Football

Sunil Chhetri, the former Indian football captain, is set to grace television screens once again as an expert for Euro 2024, which kicks off in Germany on Friday. Chhetri, who recently retired from international football, is particularly excited about England's prospects in the tournament."You can't go beyond the usual suspects, you know, France, Germany, England, etc.," Chhetri said. "But I feel England is right at the sweet spot now. The likes of [Phil] Foden, [Jude] Bellingham... prodigies once, are world leaders now. If you can leave out the likes of Marcus Rashford and Jack Grealish, you can imagine the kind of talent England has."Chhetri also believes that Hungary and Turkey could be surprise packages in the tournament. "I think Hungary and Turkey can be those teams. I'm saying purely on all the action that I've seen in the last one-and-a-half years and their qualification performances. They have been outstanding."The tournament is also expected to be the last major event for veterans like Portugal's Cristiano Ronaldo (39) and Croatia's Luka Modric (38). German midfielder Toni Kroos (34), who recently won his fifth UEFA Champions League with Real Madrid, has already announced that Euro 2024 will be his last bow."The thing that keeps them going is their love for the game," Chhetri said. "For Modric to win the Champions League [with Real Madrid for the sixth time], and still come for training, get elbowed and get tackled... If you don't love the game you won't do it."

As Germany prepares to host Euro 2024 from June 14, the tournament's Group A promises an intriguing battle between the hosts and three talented challengers: Scotland, Hungary, and Switzerland.Group A: Germany, Scotland, Hungary, SwitzerlandTournament host Germany, under the guidance of coach Julian Nagelsmann, will be eager to make a deep run in the tournament, particularly after impressive victories over France and the Netherlands in March. However, they will face a stern test from Hungary, who have been in outstanding form under manager Marco Rossi. Despite a recent defeat to Ireland, the Hungarians have been unbeaten since September 2022, a run of 12 games.Switzerland and Scotland are the outsiders in the group, but both have the potential to cause an upset. Switzerland, led by captain Granit Xhaka, reached the quarter-finals in the last Euros and are known for their organized and efficient style of play. Scotland, meanwhile, will be buoyed by the support of their passionate fans and will be looking to make a statement in their first match against Germany.Group B: Spain, Croatia, Italy, AlbaniaGroup B is a veritable "group of death," featuring three European powerhouses: Spain, Croatia, and Italy. Albania, a durable side, will be determined to make an impact despite being the underdogs.Spain, the reigning UEFA Nations League champions, are favorites to progress after defeating both Italy and Croatia in 2023. However, those matches revealed that there is little to separate the three teams. Luis de la Fuente's Spain have added flair and speed to their deep reserves of technical ability, but they still lack a reliable goalscorer.Italy, who triumphed against England to win Euro 2020, are a tough prospect despite their failure to reach the 2022 World Cup. Luciano Spalletti's side boasts several players from Serie A champions Inter Milan, including playmaker Nicolo Barella. Croatia, runners-up at the 2018 World Cup and third in Qatar two years ago, will try to give 38-year-old veteran midfielder Luka Modric a superb swansong.Group C: Slovenia, Denmark, Serbia, EnglandEngland are ready to make Euro 2024 "headlines" as the Group C favorites prepare to launch their bid for a first major trophy in 58 years. Gareth Southgate's side, who face Serbia, Denmark, and Slovenia in the group stage, head to Germany as one of the leading contenders for Euro glory.England, ranked alongside France as the bookmakers' top title contenders, will be looking to make amends for their painful near misses in recent tournaments. They will face a tough test from Denmark, who pushed them to the brink in a dramatic Euro 2020 semi-final. Slovenia, participating in a major tournament for only the fourth time, will be hoping to make the knockout stages for the first time. Serbia will rely on Juventus striker Dusan Vlahovic and AC Milan striker Luka Jovic to fuel their bid for a place in the last 16.