A look at the teams in Groups A, B and C at the European Championship that will play this weekend [Macau time]:
Group A
FRANCE
France’s preparations to win the Euros for the third time have been overshadowed by off-field matters, with top striker Karim Benzema not making the squad due to his involvement in an extortion scam over a sex tape, but its squad is deep and rich with talent. Playing at home will be a huge factor, as has been shown in the past — France won Euro 84 and the 1998 World Cup in front of its own fans.
ALBANIA
For a country that spent nearly half the last century in international isolation, it’s hard to overstate the emotions associated with Albania’s qualification to its first major tournament. Football once offered the tiny Balkan country a rare chance to interact with the outside world, but for 25 years since the fall of communism Albania never got past the qualifiers. Until now.
ROMANIA
Taking advantage of a relatively weak qualifying group, Romania went unbeaten to reach just its second major tournament since Euro 2000 — the swansong for Gheorghe Hagi. A resolute side, which conceded only two goals in qualifying, will arrive at Euro 2016 without a defining star player.
SWITZERLAND
Switzerland is looking to break out of its losing tournament habits in France. For the past two decades, Switzerland has failed to advance from any European Championship group in three attempts and routinely exits the World Cup in the first knockout round. This year, a round-of-16 place is the least of the ambitions of a team well established in the top 20 of the FIFA rankings.
Group B
ENGLAND
A perfect 10 wins in qualifying and the emergence of new talent: Since the woeful World Cup in 2014, England seems to be on the up. Roy Hodgson’s team will not, though, be traveling to France in June as a favorite as the national team looks to end its 50-year wait to win a major trophy. Doubts persist over the team’s defense and captain Wayne Rooney’s position in the team, but the presence of in-form strikers Harry Kane and Jamie Vardy is cause for optimism.
RUSSIA
For Russia, it’s all about the home World Cup in 2018, but the European Championship is a great practice run. Russia floundered early in qualifying under Fabio Capello but he was replaced by Leonid Slutsky, who guided the team to an automatic qualifying spot. Some worries persist for Russia, especially regarding its inability to break down determined defenses and resist counterattacks. It’s also an aging team, especially in defense.
SLOVAKIA
Slovakia is among five newcomers to the tournament. The team will play in a European Championship for the first time as an independent nation since splitting with Czechoslovakia in 1993. But that doesn’t mean the Slovaks have no experience with major tournaments: At the 2010 World Cup in South Africa, they pulled off a major upset by knocking out defending champion Italy. And as part of Czechoslovakia, the Slovaks played a vital role in a team that won the European Championship in 1976.
WALES
Ryan Giggs. Ian Rush. Mark Hughes. Neville Southall. Just some of the Wales greats who never managed to cap their distinguished careers by playing at a major international tournament. Thanks mainly to the stunning form of Gareth Bale, Wales’ current crop will get the chance. The Welsh reached their first major tournament since the 1958 World Cup by finishing a comfortable second place in a qualifying campaign in which they only lost once and conceded just four goals. It’s a remarkable turnaround for a nation that was languishing in 117th place in the FIFA rankings in 2011.
Group C
GERMANY
No false modesty for Germany: The World Cup winners have made it clear that the Euro 2016 title is their next target. But the road to France has proved to be rockier than expected for Joachim Loew’s team. Germany failed to beat Ireland in two matches, losing away and drawing at home, and lost to Poland for the first time ever.
In the end, Germany produced enough to win the group. But since lifting the World Cup in Brazil in 2014, Germany has had a checkered record, losing friendlies against Argentina, the United States and France. Its next trip to France will be a reminder of the traumatic experience when it lost the friendly while suicide bombers blew themselves up outside the Stade de France during the Paris attacks in November.
NORTHERN IRELAND
Without an appearance at a major tournament since 1986, Northern Ireland sensed a real chance to end its long wait after being drawn in a qualifying group lacking major names and featuring a fading Greece as top seed. The Northern Irish took full advantage, finishing top of the group and qualifying with a game to spare in front of its most high-profile supporter — golfer Rory McIlroy. It was the first time that a fifth seed has topped a European Championship qualifying group.
It will be the first-ever European Championship for a team that makes up for its dearth of star quality with a relentless work rate and good organization.
POLAND
Poland can hardly do much worse after finishing bottom of its group without a win on both of the country’s previous European Championship appearances. The side will be looking to atone for the particular disappointment of exiting the tournament at the first stage on home soil last time around. Poland is hoping star striker Robert Lewandowski can steer the team through another fruitful period, as the likes of Grzegorz Lato and Zbigniew Boniek did during a golden era for Polish football in the 1970s and 1980s.
UKRAINE
Much has changed for Ukraine in the four years since it co-hosted the last European Championship. Following a change of government and a conflict in eastern Ukraine, one of the stadiums used for Euro 2012 is now under the control of Russian-backed separatists. Ukraine’s footballers, however, have not been deterred by the chaos at home. Ukraine’s hard-fought playoff win against Slovenia marked the first time the country had qualified for a European championship, rather than taking part automatically as host. Two narrow losses to Spain in qualifying showed flashes of its potential.
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