| Fri 10-Jun | 8pm | ITV | FRANCE v ROMANIA | Saint-Denis |
| Sat 11-Jun | 2pm | BBC | ALBANIA v SWITZERLAND | Lens |
| Wed 15-Jun | 5pm | ITV | ROMANIA v SWITZERLAND | Paris |
| Wed 15-Jun | 8pm | ITV | FRANCE v ALBANIA | Marseille |
| Sun 19-Jun | 8pm | BBC | ROMANIA v ALBANIA | Lyon |
| Sun 19-Jun | 8pm | BBC | SWITZERLAND v FRANCE | Lille |
FRANCE harbour genuine hopes of adding to their home triumphs in Euro 1984 and World Cup 1998 which were both won on French soil with a kindly group draw offering further encouragement. Certainly, it would be a surprise if this first phase presented many problems for Didier Deschamps' men.
After all, Romania rarely qualify nowadays, Albania are making their debut, while Switzerland have never gone beyond the group stage of a European Championship finals in three attempts. Nevertheless, Les Bleus could find it tough to get off to a flying start in the opening match of the tournament against a steely Romanian team which conceded just twice in an unbeaten qualifying campaign. Indeed, keeping it tight will probably be the Romanians' main tactic throughout these three opening matches.
Albania, meanwhile, make their remarkable European Championship finals debut tomorrow afternoon against Switzerland - a rather spicier tie that it first appears as both teams will field a number of Albanian or Kosovan-born players. There is even the distinct possibility that two brothers - Albania's Taulant Xhaka and slightly better-known Swiss player Granit Xhaka - will line-up against each other. Regardless of sibling rivalry, though, Switzerland will be looking at this opener as the ideal chance to get just a second Euro finals win in history - and, overall, it would be no surprise if the greater amount of recent tournament experience enjoyed by France and Switzerland was deciding factor in this section.
Predictions France - semi finals; Switzerland - second round; Romania, Albania - group stages
FRANCE
FIFA ranking 17
UEFA ranking 8
Head coach Didier Deschamps (since July 2012)
Captain Hugo Lloris
Squad Benoit Costil (Rennes), Hugo Lloris (Tottenham), Steve Mandanda (Marseille) - Lucas Digne (Roma), Patrice Evra (Juventus), Christophe Jallet (Lyon), Laurent Koscielny (Arsenal), Eliaquim Mangala (Manchester City), Samuel Umtiti (Lyon), Bacary Sagna (Manchester City), Adil Rami (Sevilla) - Yohan Cabaye (Crystal Palace), Morgan Schneiderlin (Manchester United), N'Golo Kante (Leicester), Blaise Matuidi (Paris St-Germain), Paul Pogba (Juventus), Moussa Sissoko (Newcastle) - Kingsley Coman (Bayern Munich), Andre-Pierre Gignac (Tigres), Olivier Giroud (Arsenal), Antoine Griezmann (Atletico Madrid), Anthony Martial (Manchester United), Dimitri Payet (West Ham)
Qualification As hosts
Warm-up matches
30-May v Cameroon (H) W3-2
04-Jun v Scotland (H) W3-0
Best performance Winners 1984, 2000
ROMANIA
FIFA ranking 22
UEFA ranking 18
Head coach Anghel Iordănescu (since October 2014)
Captain Vlad Chiricheș
Squad Ciprian Tatarusanu (Fiorentina), Costel Pantilimon (Watford), Silviu Lung (Astra Giurgiu) - Cristian Sapunaru (Pandurii Targu Jiu), Alexandru Matel (Dinamo Zagreb), Vlad Chiriches (Napoli), Valerica Gaman (Astra Giurgiu), Dragos Grigore (Al-Sailiya), Cosmin Moti (Ludogorets Razgrad), Razvan Rat (Rayo Vallecano), Steliano Filip (Dinamo Bucharest) - Mihai Pintilii (Steaua Bucharest), Ovidiu Hoban (Hapoel Be'er Sheva), Andrei Prepelita (Ludogorets Razgrad), Adrian Popa (Steaua Bucharest), Gabriel Torje (Osmanlispor), Alexandru Chipciu (Steaua Bucharest), Nicolae Stanciu (Steaua Bucharest), Lucian Sanmartean (Al Ittihad) - Claudiu Keseru (Ludogorets Razgrad), Bogdan Stancu (Genclerbirligi), Florin Andone (Cordoba), Denis Alibec (Astra Giurgiu)
Qualification Runners-up of Group F (W5 D5 L0 F11 A2 Pts 20)
Warm-up matches
25-May v DR Congo (N) D1-1
29-May v Ukraine (N) L3-4
02-Jun v Georgia (H) W5-1
Best performance Quarter finals 2000
ALBANIA
FIFA ranking 42
UEFA ranking 31
Head coach Gianni De Biasi (since December 2011)
Captain Lorik Cana
