The start of EURO 2024 is right around the corner and so much is at stake for Germany, especially as the host nation for the tournament. Disappointing showings at World Cup 2022 in Qatar, EURO 2020, and World Cup 2018 in Russia have created an air of looming disappointment around the national team in Germany that was at its absolute pick when they lifted the World Cup title in 2014 in Brazil.

Julian Nagelsmann has been tasked with putting Germany back on the pedestal that its footballing history demands it be on, having taken over for Hansi Flick in the fall when the DFB felt it would be best to part ways with the Sextuple winner with Bayern from the 2019/20 season.

On paper, Germany has a very doable task in being able to get out of Group A, having Scotland, Hungary and Switzerland as group stage opponents. With the strength they have, there should be no reason why Germany cannot win the group on home soil and make a solid run in the knockout stages, though England and France are the bookies’ odds-on favorites to win the tournament.

Toni Kroos is fresh off the heels of winning the Champions League with Real Madrid against Borussia Dortmund and his confidence has carried over to the German national team in what will be his last international tournament having come out of a temporary retirement from international play beforehand. “We can hold our own against any opponent. The countdown is on and I want to play these last games [of my career] the way I played the last games for Real, with the greatest possible success,” the midfielder enthused, backing Die Mannschaft to go on and lift the title in July (via @iMiaSanMia).

Photo by Christian Charisius/picture alliance via Getty Images

As per the latest betting odds from Fox Sports, Germany are third behind England and France as favorites to win the tournament, closely followed by Spain in fourth and Portugal in fifth. While the confidence from Kroos is refreshing for Germany, they will still be defying the odds if they go on to win the whole thing, which is certainly not entirely out of the realm of possibility. EURO 2020 with England’s run to the final is a fantastic example of how much home soil can spurn the team on, but they would want to avoid meeting the same fate the Three Lions met, having lost in the final on penalties to Italy.