⚽ England – Key statistics from the Euro Cup ⚽
Appearances in euros: 10
European titles: 0
Best finish: Final (2020)
Euro record: W15 E13 P10
Goals scored: 51
Biggest victory: 4-0 vs Ukraine (Ecopa 2020)
Player to watch: Phil Foden
World ranking: 4th
Team nickname: The three lions
Group calendar:
- June 16: Serbia vs England (Arena AufSchalke, Gelsenkirchen, 21:00 local time/19:00 GMT)
- June 20th: Denmark vs England (Frankfurt Arena, Frankfurt, 18:00 local time/16:00 GMT)
- June 25th: England vs Slovenia (Cologne Stadium, Cologne, 21:00 local time/19:00 GMT)
How to follow our Euro 2024 coverage: Euro 2024 on Al Jazeera
There is an inescapable irony in the situation Gareth Southgate finds himself in ahead of Euro 2024, which begins with England's tournament opener against Serbia on June 16 in Gelsenkirchen.
Since taking over as England manager in 2016, the 53-year-old has worked hard to transform the team's sporting culture. Club loyalties are no longer dividing lines, the pressure generated by putting on the shirt has been transformed into a privilege and incongruity has been replaced by identity.
Far from the individualism that marked England's “Golden Generation” era, Southgate's set-up has been built around the collective.
But now things have come full circle. He has managed to break away from England's star culture only to find himself trapped in the spotlight.
Southgate's legacy is the dominant narrative for England heading into the Euros. The tournament is a referendum on their almost eight-year reign, with a majority of the English public prepared to consider it a failure if they do not bring back the winner's trophy from Germany.
It's now or never for England
In many ways, Southgate has been a victim of his own success: he led England to an improbable World Cup semi-final in 2018; he lost the final of the previous Euro 2021 on penalties; and was a Harry Kane penalty away from possibly eliminating defending champions France in the 2022 World Cup.
The Three Lions were 13th in the FIFA world rankings when he took over in 2016; Today they occupy fourth place. Since the 2018 World Cup in Russia, they have not dropped out of the top five.
England's consistency over the last six years has become so commonplace that it is almost taken for granted. It's easy to forget that before Southgate took over, England's last appearance in the semi-final of a major tournament dates back to Euro 1996.
Ultimately, international football is a zero-sum game where success is weighed in silver and the Euros seem like a now-or-never proposition for Southgate's England.
It is a proposal that has been reflected in a bold team selection marked by unusual risk. Midfielder Kobbie Mainoo, who has been a revelation for Manchester United this season, has been chosen despite making his England debut in March.
Jordan Henderson, Raheem Sterling, Marcus Rashford and Kalvin Phillips, all key pillars of Southgate's teams, have not been chosen.
Beyond the sting of heightened expectations, Southgate has been hit by the intangible metric of “potential.” With attacking talent at his disposal, there is a feeling among fans that Southgate's unwillingness to break free from the shackles has slowed the team's progress.
What to do with Foden?
Southgate's judgment will be tested again in his choice of a starting 11, particularly as to where emerging star Phil Foden will play.
The Manchester City attacker has thrived in the central midfield role assigned to him this season by manager Pep Guardiola. Foden's 19 goals from that position led City to their fourth consecutive league title and he was named English Premier League Player of the Season.
However, Southgate has been reluctant to play Foden in the middle and has tended to pair Declan Rice with another defensive midfielder. Given the recent injury problems of Kieran Trippier and Luke Shaw, who were picked despite making just four league appearances since the start of March, that seems unlikely to change.
On paper, England have one of the best squads in the tournament.
Alongside Foden, England's attack features Real Madrid midfield sensation Jude Bellingham and Bundesliga top scorer Harry Kane. Cole Palmer, Ollie Watkins and Rice were all on the Premier League Player of the Season list, and Palmer's 22 EPL goals were second behind Erling Haaland in the race for the Golden Boot.
The Three Lions remained undefeated during their Euro 2024 qualifying campaign and only lost one match, a friendly against Brazil, in the 12 matches they have played since the 2022 World Cup in Qatar.
In the Euro Cup, they are drawn into a group that does not have any team in the Top 20 in the world, which creates a high statistical probability that they will advance to the knockout stages of the tournament.
It's easy to see why England go into Euro 2024 as one of the favourites. The question remains whether his performances will live up to his star fame.
⚽ England's final squad for Euro 2024 ⚽
Captain: Harry Kane
Goalkeepers: Dean Henderson (Crystal Palace), Jordan Pickford (Everton), Aaron Ramsdale (Arsenal)
Defenders: Lewis Dunk (Brighton & Hove Albion), Joe Gomez (Liverpool), Marc Guehi (Crystal Palace), Ezri Konsa (Aston Villa), Luke Shaw (Manchester United), John Stones (Manchester City), Kieran Trippier (Newcastle United), Kyle Walker (Manchester City)
Midfielders: Trent Alexander-Arnold (Liverpool), Jude Bellingham (Real Madrid), Conor Gallagher (Chelsea), Kobbie Mainoo (Manchester United), Declan Rice (Arsenal), Adam Wharton (Crystal Palace)
Forward: Jarrod Bowen (West Ham United), Eberechi Eze (Crystal Palace), Phil Foden (Manchester City), Anthony Gordon (Newcastle United), Harry Kane (Bayern Munich), Cole Palmer (Chelsea), Bukayo Saka (Arsenal), Ivan Toney (Brentford), Ollie Watkins (Aston Villa)
You can follow the action on Al Jazeera's dedicated Euro 2024 tournament page with all the match build-up and live text commentary, and stay up to date with the group standings and real-time match results and times.
