Hey guys! Tobi Bakre here. With EURO 2024 now just hours away, I’m as excited as you must be at the opportunity to watch proper football again. You know how it goes na…. other sports might grab our attention for a bit, but there’s NOTHING like kicking back with friends to catch the opening ceremony & game of a new football tournament. World Cup 2022 & AFCON 2023? I pin seeeh. These EUROS? I’m there like mad! And what better way to enjoy the game than surrounded by your favorite people, fingers crossed for your bet prediction to be an accurate one? Ahead of tonight’s game, here are some of my predictions for matchday 1 and the rest of the tournament. Enjoy! **Anticipation and Expectations** When I said I’m there like mad, did you think I was joking? After the club season ended two weeks ago, I’m just glad that we finally have another round of exciting football matches to stake on. This year, I’m backing Germany, the Netherlands, and France, one of those three teams is definitely the winner.
**Potential Dark Horses** Most people would pick “Turkey” but I’m going with Belgium here. Why? While the favorites are strong contenders, I believe Belgium could be the surprise package of EURO 2024. Their “Golden Generation” days might be long gone, but they still have players like Kevin De Bruyne and Romelu Lukaku who can make a difference. The absence of Courtois, who is easily the best goalkeeper in the world, contributes to making them a dark horse for me.
**Impact of Mbappe’s Move to Real Madrid** Kylian Mbappe’s move to Real Madrid, hmm. When the news broke, I mean, we all expected it, but I was still somewhat shocked. Real Madrid already had a valid case for being the best team in the world but now? They’re a proper problem. Imagine playing against someone using Madrid in FIFA ’25? Wahala! Seriously though, this transfer benefits not only for Real Madrid but also La Liga. Remember when La Liga completely dominated the FIFA World XI in 2012 with all players from the Spanish La Liga? We might be heading for that again. Anyway, with his future sorted, Mbappe will be highly motivated to perform well at EURO 2024, especially after his disappointing 2021 campaign.
**Personal Gameplay and Player Comparisons** In terms of personal gameplay, my style is probably most similar to Vinicius Jr’s. I mean, obviously, I’m not as fast or skillful, but that’s my boy. Watch out for Vini in the Copa America next week. If he can add that to his UCL and La Liga title wins this season, that Balon d’Or is his..
**Award Predictions** With Courtois sulking at home instead of going to EURO 2024 with Belgium, Gianluigi Donnarumma is my pick for the Golden Glove. Don’t laugh o, but I think Italy still has to be respected as defending champs. Add the legendary defensive reputation they’ve had for ages and Donnarumma’s talent, he’s my pick for the Golden Glove. The other picks are easy; I’m backing Mbappe for the Golden Boot and Cristiano Ronaldo for the Golden Ball. **The GOAT Debate** Ronaldo is my G.O.A.T already, but if he leads Portugal to a win here; at 39?? No more argument oo What do you think? Do you agree, or are you a Messi fan?
**Team of the Tournament, Early Exits and Surprises** Predicting the team of the tournament is tricky before EURO 2024 even begins, but of all the teams at the tournament, Les Bleus has a valid case due to their star-studded squad. Their starting XI really is like an all-star team. As for the likeliest team to disappoint, I believe it's England. They have a terrible attitude of falling short and even though they have a strong team, I just don’t trust them. What do you think?
**Ballon d’Or Contenders** Finally, regarding the Ballon d’Or race. See, I know Jude Bellingham is talented, but this one? Na Vinicius Jr get am.
**Match Predictions** Here are my predictions for the first round of group stage matches: - Germany vs. Scotland - Germany - Hungary vs. Switzerland - Switzerland - Spain vs. Croatia - Spain - Italy vs. Albania - Italy - Serbia vs. England - Serbia - Poland vs. Netherlands - Netherlands - Austria vs. France- France - Portugal vs. Czech Republic - Portugal [Enjoy a comprehensive breakdown of Matchday 1 Betting Tips ](https://m.betking.com/blog/betting-tips/euro-2024-matchday-1-preview-and-betting-tips/)
And that’s it! I plan to bet on every EURO 2024 matchday and take advantage of exciting offers like “get ₦2,000 everyday”, BetKing’s revamped “[bet and get ₦1,000,000” offer](https://m.betking.com/blog/promotions/bet-king-launches-new-and-improved-bet-and-get-1-000-000-offer/) and a fully-realized version of Bet Builder. Sign up for a BetKing account today on our website or either of our betting apps and give yourself a chance to win like a movie star!