Olivier Giroud undergoing medical ahead of Lille move
Giroud has already agreed a contract termination with Los Angeles FC, which will allow him to join LOSC on a free transfer. He played his final game for the MLS side over the weekend before speaking post-match about his 'excitement' at making the move to Lille.
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That move is now edging ever closer. As per RMC Sport, Giroud is currently in Paris undergoing his medical. Once that is completed, he will make the short trip to Lille, where he will sign his contract. It is understood that the transfer could be made official later today.
The Frenchman will replace Jonathan David and Chuba Akpom, both of whom left at the end of last season. The latter returned to Ajax upon the expiry of his loan and the former's contract expired. Hamza Igamane is also a target for Les Dogues as they look to rejuvenate their forward line.
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New York Times
36 minutes ago
- New York Times
2025 Women's Euros odds: Spain favoured ahead of defending champs England
The 14th edition of the European Women's Championship will begin on Wednesday in Switzerland, which becomes the sixth nation to host both the men's and women's Euros. Spain are the team to beat as holders of both the Nations League and World Cup. Now it remains to be seen whether they can complete the set. Advertisement The Spaniards are the favourites (7/4 on Betfair) to triumph in Switzerland and win a tournament secured by their male counterparts last summer. In a sense, this is the final frontier for Montse Tome's side given Spain have traditionally underperformed in this particular tournament. They haven't made it past the quarter-finals of any of the last three Euros but surely the expectations this time are different. Spain waltzed through qualification with no team in League A picking up more points or scoring more goals. Thirty-five-year-old Jenni Hermoso has been left out of the squad despite being the nation's record goalscorer. They have talent all over the pitch, though, and a plethora of treble winners with Barcelona suggest this could be the moment this team joins the ranks of the immortals. Unsurprisingly, perhaps, England are second favourites (47/10) to go all the way. They won this tournament when they hosted it three years ago and narrowly lost the World Cup final when they faced Spain the following year. They'll try to do better than England's men and actually win a tournament on foreign soil. England's coach, Sarina Wiegman, is the undisputed master of the Euros. She has won the tournament in charge of the Netherlands and England, winning an astonishing 12 out of 12 matches along the way. There are no sure things in sport but Wiegman in the European Championship is about as close to one as you can get. Once again, however, Spain stand in the way. Most outside observers believe that one of England or Spain will triumph over the coming weeks. Germany's women feel somewhat like Brazil's men in that they have a long and storied history that hasn't quite been emulated in more recent times. They are, in fact, the most successful nation in the history of this competition, having won it a staggering eight times. Like their male counterparts in 1966, they lost the last final after extra time at Wembley against the hosts. Germany have appeared in 9 out of the 13 Euros finals but find themselves, uncharacteristically, not necessarily expected to go the distance on this occasion. Advertisement The big blow for Germany (5/1) is the absence of Alexandra Popp. The attacking great retired in October of last year with a record of 67 goals in 145 international appearances, thus making her the third top scorer in the nation's history. Popp notched six goals in five appearances at the last Euros before an injury forced her to miss that Wembley final. Only time will tell how the country will fare without her goals at a major tournament. France (6/1) are deemed the fourth most likely team to succeed according to the bookmakers, although a lot has changed with the ousting of Wendie Renard and Eugenie Le Sommer, two of the country's longest-serving players. French supporters hope this changing of the guard will help the team buck the trend of history, which has seen them play in more major tournaments (12) without reaching a final than any other nation. Will number 13 prove lucky for them? The French open against the defending champs on Saturday. Sweden (14/1) are dark horses. They won the inaugural Euros in 1984, their only major competition win to date. Like England, the Swedes have reached the semi-finals of the last four major tournaments, an enviable record, to say the least. Kosovare Asllani figures to be crucial for Sweden, not least in terms of experience. She has made 18 appearances at the Euros, more than any other current player, and all of those have been as a starter. The Netherlands (22/1) do not have particularly