The Euros are defined by many as one of the best football competitions in the world. The Euros live up to the expectations, but how do the Euros work? How do you win it? Well first off a nation has to qualify to even play in the tournament. In the UEFA Nations League, if a team tops their group stage, they automatically qualify for the Euros, but if the team has already qualified through the European Qualifiers, the qualification is handed down to the runner-up of that team in the group stage. Because 20 nations qualify, another four slots are left for the Euros. Therefore, the 16 teams left will be divided into four groups. Each group has two semifinals and one final. The winner of each group will earn their spot in the Euros.
After that, UEFA will hold a draw, dividing the twenty countries into five groups with four nations in each one. To get first in the group stage, a team has to have nine points to secure first. But if a team were to secure second, they’re still guaranteed a spot in the knockout rounds. As of Euro 2016, if a team were to finish third place in a group, they would be put on a table with the other who finished third. The nation with the highest points would advance to the knockout stages. As for the others, the ones who came fourth were disqualified from the tournament.
Hayk Karapetian (10), a player for the BCCHS varsity Lacrosse Team, and a huge football fan, predicted France would be the one taking it all. Yet despite his prediction, he wanted Portugal to win because of Cristiano Ronaldo and it being his last Euros. After the Euros ended, he was surprised because Spain ended up winning the tournament while knocking France in the semi-finals. Rodri was a huge component of his club Manchester City and Spain’s success and he ended up winning “Player of the Tournament.” Karapetian stated, “Bellingham deserved to win because he helped England reach the final with his bicycle kick vs Slovakia.”
This Euro 2024 was exciting but sad at the same time as people got the chance to see new faces appear on the big stage. Players such as Lamine Yamal, who’s a key player for FC Barcelona, one of the biggest clubs in the world, and who should promise hope to bring Spain back to the football giants they once were alongside Dani Olmo and Nico Williams. Despite Germany’s recent decline in the past two years, they were finally showing their true colors as they beat France 2-1 right before the tournament. Germany is in good shape with the likes of Florian Writz, who just went unbeaten with Bayer Leverkusen in the Bundesliga, scoring 18 goals in 48 games. Needless to say, the next generation of football is in good hands.
For some players, it would be their last time representing their countries’ colors on the big stage. Players such as Ronaldo, who is still breaking records at 39 years old and who is still Portugal’s main man. Pepe, a world-class defender, being 41 years of age was still in starting lineups for his club FC Porto and Portugal. Germany, on the other hand, had players who would be retiring after the tournament. Toni Kroos, Thomas Muller, IIkay Gundogan, and Manuel Neuer have all won everything football has to offer and they announced their retirements before and after the tournament.
