Twenty-four national teams will be dreaming of glory at the upcoming European Championship in Germany, with Berlin's Olympiastadion the destination they are all battling to reach on July 14.
There is plenty of water to pass under the bridge before that, with a month-long extravaganza set to determine who will be crowned the kings of Europe.
As with any tournament, we can expect twists and turns, drama and controversy, and no shortage of shocks along the way, yet there are a handful of favourites heavily fancied to go the distance and lift UEFA's biggest prize.
Here, ahead of the tournament getting underway on June 14, the Sports Mole team pick who they believe will be celebrating in Berlin when all is said and done.
Who will win Euro 2024 this summer?
Barney Corkhill, Editor - France
I do believe that there are a few teams who could go all the way this summer - and if we look back 20 years to Greece's success at Euro 2004, we shouldn't be too hasty to count any team out - but for me the weight of favour has to lie with France.
Granted, they have not been at their very best in recent times - they have only won two of their last five outings, including an uninspiring goalless draw with Canada in their most recent warm-up match - but it is difficult to argue against their recent tournament record.
France have reached the final in three of the last four major tournaments, including lifting the World Cup in 2018, and in Didier Deschamps have a manager that has seen it all both as a player and in the dugout for his country.
The squad itself is a brilliant blend of experience and youth too, and they possess enviable strength in depth in just about every position, whereas the other favourites have clearer areas of comparative weakness.
Then, of course, there is the Kylian Mbappe factor, with Real Madrid's newest Galactico able to lay a very strong claim to being both the best player at the Euros, and the one most capable of winning a game on his own.
Even if Mbappe is misfiring, France boast three of their top four all-time goalscorers in their current squad, including the leader in that list, Olivier Giroud, and Antoine Griezmann, who is the second-highest active goalscorer in European Championship history too.
It has been a golden generation for Les Bleus, but one which has so far 'only' yielded one World Cup in terms of trophies. A first European Championship crown since their last golden generation in 2000 would go some way to reflecting their incredible consistency in major tournaments over the past eight years.
Matt Law, Football Editor - France
I just can't look past France this summer. The Blues should have no problems topping Group D and could then potentially face Turkey and Belgium in the round of 16 and quarter-finals respectively ahead of a semi-final with England.
The clash with the Three Lions would be a 50-50 game, but I would expect France to shade it, potentially setting up a final against Germany or Portugal, and they have more than enough experience to triumph.
Mbappe is obviously France's biggest threat, but their squad is just rammed full of talent, and it would be a surprise to me if they were not the winners of this summer's European Championship.
Oliver Thomas, Senior Reporter - England
This could be the year football finally comes home for England! After almost six decades of hurt, the Three Lions head into this summer's tournament with one of their strongest ever squads, on paper, and one of the strongest squads competing at Euro 2024.
England have the Premier League, La Liga and Bundesliga Players of the Season (Phil Foden, Jude Bellingham and Harry Kane respectively) within their ranks, as well as a host of other star players who ply their trade at a high level on the continent, some of whom have major tournament experience.
There are still question marks over England's defence, but that can be said for many other nations.
Gareth Southgate's side should have few problems topping their group before setting up a favourable last-16 tie with the best third-placed team from Group D, E or F. England could then right the wrongs of three years ago by beating holders Italy in the quarter-finals, before a possible showdown with France in the semi-finals - undoubtedly a difficult task but not an impossible one.
Euro 2024 may well be the tournament where England live up to the hype, and if they were to navigate their way past an opponent as strong as France, they would fancy their chances against anyone en route to lifting their first trophy since the 1966 World Cup.
Ben Knapton, Senior Reporter - France
Lionel Messi's Argentina are not standing in France's way of international glory this time around, and even though Les Bleus are in an ostensibly challenging group, they had the Netherlands' number in qualifying and should experience little trouble against Poland or Austria either.
Turkey and Belgium are not among the few nations who can spring a surprise against Didier Deschamps's men, who have the Kylian Mbappe factor on their side and also have my vote to inflict semi-final heartbreak on England.
A final of titanic proportions could take place between hosts Germany and France, and even though Die Mannschaft have sunk Les Bleus in a couple of recent friendlies, Deschamps's troops thrive under the weight of expectation and have unrivalled star quality in all thirds of the field.
Darren Plant, Senior Reporter - France
In comparison to some of their rivals, France have a tough group and potential route to the final, yet their strength-in-depth is arguably better than anyone else's.
Deschamps could use that to good effect across the tournament and outlast teams down the stretch, particularly the likes of Belgium and Italy.
Germany would pose a greater threat in the final given the momentum that the hosts would have at this stage, but the 2022 World Cup runners-up will match their motivation and edge a nerve-jangling final.
Ben Sully, Reporter - Germany
I think Germany can end their 28-year wait for the European Championship trophy despite struggling at recent major tournaments.
After experiencing a difficult period, they have showed signs of promise in their wins over France and Netherlands earlier this year. In Julian Nagelsmann, they have a tactically astute coach, who has the capability to go toe-to-toe with any of the other 23 managers at the tournament.
Nagelsmann boasts game changers in Jamal Musiala and Florian Wirtz, while the returning Toni Kroos will add invaluable experience and composure. They also boast a healthy amount of firepower among their forward options following the inclusion of Kai Havertz, Niclas Fullkrug and Deniz Undav.
With a world-class manager and a talented squad, Germany can trouble any side in the competition, and that is before you even consider the power of hosting a major tournament. The influence of home support could be pivotal when it comes to facing top-quality opponents, with Germany's road to glory throwing up potential ties with Italy, Netherlands and France.
I believe that long road ends with Ilkay Gundogan holding the trophy aloft in Berlin.