Squad Etrit Berisha (Lazio), Alban Hoxha (Partizani), Orges Shehi (Skenderbeu) - Lorik Cana (Nantes), Arlind Ajeti (Frosinone), Mergim Mavraj (Cologne), Elseid Hysaj (Napoli), Ansi Agolli (Qarabag), Frederic Veseli (Lugano), Naser Aliji (Basel) - Ledjan Memushaj (Pescara), Ergys Kaçe (Paok Thessaloniki), Andi Lila (Giannina), Migjen Basha (Como), Odise Roshi (Rijeka), Burim Kukeli (Zurich), Ermir Lenjani (Nantes), Taulant Xhaka (Basel), Armir Abrashi (Freiburg) - Bekim Balaj (Rijeka), Sokol Cikalleshi (Medipol Baksasehir), Armando Sadiku (Vaduz), Shkelzen Gashi (Colorado Rapids)
Qualification Runners-up of Group I (W4 D2 L2 F10 A5 Pts 14)
Warm-up matches
29-May v Qatar (N) W3-1
03-Jun v Ukraine (N) L1-3
Best performance Never previously qualified
SWITZERLAND
FIFA ranking 15
UEFA ranking 10
Head coach Vladimir Petković (since July 2014)
Captain Stephan Lichtsteiner
Squad Roman Burki (Dortmund), Marwin Hitz (Augsburg), Yann Sommer (Moenchengladbach) - Johan Djourou (Hamburg), Nico Elvedi (Moenchengladbach), Michael Lang (Basel), Stephan Lichtsteiner (Juventus), Francois Moubandje (Toulouse), Ricardo Rodríguez (Wolfsburg), Fabian Schar (Hoffenheim), Steve von Bergen (Young Boys) - Valon Behrami (Watford), Blerim Dzemaili (Genoa), Gelson Fernandes (Rennes), Fabian Frei (Mainz), Xherdan Shaqiri (Stoke), Granit Xhaka (Moenchengladbach), Denis Zakaria (Young Boys) - Eren Derdiyok (Kasımpasa), Admir Mehmedi (Leverkusen), Breel Embolo (Basel), Haris Seferovic (Frankfurt), Shani Tarashaj (Everton)
Qualification Runners-up of Group E (W7 D0 L3 F24 A8 Pts 21)
Warm-up matches
28-May v Belgium (H) L1-2
03-Jun v Moldova (H) W2-1
Best performance Group stage 1996, 2004, 2008
GROUP B
| Sat 11-Jun | 5pm | BBC | WALES v SLOVAKIA | Bordeaux |
| Sat 11-Jun | 8pm | ITV | ENGLAND v RUSSIA | Marseille |
| Wed 15-Jun | 2pm | BBC | RUSSIA v SLOVAKIA | Lille |
| Thu 16-Jun | 2pm | BBC | ENGLAND v WALES | Lens |
| Mon 20-Jun | 8pm | ITV | RUSSIA v WALES | Toulouse |
| Mon 20-Jun | 8pm | ITV | SLOVAKIA v ENGLAND | Saint-Étienne |
ENGLAND arrive at Euro 2016 still looking to repair their slightly damaged reputation on the international stage. The 100% record in qualifying has gone some way to healing the wounds left by a World Cup group stage exit two years ago - but the Three Lions have qualified convincingly for past tournaments, only then to stutter on the big stage.
Roy Hodgson has come in for criticism in some quarters for being too conservative and the lack of width in his squad, bar Raheem Sterling, is a concern. Nevertheless, Hodgson has overseen a huge turnover of players during his four-year tenure with only four of the squad which went to Euro 2012 having made the short flight to France this time.
England, in fact, have the youngest squad of all 24 teams at this summer's tournament - and it will be the youthful vibrancy of the likes of Dele Alli as well as the goal threat of Premier League top scorers Harry Kane and Jamie Vardy which will be the key factors in this campaign.
Wales will also have plenty to offer having at last made it to a major tournament after 58 years of trying. Undoubtedly, though, all of their best work runs through Real Madrid winger Gareth Bale. The 26-year-old scored seven of his country's 11 goals in qualifying to spearhead a seriously impressive campaign featuring just one defeat. It would be slightly unfair on the Welsh to label them as a one-man team completely, though.
The defence, marshalled by skipper Ashley Williams, kept seven clean sheets and conceded just four goals in qualifying - and it was this record, as much as anything Bale did, which gave Chris Coleman's men the belief to seal a place in the finals.
Russia had a more difficult time of it in the qualifiers and sacked former England coach Fabio Capello after his conservative approach rendered only eight points from the first six games. Under his replacement, Leonid Slutsky, the Russians appeared more confident and won all of their last four games to end up qualifying pretty comfortably but it would still rank as a major surprise if this team came anywhere near matching the class of 2008 by reaching the semi finals. Neither England, nor Wales for that matter, should fear them.