short odds to win the 16-team tournament despite winning it in 2017. The Dutch are on a decent run of form that has seen them win 19 of their last 26 matches at major tournaments, a record only bettered by holders England. The most significant weapon in the arsenal of the Netherlands, Vivianne Miedema, has more goals in the WSL than any other player in history. With an astonishing 99 goals for her country, Miedema is closing in on becoming the first Dutch player, man or woman, to reach a century of international goals. It's hard to bet against her reaching that milestone in Switzerland, especially if the nation continues its record of going deep in tournaments. In a group containing England and France, though, an extended run is far from a given. Advertisement Betting/odds links in this article are provided by partners of The Athletic. Restrictions may apply. The Athletic maintains full editorial independence. Partners have no control over or input into the reporting or editing process and do not review stories before publication. (Photo of Alexia Putellas: Alex Bierens de Haan / Getty Images)
New York Times
an hour ago
- New York Times
Tour de France 2025 preview: Schedule, stage guide, team rosters, riders to watch and more
The flagship race of the World Tour cycling calendar is here. The 2025 Tour de France is set up to be spectacular. In Tadej Pogacar and Jonas Vingegaard, this era's two greatest riders will do battle in the Alps and Pyrenees. The sprinters' field is amongst the deepest ever assembled. Stars such as Mathieu van der Poel, Wout van Aert, and Remco Evenepoel will all have their eyes on stage victories. Advertisement Add in its reliably remarkable backdrop — the likes of Mont Ventoux, Montmartre, and the Mur de Bretagne in this year's route — and while every edition of the Tour is special, with its own storylines, this year sees those narratives lie closer to the surface than ever. Twenty-one stages, 23 days. Enjoy. Make no mistake, this is Pogacar vs Vingegaard. Their rivalry has animated the race's past four editions, but arguably, this year is set up to be their best meeting of all. Both are in their prime, at 26 and 28 years old respectively. For the first time since 2022, neither rider has experienced a disruptive pre-race crash in the build-up — both say they are in the best shape of their lives. And whereas previously Vingegaard's Visma Lease-a-Bike team have been far stronger than Pogacar's, UAE Team Emirates have narrowed the gap significantly in recent seasons. Both have strong domestiques: Vingegaard has Giro d'Italia winner Simon Yates and American climber Matteo Jorgenson, a podium contender in his own right, while Pogacar boats Tour de Suisse champion Joao Almeida and Yates' twin brother Adam. Elsewhere, Belgium's Remco Evenepoel made an exciting Tour debut last summer in finishing third. The world's best time-triallist, he has yet to prove he can hold onto his two rivals on the very hardest climbs, but has already won a Grand Tour at the 2022 Vuelta a Espana. The Tour de France is the only major stage race missing from Primoz Roglic's palmares — but the 35-year-old has a turbulent history in the race, missing out on victory during the final time trial of the 2020 edition, before failing to finish his last three starts. Watch out as well for his Red Bull-Bora-Hansgrohe teammate Florian Lipowitz, who podiumed impressively at the Criterium du Dauphine last month, the Tour's traditional warm-up. Yes, of every shape and size. In terms of pure sprint specialists, Lidl-Trek's Jonathan Milan, Soudal Quick-Step's Tim Merlier, and Alpecin-Deceuninck's Jasper Philipsen are the quickest men in the peloton. Philipsen and Milan's teams are more set up around their sprinters, but Merlier is an exceptional improviser. Advertisement This is without even mentioning last year's green jersey, Eritrean rider Biniam Girmay, who became the first Black rider to ever win the race's points competition. Girmay is a good enough climber to compete for points on bumpier stages, so he may still be a force in the overall points competition, even if his rivals will be favorites for stage wins. Then, there is an outstanding class of sprinters and one-day specialists who specialize in more difficult finishes. This group is headlined by Mathieu van der Poel, the Dutch superstar whose form has been shown off more in the Spring Classics than any Grand Tours. The punchy uphill finishes of the first week suit him well, but he will face stiff competition from Visma's jack-of-all-trades, and Tour specialist, Wout van Aert. The likes of Kaden Groves, a two-time winner of the Vuelta's points classification, Israel-Premier Tech's Jake Stewart, and Jayco AlUla's Dylan Groenewegen could all also contend for stage wins. The likelihood of stage one ending in a sprint finish — giving the fast men a rare chance to don the yellow jersey — means the finish in Lille should be one of the most fiercely contested moments of