Group D
Croatia
Croatia’s reputation as a football power is growing, with the team having qualified for the European Championship for the fourth consecutive time. The reputation of its fans, though, is only getting worse. Croatia was docked one point in qualifying and ordered to play two matches in an empty stadium after a swastika was painted on the field before a match against Italy this year. It wasn’t the first time that the country’s core of right-wing supporters — who identify with the WW II-era Ustasha regime — caused trouble, and Croatia’s traveling supporters are likely to be closely monitored in France. Croatia won its first game of the group stage last night, defeating Turkey 1–0
Czech Republic
Boosted by new coach Pavel Vrba, who took over after the failure to advance to the 2014 World Cup, the Czech Republic is back on a winning track. The team won its qualifying group — helping eliminate the Netherlands along the way — to maintain a record of reaching every European Championship since Czechoslovakia split into the Czech Republic and Slovakia in 1993. Vrba, who led his Viktoria Plzen to the Champions League twice in three years, has managed to combine veteran stars like goalkeeper Petr Cech and playmaker Tomas Rosicky with lesser known players from the domestic league.
Spain
There will be more than another title at stake for Spain at the Euro 2016. The two-time defending champion will be playing to re-establish itself as a dominant force in the game. Spain was the team to beat after winning consecutive European Championships in 2008 and 2012, along with the World Cup in 2010. But its shock elimination in the group stage of last year’s World Cup raised doubts about its supremacy. Many said the elimination in Brazil marked the end of an era, but several of the stars who helped La Roja thrive in the last few years will try to bring the team back to the top in France.
Turkey
Turkey has a point to prove in Euro 2016. The country reached the semifinals of the World Cup in 2002, finishing third, and again made it to the last four in Euro 2008, thanks to a string of last-gasp wins that became the signature style of the hard-fighting Turks. But it took them another eight years to get back to a major tournament, and only after a new round of drama. Selcuk Inan scored a free kick in the 89th minute for Turkey, beating Iceland 1-0 in their final match to advance as best third-placed team and push the Dutch into shock elimination. Veteran coach Fatih Terim has redrawn the Turkish defense, brought in younger players and watched his team climb back up the world rankings.
Group E
Belgium
Brimming with attacking flair, Belgium is a who’s who of Premier League talent and one of the teams to avoid. Not since the 1980s has Belgium had such a promising side, with the skill of Chelsea star Eden Hazard and Manchester City’s wing-sensation Kevin De Bruyne giving defenders nightmares. There is confidence running through a balanced side, although the defense may be a concern with captain Vincent Kompany out injured. Belgium finished runner-up at the European Championship in 1980 and reached the World Cup semfinals in 1986, only to stumble across Diego Maradona’s Argentina. This is Belgium’s best chance to win a major honor.
Italy
The mood in Italy was despondent after the Azzurri went out of the 2014 World Cup at the group stage, leading to the resignation of coach Cesare Prandelli and the president of the Italian football federation. Antonio Conte took over and steered Italy to top spot in its qualifying group for the 2016 European Championship, booking a spot in the tournament with a game to spare. Conte is looking for a perfect send-off at the Euros — he is taking over at Premier League side Chelsea after the tournament.
Ireland
After scraping into next year’s European Championship through the playoffs, Ireland’s mission is to avoid another embarrassing appearance at the finals. Giovanni Trapattoni’s team failed to get a single point from its three group games in Poland and Ukraine in 2012. Ireland also failed to advance from the group stage at its other appearance in 1988. For a group of stalwart players, including goalkeeper Shay Given (39), defender John O’Shea (34) and Robbie Keane (35), this could be their last chance to make an impression on a tournament.
Sweden
For Zlatan Ibrahimovic, the European Championship is probably the last chance to do something big on the international stage. For that to happen, though, he’ll need to get a bit more help from the rest of a Sweden squad that is often overly reliant on the towering striker. Sweden enters the Euros looking more than ever like a one-man team, as Ibrahimovic scored 11 of the team’s last 15 goals in qualifying — including a double in the second leg of its playoff against Denmark to secure a spot in France. Sweden does have a promising new generation coming through as its under-21 team won the European Championship last year. But those players are relatively untested at the senior international level.
Group F
Austria
Despite what some skeptics might say, Austria’s first ever qualification for a European Championship is not down to UEFA’s decision to enlarge the tournament from 16 to 24 teams in 2016. With nine wins and a draw, the team based around captain Christian Fuchs and playmaker David Alaba comfortably topped a group that also included Russia and Sweden. Only England enjoyed a better qualifying campaign with the maximum 30 points. Austria appeared at Euro 2008 as a co-host with Switzerland but hadn’t qualified for a finals tournament since the 1998 World Cup.
Hungary
Hungary was once one of world football’s giants, but those days are long gone. In France, Hungary will be at its first major tournament for 30 years and its first European Championship since 1972. The current team bears little similarity with the “Magic Magyars” of old. Whereas once the likes of Ferenc Puskas and Nandor Hidegkuti dazzled the crowd, Hungary’s preliminary squad for the championship features only one player from any of the top five-ranked European leagues, Werder Bremen’s fringe midfielder Laszlo Kleinheisler. Qualifying was a struggle, beating Norway 3-1 on aggregate in the playoff round after coming third behind Northern Ireland and Romania in what many considered one of the easier groups.
Iceland
Iceland has never played in a major tournament before, but more established teams would be wise not to underestimate the newcomer at the European Championship: Just ask the Netherlands. Iceland stunned the Dutch twice in an impressive qualifying campaign that also included wins over the Czech Republic and Turkey to reach the Euros. It is the culmination of the team’s rapid improvement under Swedish coach Lars Lagerback, who narrowly failed to take Iceland to the 2014 World Cup as the team lost in a playoff to Croatia. Lagerback has set Iceland up to be defensively solid, conceding just six goals in 10 qualifiers.
Portugal
Think of Portugal and one name immediately comes to mind: Cristiano Ronaldo. Naming any other Portuguese players, though, is a bit harder. And that lack of squad depth has long been Portugal’s problem. Ronaldo admitted after Portugal’s disappointing group-stage exit at the 2014 World Cup that maybe the team was just average, despite often being high in the FIFA rankings. The Real Madrid striker makes a competent but ordinary Portuguese team shine. He leads a side that reached the semifinals at Euro 2012 and lost the 2004 final on its own turf, against Greece.
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