Euro 2020 discussion by Aryan Doshi

 Euro 2020

After a one-year postponement due to COVID-19, Euro 2020 will begin on June 11th. Although the tournament will be played in 2021, it will be called Euro 2020 to maintain the tournament's schedule. The UEFA European Championship is an international soccer tournament held every four years. It consists of the best countries in Europe, such as England, France, Portugal, and Germany.  In this tournament, there are 24 teams; split into 6 groups of 4.  To begin, each team will play each other in these groups. If you win a game, you get 3 points, if you draw you get 1. Losing gets 0 points.  After all the games, the 16 teams with the highest number of points continue onto the knockout rounds.  From here, they are put into a bracket and play a single-elimination standard tournament until there is one winner.  In Euro 2016, Portugal was crowned champion even with the injury to their superstar, Cristiano Ronaldo, in the final.  However, this year the tournament is up for grabs, and many teams have good chances to win. For starters, the betting favorites, France. After coming second in Euro 2016 and winning the FIFA World Cup, the France squad has solidified themselves as a powerhouse. Their entire lineup has some incredible players. Kyllian Mbappe, their young star, has been the focal point of their offense.  Right behind him, Paul Pogba and N’Golo Kante have run their midfield, controlling the overall pace of the game. However, they must go through the likes of Germany and reigning champions Portugal in their group before the knockout rounds even start. Nonetheless, I do see them as clear favorites to make it to the final. On the other side, I do believe England will be their opponent on the grand stage. After a surprising run in the 2018 World Cup, England has a boatload of confidence on its side. Harry Kane, arguably the best striker in the world, is in peak form. The rest of the team, Jack Grealish, Mason Mount, Jadon Sancho, and many others, are very talented individuals. Defensively, they have been plagued with injuries, but they still hold their own with Harry Maguire, Luke Shaw, and Kyle Walker. This team is one of the youngest in the competition, but the expectations are still high.  After showing what they are capable of in 2018, I believe England will be champions and upset France in the final. Overall, regardless of the accuracy of my predictions, I will be watching Euro 2020, and I recommend anyone who enjoys sports to tune in. Each game offers an entirely new style and aspect of the game due to the mix of cultures and countries. You will not be disappointed.