Jonathan O'Shea, Reporter - France
No matter how hard you try, it's tough to look past France for victory at Euro 2024, due to their sheer depth of quality and experience.
Any concerns about complacency should be accounted for by Les Bleus' quest to go one better than in the last World Cup, while their long-serving manager has seen and done it all before.
Rivals such as England, Spain and Portugal boast plenty of talent - and Germany could yet surprise a pessimistic public by going close to glory - but France have the most balanced squad and sharpest mentality.
Joel Lefevre, Reporter - France
Unlike in previous editions of this tournament there are two clear favourites in my opinion at Euro 2024 - France and England.
Not only have both sides made deep run in a recent Euro and/or World Cup, but they each have experience and a plethora of quality at their respective disposals.
In the past I've always feared being the frontrunners is not the best position to be in, but I feel that for France it will do them some good. Their backline is questionable and not nearly as solid as their rock solid back four that helped them claim Euro 2000 when current manager Didier Deschamps was the skipper.
However, there were questions about that when they won the World Cup in 2018 and nearly repeated four years later. Deschamps still has an embarrassment of riches to call upon.
Not only do the French have an array of quality players which I think on paper only England can match, but they have numerous game-changers, the biggest being Kylian Mbappe, who's shown he can elevate his game from sensational to superhuman and carry a team on his shoulders.
To win a competition like the Euros with so many quality sides, having those one or two extraordinary players can sometimes make the difference. That is why I am tipping Les Bleus to lift this trophy for a third time.
Devesh Jaganath, Reporter - Portugal
Roberto Martinez has had a positive start to his time in charge, with Portugal winning all 10 of their qualification games, scoring 36 goals while conceding just two. As was the case in qualifying, Portugal have been drawn in a fairly favourable group for Euro 2024, with only Turkey likely to pose a threat.
While the new manager has not made many changes to the team since taking over, he has inherited a side blessed with a balance of experience and young talent.
Assuming Portugal top Group F, my predictions suggest they will face Slovenia and Netherlands in the round of 16 and quarter-final, respectively - both of which feel like winnable games for Martinez's men.
Finally, it is difficult to speak of Portugal having a chance to win anything without mentioning Cristiano Ronaldo. The 39-year-old is coming into the tournament following a record-breaking 35-goal season with Al-Nassr, and this will likely be the last time we see the Portuguese superstar in a major tournament for his country.
CR7 has proven time and again that he is the man for the big occasion, and you can rest assured that he will want to have one final say before bowing out.
Joshua Ojele, Reporter - France
France go into the European Championship with a plethora of world-class talents scattered across all departments of the pitch and will be in Germany with arguably the most complete and balanced squad.
With newly-signed Real Madrid man Kylian Mbappe and the experienced duo of Olivier Giroud and Antoine Griezmann leading the attack, Les Bleus should clinch top spot in Group D ahead of Netherlands, Austria and Poland.
While Didier Deschamps's men will need to be at their best in the knockout stages where the challenges of Croatia, whom they defeated in the 2018 World Cup final, and a determined England side potentially await, they boast the firepower needed to go all the way and should secure their first Euro crown since 2000.
Sam Varley, Reporter - England
I feel Euro 2024 will be the competition in which Gareth Southgate's growing England side finally get over the line, having shown plenty of cause for optimism during and since the last three tournament cycles.
The squad is as full of international quality as it has been at any point in recent years, with a winning mentality, a strong setup and an injection of star quality from its youngsters.
Alongside such a strong group, Southgate has proven his ability to oversee a tight-knit squad, which will certainly be pivotal to a long run into the European Championships this term.
An almost guaranteed meeting with France on the route to the final will pose a tough test for the Three Lions, but Southgate's side have comfortably avenged previous agonising defeats to Croatia and Italy in their following meetings and will hope to do the same to progress past Les Bleus.
On the whole, with the competition's strongest squad, boasting a renowned tight defensive record and an abundance of attacking talent, I see England going all the way and lifting the trophy for the first time in July.
Carter White, Reporter - France
Reaching the final in three of their last four major tournaments, France are the established force at the summit of the European game heading into this summer, with Antoine Griezmann, Olivier Giroud and Kylian Mbappe all possessing the ability to produce a game-deciding moment during cagey affairs at the business end of tournaments.
Whilst the likes of Germany and England will be feared for what they could do with their promising crops of young stars, Les Bleus are still the team to beat, and I feel that Euro 2024 will be won by the only side in the competition with a genuinely-intimidating aura.
Marvellous Adepoju, Reporter - France
Les Blues boast a plethora of talents across all areas and have a manager who has excelled on the biggest stages in Didier Deschamps.
Despite not being at full strength at the World Cup, France managed to reach the final and I'm backing them to go all the way this time around.
Ellis Stevens, Reporter - Portugal
Heading into Euro 2024 Portugal are my favourite to win the tournament, largely due to their stellar qualification campaign.
After a disappointing World Cup exit to Morocco, Roberto Martinez took over from Fernando Santos and transformed the team from a pragmatic, defensive side into an attacking powerhouse while maintaining their defensive solidity.
Under Martinez, Portugal won all 10 of their qualifiers, the only team to achieve this feat, and conceded in just two of those.
Portugal also boast arguably the strongest squad in the competition, rivalled by France. Many of their key players, including Bruno Fernandes, Cristiano Ronaldo, Diogo Dalot, and Bernardo Silva, ended their respective seasons in incredible form.
I believe these stars, along with the rest of their talented lineup, will play a crucial role in helping Portugal lift the trophy.
Lewis Nolan, Reporter - France
Only England come close to the World Cup finalists in terms of raw talent but unlike their English rivals, the French have quality evenly spread through their squad.
Players like Mbappe, Tchouameni and Konate should help them win the tournament and overcome tough challenges against both the Netherlands and England.
