Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/1522096
15 maltatoday | SUNDAY • 9 JUNE 2024 NEWS European football... ties, three being eliminations, so their recent record at the World Cup and Euros would have been much better with a bit more luck from the spot. Former winners Portugal, led by one of the greatest, if not the greatest for some – Cristiano Ronaldo, start off the campaign in a relatively easy group. Ronaldo holds the record for most games (25) and most goals (14) at the Euros, with his total of six assists also not bettered by any player since 1972. He will now look to score at a record-extending sixth Euro tournament. Having been helped by the Al-Nassr forward's goals over recent editions, Portugal are the only team to reach the knockout stages in each of the last seven Euros, a run stretching back to 1996. The qualified strongly, be- coming the only team to win 100% of their games and in 10 wins they scored more goals (36) than any other team while also achieving the best defensive record, with just two goals conceded. Holders Italy enter the tour- nament with little chance of going all the way. The last two defending champions, Spain defending their 2012 title in 2016 and Portugal at Euro 2020, did not make it past the last 16. Spain is the only previous team to successfully defend the Euros (doing so in 2012), so the history books suggest a repeat Italy triumph will be a tough task. But while a title defence looks difficult, Italy are one of the nations with the wid- est range of outcomes and so much will depend on the strength of opposition they face once the knockout stage takes shape, should they get that far. The groups Group A Germany, Scotland, Hungary, Switzerland Group B Spain, Croatia, Italy, Albania Group C Slovenia, Denmark, Serbia, England Group D Poland, Netherlands, Austria, France Group E Belgium, Slovakia, Romania, Ukraine Group F Türkiye, Georgia, Portugal, Czechia The host venues Berlin: Olympiastadion Berlin (capacity: 71,000) Cologne: Cologne Stadium (43,000) Dortmund: BVB Stadion Dortmund (62,000) Dusseldorf: Düsseldorf Arena (47,000) Frankfurt: Frankfurt Arena (47,000) Gelsenkirchen: Arena AufSchalke (50,000) Hamburg: Volksparkstadion Hamburg (49,000) Leipzig: Leipzig Stadium (40,000) Munich: Munich Football Arena (66,000) Stuttgart: Stuttgart Arena (51,000) England captain Harry Kane The UEFA European Championship trophy (above) and Albart, the official mascot for Euro 2024 Germany (left)