Artem Dovbyk
Girona
Forward
Vladyslav Vanat
Dynamo Kyiv
Forward
Roman Yaremchuk
Valencia