Maybe the fourth time will be the charm for England.
In the prime of what could be called its best “Golden Generation” since winning the 1966 World Cup, England heads to Germany for the Euro Championship as a slight favorite to claim its first international trophy since lifting the Jules Rimet trophy at Wembley 58 years ago.
The 24-team tournament starts Friday with the host playing Scotland. Germany always faces pressure to perform on the international stage, but the primary narrative around Die Mannschaft is midfielder Toni Kroos’ farewell from the sport after completing his club career with another Champions League title at Real Madrid
Reigning World Cup champion France is on par with England, stacked with depth at every position and still with the precocious Kylian Mbappe at the ready to torment defenses. Coach Roberto Martinez has traded one golden generation for another in moving from Belgium to Portugal, hoping talisman and 39-year-old Cristiano Ronaldo can deliver a second title for A Selecao.