the entire season. Remarkably, Evenepoel is still eligible for the best young rider award, despite winning the Vuelta three years ago. He will be the favorite, though the relative lack of time-trialling kilometres does not suit him perfectly. Lipowitz should also be up there, provided he can pursue his own GC ambitions rather than only serve Roglic, while INEOS Grenadiers' leader Carlos Rodriguez finished fifth overall two years ago. But keep an eye on Lidl-Trek's Mattias Skjelmose, who has been in fine form this season — the only man to defeat Pogacar on a climb this season at the Amstel Gold race. The polka dot jersey (which celebrates its 50th anniversary this year) is an interesting goal, made up of a small group of climbers who are quick and resilient enough to get into the break almost every day, yet who choose to ignore the possibility of chasing a top 10 on GC. One rider who was targeting polka dots was last year's winner Richard Carapaz — but he was ruled out of the race last weekend with a stomach infection. Carapaz's absence means French riders such as Lenny Martinez and Kevin Vauquelin are worth considering, while there is a range of lesser GC hopefuls who may have a tilt if they lose time early on — the likes of Skjelmose, Ben O'Connor, and Felix Gall. There is also the slightly unsatisfying possibility that the competition could be won by the same rider who wins the yellow jersey, especially if they win multiple mountain stages. This was the case when Pogacar won the Tour in 2020 and 2021 and when Vingegaard was victorious in 2023. Though riders win individually, cycling is a team sport: the Tour de France will be made up of 23 teams, each made up of eight riders. The interesting aspect is that teams enter the race with different goals. Some — such as Pogacar's UAE Team Emirates and Vingegaard's Visma Lease-a-Bike — are all in on overall victory, picking squads capable of supporting their leaders in the mountains and controlling the peloton on the flat. Others, such as Alpecin-Deceuninck, for example, are all-in on sprint stage victories. Many choose to split priorities between chasing GC and going for stage wins — Soudal-Quickstep, who boast arguably the race's fastest sprint in Merlier, and one of its best overall riders in Evenepoel, epitomize this approach. Advertisement And then there are the wildcard teams — outside of the 18 WorldTeams, who qualify automatically, the ASO pick five more ProTeams at their discretion. This means that Tom Pidcock's Q36.5 do not have a place, but home hero Julian Alaphilippe's Tudor Pro Cycling do. Often, the smaller teams are all about exposure; expect to see their riders in the breakaways, shooting for the moon of a long-distance stage win. There are also four French teams in the race — Arkea-B&B Hotels, Cofidis, Decathlon-AG2R, and Groupama-FDJ — who will similarly be desperate for attention, especially with all four lacking a genuine GC podium contender. Grand Tours are won by the rider with the lowest cumulative time, so races have long offered time bonuses to spice up proceedings. This year's race keeps it pretty simple, with bonuses of 10, six and four seconds for riders finishing first, second and third in a stage. This does not apply on the two time trial days (stage five and stage 13). Two Americans — Matteo Jorgenson and Sepp Kuss — will aid Vingegaard's attempt to win the tour. Kuss, 30, is one of the best mountain domestiques in the world, so strong he even won the 2023 Tour of Spain ahead of Vingegaard and then-teammate Primoz Roglic. Jorgenson, meanwhile, will have protected status on the Visma team, and should anything happen to Vingegaard, he is set to become the leader of the Dutch squad. He finished eighth in last year's Tour and has won the prestigious Paris-Nice race in each of the last two seasons. Also taking part is Neilson Powless, who rides for EF Education–EasyPost. A strong rider in one-day races (he won the Belgian classic Dwars door Vlaanderen in impressive style earlier this year, beating three Visma riders — including Jorgenson), Powless is likely to hunt stage wins on the hilly days that pepper the first half of the race. Lidl-Trek have named American road race champion Quinn Simmons in their team. Simmons, 24, won a stage at the Tour of Switzerland last month and is one of four riders in the Lidl-Trek squad who qualify for the white jersey competition. He will mainly be tasked with reeling in breakaways so the team's sprinter, the Italian Jonathan Milan, can compete for stage wins and the green jersey, but may find breakaway opportunities on certain stages. And finally, the Spanish team Movistar have included the 29-year-old Will Barta in their eight-man roster. Barta has never ridden the Tour de France before, but has completed the Giro D'Italia three times and the Vuelta a Espana twice. In the United Kingdom, this will be the final race to be broadcast on free-to-air TV by ITV. That also means it is time to say goodbye to the channel's 7pm highlights — an institution to British cycling fans. Full coverage will also be provided to subscribers to TNT Sports/Discovery+, who will show the Tour exclusively from next season. In the U.S., NBC and Peacock are in charge of proceedings. Available on a pay-per-month basis, and available to be streamed online, Peacock's offerings will show all 21 stages live. 