The Fußball Chatter

Portugal 🇵🇹   One of the highest-ranked nations in Euro 2024, Portugal has been one that is usually in the conversation as favourites, given their production of elite players. They shocked Europe in 2016, defying the odds to win the tournament, their first major title. Since then, the quality of their player pool has increased but they crashed out early in the 2018 World Cup and Euro 2020 plus suffering a shock defeat to Morocco in the 2022 World Cup quarterfinals. After the 2022 World Cup, Roberto Martinez was appointed, succeeding Fernando Santos. Martinez was an odd appointment, given his time as Belgium coach, which ended poorly at the end of his tenure. Portugal were flawless throughout qualifying. Winning all ten matches, scoring 36 goals and conceding just two. The best side throughout the qualifiers. Despite being aged 39 and playing in the Saudi Pro League with Al-Nassr, Cristiano Ronaldo is in the squad for a record sixth appearance in the Euros. He’s still bagging in the

Belgium 🇧🇪 For over a decade, Belgium were regularly in the conversation as perennial challengers in major tournaments. Their best showing came in the 2018 World Cup, reaching the semifinals for the first time since 1986. Unfortunately, they lost against eventual winners France, finishing third in the process. Since then, they were knocked out in the last eight in Euro 2020 and suffered a humiliating group stage exit in the 2022 World Cup. Many key players of their golden generation like Eden Hazard, Toby Alderweireld and Dries Mertens have retired and the ones remaining (Kevin De Bruyne, Romelu Lukaku, Jan Vertoghen, Axel Witsel) are at the twilight of their careers. Former Schalke manager Domenico Tedesco was appointed Head Coach after the 2022 World Cup, ushering in a new era for the Red Devils . They qualified for the finals without much fuzz. Unbeaten in eight games, scoring 22 goals. Lukaku was the top scorer in qualifying, scoring 14 goals.  Thibaut Courtois was a shock omiss

France 🇫🇷  What can one say about France right now? They are the gold standard of international football. Winning the World Cup in 2018 and making three finals in the last four tournaments they competed in. They became the first team since Brazil in 1998 to reach the World Cup Final consecutively, losing to Argentina on penalties in an all-time classic. In the Euros, France are two-time winners (1984, 2000) and lost the final at home in 2016. In Euro 2020, France suffered a shock exit. Losing to Switzerland on penalties in the Round of 16. They breezed through qualification, winning seven in eight games, and scoring 29 goals. Coach Didier Deschamps has been France's coach since 2012; and is the longest-serving manager at the tournament.    If he leads Les Bleu to success, he will become the second person after Berti Vogts to win the Euros as a player and coach. An incredible feat having won the World Cup as a player and coach. Deschamps has a wealth of riches to choose from, wi

England 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿 One of the highest-ranked nations coming into the tournament, England hope to go one better. Suffering heartache in the last Euros, making the final for the first time but lost to Italy on penalties at Wembley. A perennial underachiever in international football, England have won a solitary World Cup in 1966 and have made just three semifinal appearances since then. Since becoming manager in late 2016, Gareth Southgate has successfully made England a competitive outfit. Making the semifinals twice in three tournaments. Criticism against Southage persists over his conservative style of play and in-game management but for Euro 2024, he has made some key decisions. Harry Maguire, Ben Chilwell, Jordan Henderson, Jack Grealish and Marcus Rashford have missed out while Kobbie Mainoo, Adam Wharton, Anthony Gordon and Cole Palmer made the final squad. Harry Kane, Phil Foden and Jude Bellingham are coming off excellent individual seasons. Kane finished top-scorer in the