Euro 2016 prediction: Who is the king?

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Updated: June 13, 2016
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Euro 2016: BBC pundits make their predictions for France

Euro 2016 starts at the Stade de France in Paris on Friday and ends at the same venue with the final on 10 July.

Twenty-four teams will contest the tournament, including hosts France, holders Spain and world champions Germany.

But who will get their hands on the Henri Delaunay Trophy this time, and how will home hopes England, Northern Ireland and Wales, plus the Republic of Ireland, get on?

Twenty BBC Sport TV and radio presenters and pundits predict what will happen during the next four weeks.



Gary Lineker (former England striker): France

France have to be the favourites because they have got so many really top-quality players, plus home advantage obviously. I fancy them quite strongly but after that you have Spain and Germany who will also be contenders.

Spain’s league is so strong – you only have to look at how many teams they got to the latter stages of the Champions League – and although Germany have not been brilliant since they won the World Cup, they do tend to turn it on for tournaments.


Thierry Henry (former France striker): France

The only thing Germany are missing is a number nine. If they had the strikers they used to have then they would destroy teams, but I saw a lot of their games in qualifying and they could not finish.

I think France will do it, not because of the individuals we have but because we are finally again a good team.


Alan Shearer (Former England striker): France

When you look at some of the players France have then they have to be favourites.

Plus I was here in 1998 when they gathered that momentum on the way to winning the World Cup and once the crowd gets behind them, they will be difficult to stop.


Rio Ferdinand (former Manchester United and England defender): France

France have got some big-match winners in Antoine Griezmann and Anthony Martial, who is so explosive when he runs at defenders. He is already the player Manchester United look to to make things happen and I am expecting big things from him in France.


Jens Lehmann (former Germany and Arsenal goalkeeper): Germany

France will have to deal with the pressure, I am not sure whether they can. In the same way, the German players know they are expected to win but they like that – the pressure makes them play better.

Germany love being favourites and they have set the target themselves by saying that winning Euro 2016 is just a step on the way to winning the World Cup again in 2018.


Chris Waddle(former England midfielder): Spain

I’m backing Spain but the other team I would put up there is Belgium. They have got the squad, but can they find the right 11? They underachieved at the World Cup but they would love to cross the border, walk into France and win it.


Danny Murphy (former England midfielder): Belgium should be looking to do much more than they did in Brazil two years ago, when they reached the quarter-finals, but it is hard to look further than France.

The only issue with them is that Olivier Giroud is up front because Karim Benzema was not considered for selection. That weakens their attack but they are powerful in midfield and will have Martial and Griezmann playing off Giroud.


Martin Keown (former England midfielder): I do like France and also Belgium, who were the youngest qualifiers. But this tournament comes off the back of watching Leicester win the Premier League so now I feel that anything is possible in football.


Chris Brunt (former Northern Ireland winger): Germany are the team to beat but, if I had to put a pound on it, I would have to put it on Northern Ireland. I would look stupid if we won it and I hadn’t backed us.