📺 How to watch Tour de France 2025 around the world? ⌚️📊🗺 & more on 🔗 #TDF2025 — Tour de France™ (@LeTour) July 1, 2025 Classic climbs and a traditional loop. Mont Ventoux looms large. To go through the route, The Athletic enlisted the help of legendary team manager Patrick Lefevere. The 70-year-old Belgian is the most successful manager in history, with Soudal-Quickstep, the team he has long been affiliated with before stepping down last year, marking 1000 professional victories at the Criterium du Dauphine last month. A straightforward loop from Lille, which should be settled by the pure sprinters. There are five 90 degree corners in the final three kilometres, so positioning will be key. Lefevere: 'It would be a dream for Tim Merlier to win the first stage in Lille (for Soudal Quickstep). If you win, you also take yellow. France is our neighbor, but the finish-line is only 30 minutes away from Belgium. Advertisement 'Milan and Merlier will be the favorites, but there's also the opportunity for an outsider, because the situation will be so stressful. At the beginning of the Tour, nobody wants to apply the brakes, not even the GC rider. The most important thing is to stay on your bike, and then have a team who can make space for your sprinter to do what he has to.' The longest stage of the Tour, it is bumpy enough that victory will be decided between the puncheurs — the uphill finish could be a chance for Van Aert or Van der Poel to take yellow. Another stage for the pure sprinters, but where the jeopardy is provided by the possibility of crosswinds. GC teams will need to stay near the front because of this, which will make the closing kilometres extremely stressful. Lefevere: 'We cannot dictate the wind, unfortunately, but I remember one year the course was a little bit boring, and we were in the same hotel as another team. We spoke with them and decided to force the issue. In the end, amid the crosswind, we eliminated 10 guys and Cavendish won the stage. I remember Christian Prudhomme came to our hotel with a bottle of champagne to thank us for our aggression. 'Sometimes you don't need steep mountains, because a windy stage can sometimes be more spectacular than anything else.' An awkward stage takes the Tour into Normandy. Another chance for the sprinters, but the likes of Philipsen and Milan may be distanced over some of the short final climbs. Expect a reduced bunch. This Tour de France lacks time-trialling kilometres — this is the only traditional TT all race. Evenepoel will be the favorite, but INEOS boast Filippo Ganna, a worthy contender for the stage in his own right. This should be the first opportunity to see the GC riders' condition. Lefevere: 'Remco has hardly lost a TT in the last two years. It's a big goal of his. His TT in the (Criterium du) Dauphine was quite impressive, where he put 40 seconds on Tadej Pogacar — and remember, he's Olympic and world champion, so he'll be very motivated.' The sort of stage that looks innocuous on paper but could be costly for any contender who is not attentive. The roads in Normandy are narrow, twisting and will go up and down all day. There is over 3,500m of elevation in this stage, which is more than some mountain stages contain. Lefevere: 'It's stages like this where you can sometimes see time gaps between the peloton, or lose a favorite because of crashes or unfortunate circumstances. There's also the opportunity for attacks. You also couldn't plan a better stage for Mathieu van der Poel.' The race reaches Brittany, often touted as the heartland of French cycling. The crowds will be big and enthusiastic, with the finish on the two-kilometre Mur-de-Bretagne a popular and spectacular feature of many modern Tours de France. Lefevere: 'This is the first important stage for the GC guys — they will likely attack each other here. Van der Poel and Wout van Aert will also be important here, because the Mur de Bretagne is too hard for the pure sprinters.' A very flat stage. A breakaway will almost certainly form early on but the sprinters' teams will make sure they are caught before they see the pretty town of Laval. Expect a battle royale between the race's fast finishers, although the slightly uphill finish may impact who comes out on top. Back-to-back flat stages on a weekend might not excite the TV directors but the sprinters will love it. The Chateauroux finish was a favorite of Mark Cavendish's — three of his record total of 35 Tour de France stage victories came here, including his very first. Such is the retired British rider's connection with the city, its mayor has (unofficially) renamed it 'Cavendish City' for the summer. The second Monday of the Tour de France is ordinarily a rest day but this year it falls on July 14, Bastille Day. So, for France's national holiday, the race organizers have cooked up a monster of a stage through the Massif Central. Expect it to be baking hot and for multiple storylines to play out across the day. French riders, puncheurs, climbers and the race favorites will all have marked this stage down as potentially pivotal. Worth making time to watch the whole stage, if you can. The race resumes after the first race day with a stage that is near the Pyrenees but not quite in them. It's a flat-ish profile but contains some short-but-steep climbs in the closing kilometres. Some of the sprinters won't be able to hang on; those that do will fancy their chances of victory. The race reaches the Pyrenees, taking a steady route to the Col du Soulor before sending the riders up Hautacam for the seventh time in the race's history, a 13.5km climb with an average gradient of 7.8 per cent. Vingegaard put Pogacar to the sword here in 2022 to all but seal his first overall title. Advertisement Lefevere: 'This is particularly tricky. Why? It is pretty flat before the Hautacam, which means that they'll approach the mountains at a high pace; I'm expecting a high pace for the whole Tour. But when you get to the base at this speed, not everybody reacts the same, so I think there will be some surprises.' A lesser-spotted mountain time trial. The riders will face a route that is only 11 kilometres long but which takes them up the viciously steep climb to Peyragudes. There'll be no hiding for the favorites today. The Tour returns to Superbagneres for the first time since 1989 — but with a profile that is very similar to stage 13 in the 1986 Tour, won by America's Greg LeMond on his way to overall victory. Will this stage be as pivotal in 2025 as it was 39 years ago? The final stage before the second rest day is hilly enough for breakaway specialists to have marked this as a potential opportunity. The finish in Carcassonne will be hot, and could be windy, too. The race resumes with a set-piece finish up Mont Ventoux. It's a flat day for 130km until the riders reach the town of Bedoin and commence what's generally accepted to be the hardest of the three routes up the 'Giant of Provence'. Iban Mayo's record ascent of 55:51 has stood since the 2004 Criterium du Dauphine, but is surely in danger of being toppled on July 22. Lefevere: 'It's interesting that this comes right after the rest day. Some guys have no problem after it, others struggle a little. And it's probably going to be 30C, which a lot of riders will not like. So you have to do your nutrition perfectly, but we are all human — some days we stand up in the morning, breakfast doesn't go well, and you have a bad day.' A rare chance for the sprinters in the second half of the race. Welcome after their struggles up Ventoux 24 hours earlier. A brute of an Alpine stage, which crosses the Col du Glandon, the Col de la Madeleine and finishes on the Col de la Loze, a modern classic of a climb that is making its third appearance in six editions of the race (albeit climbed from the other side this time). The sort of stage where the yellow jersey can crack himself, or his rivals. Advertisement Lefevere: 'Obviously Pogacar is a special one, and this, the Col de la Loze, was the only place I've really seen him crack. It's very long, very steep, and we'll see some riders' bodies not react as they wish at over 2000m of altitude. Days like today are proof of your condition.' Another tough — albeit short — assignment in the mountains, with the Col du Pre a less-well-known but extremely difficult climb midway through the stage, before the 1980s-flavour to the 2025 Tour continues with a finish at La Plagne, a climb used in 1984 and 1987 but which has not featured since 2002. The penultimate stage of the race takes in the Jura mountains and although it doesn't feature anything tougher than a second category climb, the peloton will be tired and — for teams who have not won a stage by this point — a bit desperate. Expect a breakaway in this one, plus some late action in the general classification race too, if we're lucky. The final stage of the Tour returns to the French capital after an Olympic-themed gap year in 2024, and the Paris games have influenced the 2025 edition too. Such was the success of the Montmartre climb in the Olympic road races, it has been added (three times) to the traditionally flat final stage of the Tour de France. Historically, the yellow jersey is not fought for on the last day, but with this new route… perhaps it might be. At the very least it may ensure we don't see a sprint finish. (Illustration: Eamonn Dalton / The Athletic; David Pintens/Belga via AF; Tim de Waele;)
New York Times
an hour ago
- New York Times
Euro 2025 predictions: Will Spain win, which players to watch and could Iceland make the semis?
