Euro 2024 is almost here - What to look out for

The biggest of these will be the Euro 2024 tournament which will see Europe's biggest and most decorated footballing nations go head-to-head in a battle for bragging rights over who is the continent's best.

It's not exclusively a European affair, however. While only countries affiliated with UEFA can qualify and compete in the European Football Championship, fans of the beautiful game from all over the world will be tuning in to watch legendary players like Harry Kane clash in their quest for national glory.

So with just days to go before the opening game gets under way, here's everything you need to know about this year's competition and what to look out for.

Where is Euro 2024?

Euro 2024 will see the tournament return to its more traditional format of being hosted in a single country. This year, Germany is picking up the hosting duties, with matches being played across the nation.

Several of the country's most famous stadiums will be doing their bit, including Munich's Fussball Arena, Berlin's Olympiastadion, and Borussia Dortmund's home of Westfalenstadion.

Who is Favourite to Win Euro 2024?

The knockout nature of the European Championship tournament means that there is almost always surprise and unpredictability. One good performance in a knockout game can see an underdog thrust into contention, while a bad day for a favourite team can see them heading home early. Therefore, it's important to remember that even being favourite doesn't mean a team will win.

It is, however, a good indicator of which teams appear to be the strongest when matches get underway on 14th June. And for outright Euro 2024 odds, England has been the favourite to win pretty much since the final whistle blew on the team's defeat at Wembley in Euro 2020. The three lions have seen their odds improve in recent weeks and months, now with 100/30 compared to France and Germany at 4/1 and 11/2 respectively.

Who is Else Taking Part in Euro 2024?

Joining these three favourite teams are 21 other countries, all of which are hoping to return home as champions of Europe. These teams are:

Belgium, Portugal, Scotland, Spain, Turkey, Austria, Hungary, Slovakia, Albania, Denmark, Netherlands, Romania, Switzerland, Serbia, Czech Republic, Italy, Slovenia, Croatia, Georgia, Ukraine, Poland.

Some notable contenders include Italy, who won the last running of the competition after defeating England at home in Wembley Stadium; Spain, which has won the European Football Championship more than any other country; and Georgia, which is making its debut appearance in the continental tournament.

Smart Technology in Euro 2024

Euro 2024 will be the first European Football Championship to use "Connected Ball Technology". This means the ball is much more than a spherical bag of air, but has been packed with tracking systems that connect to UEFA's officiating teams so that they make more informed decisions. Combined with VAR, this should help Euro 2024 to be one of the fairest tournaments ever run.

When is Euro 2024?

Euro 2024 is a month-long affair that will kick off on 14th June and run until the final on 14th July.

The opening game will take place at 9 PM (local time) on 14th June pitting hosts Germany against Scotland in the Fussball Arena in Munich.

As we have seen in previous years, Euro 2024, will begin with a set of group-stage games where four teams will play each other in a round-robin format before the top-performing nations will progress into the knockout stages. The final group stage games will be between the Czech Republic and Turkey and Georgia and Portugal on 26th June.

The top sixteen teams will be whittled down to eight between 29th June and 2nd July before the quarter-finals and semi-finals on 5th and 6th July and 9th and 10th July, respectively.

READ MORE: Kylian Mbappe closes in on Real Madrid switch