Euro 2024 Squad Selection: Who Will Make the Cut?
As the Premier League season comes to an end, international managers are facing the daunting task of selecting their squads for Euro 2024. With the tournament set to begin on June 14 and conclude on July 14, the pressure is on to assemble a winning team. England, in particular, will be looking to improve on their performance at Euro 2020, but the competition in Germany will be fierce.
Gareth Southgate, the England manager, will have a big decision to make when it comes to choosing the players who will represent the country. The deadline for squads to be picked is June 7, just one week before the tournament starts. Southgate plans to announce his provisional England squad on May 21. Meanwhile, Scotland boss Steve Clarke has yet to reveal when he will name his provisional squad.
Let’s take a closer look at some of the confirmed squads for Euro 2024:
Germany:
– Goalkeepers: Oliver Baumann (Hoffenheim), Alex Nubel (Stuttgart), Manuel Neuer (Bayern Munich), Marc-Andre ter Stegen (Barcelona)
– Defenders: Waldemar Anton (Stuttgart), Benjamin Henrichs (RB Leipzig), Joshua Kimmich (Bayern Munich), Robin Koch (Eintracht Frankfurt), Maximilian Mittelstadt (Stuttgart), David Raum (RB Leipzig), Antonio Rudiger (Real Madrid), Nico Schlotterbeck (Borussia Dortmund), Jonathan Tah (Bayer Leverkusen)
– Midfielders: Robert Andrich (Bayer Leverkusen), Chris Fuhrich (Stuttgart), Pascal Gross (Brighton and Hove Albion), Ilkay Gundogan (Barcelona), Toni Kroos (Real Madrid), Jamal Musiala (Bayern Munich), Aleksandar Pavlovic (Bayern Munich), Leroy Sane (Bayern Munich), Florian Wirtz (Bayer Leverkusen)
– Forwards: Maximilian Beier (Hoffenheim), Niclas Fullkrug (Borussia Dortmund), Kai Havertz (Arsenal), Thomas Muller (Bayern Munich), Deniz Undav (Stuttgart)
Hungary:
– Goalkeepers: Denes Dibusz (Ferencvaros), Peter Gulacsi (RB Leipzig), Peter Szappanos (Paks)
– Defenders: Botond Balogh (Parma), Endre Botka (Ferencvaros), Marton Dardai (Hertha BSC), Attila Fiola (Fehervar), Adam Lang (Omonia Nicosia), Willi Orban (RB Leipzig), Attila Szalai (Freiburg)
– Midfielders: Bendeguz Bolla (Servette), Mihaly Kata (MTK), Milos Kerkez (Bournemouth), Laszlo Kleinheisler (Hajduk Split), Adam Nagy (Spezia Calcio), Zsolt Nagy (Puskas Akademia), Loic Nego (Le Havre), Andras Schafer (Union Berlin), Callum Styles (Sunderland)
– Forwards: Martin Adam (Ulsan Hyundai), Kevin Csoboth (Ujpest), Daniel Gazdag (Philadelphia Union), Krisztofer Horvath (Kecskemet), Roland Sallai (Freiburg), Dominik Szoboszlai (Liverpool), Barnabas Varga (Ferencvaros)
Switzerland:
– Preliminary squad…
Each team will have to select their squads carefully, taking into consideration the talent and form of the players. The number of players a manager can select has been a topic of discussion. Initially, Southgate was planning to name a provisional 26-man squad, which would later be reduced to a 23-player limit. However, there has been a twist in the tale.
Uefa had initially decided to return to smaller squads for Euro 2024. But several national coaches argued for a rethink, citing the high number of injuries players have suffered this season. In response, Uefa’s national competitions committee “narrowly” backed the proposal to allow extended squads, similar to those seen at Euro 2020 and the upcoming World Cup in Qatar.
Organizers are now deliberating whether to change the tournament rules at the last minute. A final decision will be made by the ruling executive committee in the coming days.
As the Euro 2024 squads are announced, fans and pundits alike will eagerly analyze the selections and speculate on each team’s chances. The tournament promises to be an exciting showcase of football talent from across Europe, and only time will tell which players will rise to the occasion and make a lasting impact on the competition.