Today is the day. The Women's European Championship gets underway in Switzerland, with England defending the title they won three years ago and Spain the favourites to win the tournament for the first time. Our writers are already in Switzerland to cover the event and we have asked some of them, along with members of our UK and U.S.-based teams, to tell us how they think things will pan out. Advertisement Let us know whether you agree in the comments. Charlotte Harpur: Tournaments are all about people — you never know who you're going to bump into. At the men's Euros last year in Germany, I sat next to N'Golo Kante's childhood friends on the train. Next thing you know, a legendary French fan is pulling out his cockerel Balthazar in the car park. Megan Feringa: This is actually the first time I'm covering a major tournament on the ground, so I'm excited to finally be experiencing the adrenaline and atmosphere first-hand, rather than via a surreal para-social existence. Also, Switzerland is gorgeous. Alps outside my window? 10/10. Michael Cox: In an era when almost all international tournaments feature an unreasonably large or mathematically problematic number of nations, a 16-team Euros is a dream. Two matches a day. A quarter-final four days in a row. You can watch everything, get into a nice routine, and base your whole month around the tournament without it becoming overwhelming. Tamerra Griffin: I'll be keeping a close eye on the mid-tier teams in this tournament, especially those who have been quietly building their squads either from the top down or bottom up (looking at you, Belgium, Italy and Iceland). Cerys Jones: Seeing which teams have successfully moved on from their old guard and integrated their young talent. Since the last Euros, Germany's Alexandra Popp, France's Amandine Henry and England's Ellen White have all retired, while there is no Wendie Renard or Eugenie Le Sommer in the France squad. How will they adapt? Harpur: I'm intrigued to see what France striker Marie-Antoinette Katoto can do on the international stage. She was not selected for the 2019 World Cup and was injured for the 2022 Euros and 2023 World Cup. Feringa: Sorry for being basic but, health allowing, Aitana Bonmati. I love watching her play. The flair, the elegance, the rhythm — the fact all of those things occur simultaneously with seemingly no thought or sweat. She makes football look easy. And for someone who was asked politely not to return to their under-sevens team for being s***, I appreciate watching that. Advertisement Cox: I'm convinced Italy midfielder Manuela Giugliano has the potential to be the best midfielder in Europe, but at Euro 2022 and the 2023 World Cup, I've gone to matches hoping she would star, and Italy have lost 5-1 (to France in 2022 in Rotherham) and 5-0 (to Sweden in Wellington). Third time lucky for the 27-year-old? Griffin: Sandy Baltimore had arguably the season of her career with Chelsea, and frankly, should have made France's 2023 World Cup roster. She is decisive, pacy and creative on the ball, and has become an elite defender. That versatility will come in handy for France and provide oodles of entertainment. Jones: Claudia Pina. Within two minutes of coming on against England for Spain, the Barcelona attacking midfielder showed her ability to blow a game open. She's fearless, fun to watch and I'd bet on her to score one of the goals of the tournament. GO DEEPER The Radar - Women's Euro 2025: The Athletic picks 25 players to watch Harpur: Bonmati makes Spain tick. She sets the standards and the tempo, a creative outlet who can make something out of nothing and turns the heat up on the biggest stage. It will be such a shame if her case of viral meningitis limits her ability to make a huge impact. Feringa: Watching Mariona Caldentey is like watching someone who has been told they have only 90 minutes left to live, but that time limit might be forgotten if she plays well enough. Her voraciousness is enthralling, and for Spain, it is potentially tournament-deciding. The Arsenal midfielder was unlucky not to be named the Women's Super League's (WSL) Player of the Year following her move from Barcelona. Maybe that's because the summer belongs to her instead? Cox: More attack-minded Spanish midfielders have received the plaudits in recent years, so maybe it's the turn of Patri Guijarro. On one hand, she's a classic deep midfielder, on the other, she can suddenly push forward to influence the game in the final third. She's basically the equivalent of Rodri, who won the men's equivalent award at Euro 2024. Advertisement Griffin: Pina is Spain's 'it' player at the moment. She has consistently made the most of the minutes she's been given (and is still most lethal coming off the bench), with an insatiable hunger for goals and victory unmatched by any other player. Jones: I'm with Megan on this one. Caldentey blends consistency and flair perfectly. The Arsenal midfielder was the signing of the season in the WSL and will be the driving force behind Spain's creativity. Expect her to chip in with goals too. Harpur: Without Mary Earps as England No 1, Hannah Hampton makes her major tournament debut. She is no stranger to high-pressure games at a domestic level with Chelsea but many will not have seen her quick reactions and pinpoint distribution. Feringa: This is a two-pronged prediction, as Iceland should have a breakthrough tournament and Sveindis Jane Jonsdottir will be a key player in that. Some might recall the 24-year-old forward scoring four goals in 25 minutes against Roma in last year's Champions League, but she has more to show on the big stage, particularly after her move to Angel City. Cox: With apologies for choosing a 27-year-old as my 'breakthrough' player, Germany No 10 Laura Freigang is yet to start a game at a major tournament and remains a relative unknown to many, but her Bundesliga performances for Eintracht Frankfurt in recent years have been exceptionally consistent. Her late runs into the box could bring some crucial goals. Griffin: Even though Sydney Schertenleib is still growing her way into Barcelona's starting XI, she scored a stunner against Wolfsburg in the Champions League that makes you wonder what she's capable of with ample time on the pitch. Jones: Forward Michelle Agyemang, who has been on loan at Brighton & Hove Albion from Arsenal. Sarina Wiegman gambled on the 19-year-old instead of experienced Brighton & Hove Albion forward Nikita Parris — it could pay dividends. She will not be a starter for England but the stunning goal she scored seconds into her senior debut against Belgium shows super-sub potential. Harpur: We have seen glimpses of the vintage Alexia Putellas this season as she finished as Barcelona's second-highest goalscorer and top assist provider. If Spain go far, Putellas could be at the centre. Feringa: Lea Schuller. The 27-year-old Germany forward was in hot form for Bayern Munich last season (11 goals in 22 league appearances), but in even hotter form this calendar year for Germany (five goals in six appearances). It brings her total goal tally since her international debut in 2017 to 52 goals in 75 appearances. Germany's group (Poland, Sweden and Denmark) is not weak but not nasty. Schuller's goalscoring form will play a big part in the team's progression. Advertisement Cox: I feel inclined to choose someone from Group A, as it's so much weaker than the others. So let's overlook Norway's pathetic recent tournament showings and go for Caroline Graham Hansen. After all, she is probably the best attacker in Europe and enjoys more freedom for her country than her club. Griffin: Pina. Even if she doesn't start, she's one of those blood-in-the-water strikers from whom goals can cascade once they've sniffed out a vulnerability. Jones: Esther Gonzalez. The Spain and Gotham striker could feast on the supply line in group-stage games against Italy, Portugal and Belgium. Harpur: I really don't know which England is going to turn up, given their patchy form. They cannot afford to get off to a slow start, as that could mean them failing to make the knockouts. Hit the ground running, though, and they have the quality and tournament experience to go deep. Feringa: England will go far. The noise is loud, but that means the players and coaching staff have had time to adjust to the volume. Despite the retirements and absences, Wiegman has plenty of strength in depth. There are still vulnerabilities in midfield but if England fail to go beyond the quarters, serious questions need asking. Cox: As others suggest, it does feel difficult to work out. They may have got some lingering 'squad harmony' issues out of the way already. That said, they're light in midfield, and the draw is tough. But they'll get through, and continue up until they meet Spain, in either the semi-final or final. They might be better off coming runners-up in their group to avoid them until the final. Griffin: England under Wiegman at international competitions have been special. Even with the roster shake-ups and inconsistent play recently, I will never count them out. I expect them to grow into this tournament and produce those vital intangibles needed to edge out opponents. I expect them to reach the semi-finals. Jones: There's a real chance they don't make it out of the 'group of death' with France and the Netherlands. But if they do go through, that confidence boost should take them to the final four. Harpur: Despite the tough draw, France will change the narrative of their sub-par major tournament performances and will go further than the quarter-finals. Feringa: Nailing colours to masts pre-tournament is always dangerous (please don't keep this as a receipt), but if you're still sleeping on Italy, I highly recommend you wake up. Italy topped their Nations League qualifying group to reach the Euros, defeating the Netherlands and Finland and drawing with Norway in the process. They're fun, brave and — as Michael pointed out — have midfield quality in Giugliano. Watch this space. Advertisement Cox: It's impossible to ignore the lopsided draw. There are six serious contenders — Spain, Germany, Sweden, England, France and the Netherlands. Spain are the only ones in the top half of the draw, which means an outsider is going to reach the semi-finals, possibly without being that good. Let's go for Iceland, who have organisation, togetherness and some decent players too. Griffin: I'm going left-field and saying Portugal — in a bad way. I fear this tournament will expose them not as unworthy of a continental tournament, but for placing so much responsibility on their talismanic midfield maestro Kika Nazareth, who will miss out because of injury. The last match Nazareth played with Portugal, they drew 1-1 with England. They've had one win since, and a slew of wide-margin losses. For a side that nearly beat the U.S. Women's National Team at the World Cup, this Euros will hopefully be a wake-up call to the federation to continue investing in the team, not only its star player. Jones: Norway are far better than their 8-0 defeat against England at Euro 2022 suggests. If they top Group A, as expected, they're on the kinder side of the bracket and have stars, including Tuva Hansen, Ada Hegerberg and Guro Reiten. Harpur: This tournament is so open, so it depends on who peaks at the right moment. Spain won the World Cup with a splintered squad and despite their federation and coach. The talent from one of the best generations of players remains, with a team seemingly more unified than before. Feringa: I've tried to convince myself not to write the word 'Spain' for the past half hour. But the gut feeling is visceral. However wobbly some of the performances of the world champions have been leading to this tournament, when the players click, they're unbeatable. Cox: It's really hard to look past world champions — and Nations League champions — Spain. They actually weren't very convincing en route to World Cup glory two years ago, never truly finding the right balance. But they still won it. And they've got an incredibly easy route to the semi-finals this time. Griffin: France. It feels like now or never for a country that is yet to win a major international competition. Do I have questions about manager Laurent Bonadei's ability to lead them through knockout-stage football? Yes. Am I concerned about the absence of veterans like Renard to hold the dressing room together when the stakes rise? Yep. But Katoto is back, Baltimore and Delphine Cascarino have been balling, and goalkeeper Pauline Peyraud-Magnin just had the game of her life in their comeback win over Brazil. It's time. Advertisement Jones: Spain. They gave Belgium a 2-0 headstart in February and still won 3-2. In their past four games, they hammered Portugal and Belgium, then beat England and Japan. Their squad is packed with star players — as my answers above show — and they have a perfect blend of youth and experience. (Top photos: Getty Images; design: Eamonn Dalton)