By contrast, the fourth team in this section - Slovakia - should not be underestimated. A strong qualifying performance, featuring a deserved win early on over Spain, instilled great confidence in Jan Kozak's men and they went on to reach only a second major finals since 1993 when they began competing independently. Of course, in their first finals appearance - at World Cup 2010 - they caused a major shock by beating holders Italy 3-2 to reach the Last 16. Dangerously, much of the squad now remains the same now as it was then.
Predictions England - quarter finals; Russia - quarter finals; Wales - second round; Slovakia - group stages
ENGLAND
FIFA ranking 11
UEFA ranking 3
Head coach Roy Hodgson (since May 2012)
Captain Wayne Rooney
Squad Joe Hart (Manchester City), Fraser Forster (Southampton), Tom Heaton (Burnley) - Gary Cahill (Chelsea), Chris Smalling (Manchester United), John Stones (Everton), Kyle Walker (Tottenham), Ryan Bertrand (Southampton), Danny Rose (Tottenham), Nathaniel Clyne (Liverpool) - Dele Alli (Tottenham), Ross Barkley (Everton), Eric Dier (Tottenham), Jordan Henderson (Liverpool), Adam Lallana (Liverpool), James Milner (Liverpool), Raheem Sterling (Manchester City), Jack Wilshere (Arsenal) - Wayne Rooney (Manchester United), Harry Kane (Tottenham), Jamie Vardy (Leicester), Daniel Sturridge (Liverpool), Marcus Rashford (Manchester United)
Qualification Winners of Group E (W10 D0 L0 F31 A3 Pts 30)
Warm-up matches
22-May v Turkey (H) W2-1
27-May v Australia (H) W2-1
02-Jun v Portugal (H) W1-0
Best performance Semi finals 1968, 1996
RUSSIA
FIFA ranking 29
UEFA ranking 9
Head coach Leonid Slutsky (since August 2015)
Captain Roman Shirokov
Squad Igor Akinfeev (CSKA Moscow), Yuri Lodygin (Zenit St Petersburg), Guilherme (Lokomotiv Moscow) - Aleksei Berezutski (CSKA Moscow), Vasili Berezutski (CSKA Moscow), Sergei Ignashevich (CSKA Moscow), Dmitri Kombarov (Spartak Moscow), Roman Neustadter (Schalke), Georgi Schennikov (CSKA Moscow), Roman Shishkin (Lokomotiv Moscow), Igor Smolnikov (Zenit St Petersburg) - Igor Denisov (Dynamo Moscow), Dmitri Torbinski (Krasnodar), Aleksandr Golovin (CSKA Moscow), Denis Glushakov (Spartak Moscow), Oleg Ivanov (Terek Grozny), Pavel Mamaev (Krasnodar), Aleksandr Samedov (Lokomotiv Moscow), Oleg Shatov (Zenit St Petersburg), Roman Shirokov (CSKA Moscow) - Artem Dzyuba (Zenit St Petersburg), Aleksandr Kokorin (Zenit St Petersburg), Fedor Smolov (Krasnodar)
Qualification Runners-up of Group G (W6 D2 L2 F21 A5 Pts 20)
Warm-up matches
01-Jun v Czech Republic (N) L1-2
05-Jun v Serbia (N) D1-1
Best performance Winners 1960
SLOVAKIA
FIFA ranking 24
UEFA ranking 19
Head coach Ján Kozák (since July 2013)
Captain Martin Škrtel
Squad Matus Kozacik (Viktoria Plzen), Jan Mucha (Slovan Bratislava), Jan Novota (Rapid Vienna) - Peter Pekarik (Hertha Berlin), Milan Skriniar (Sampdoria), Martin Skrtel (Liverpool), Norbert Gyomber (Roma), Jan Durica (Lokomotiv Moscow), Kornel Salata (Slovan Bratislava), Tomas Hubocan (Dinamo Moscow), Dusan Svento (Cologne) - Marek Hamsik (Napoli), Juraj Kucka (AC Milan), Miroslav Stoch (Bursaspor), Vladimir Weiss (Al-Gharafa), Robert Mak (Paok Thessaloniki), Patrik Hrosovsky (Viktoria Plzen), Jan Gregus (Jablonec), Viktor Pecovsky (Zilina), Stanislav Sestak (Ferencvaros), Ondrej Duda (Legia Warsaw) - Michal Duris (Viktoria Plzen), Adam Nemec (Willem II)
Qualification Runners-up of Group C (W7 D1 L2 F17 A8 Pts 22)
Warm-up matches
27-May v Georgia (N) W3-1
29-May v Germany (A) W3-1
04-Jun v Northern Ireland (H) D0-0
Best performance Never previously qualified
WALES
FIFA ranking 26
UEFA ranking 28
Head coach Chris Coleman (since January 2012)
Captain Ashley Williams
Squad Wayne Hennessey (Crystal Palace), Daniel Ward (Liverpool), Owain Fon Williams (Inverness CT) - Ashley Williams (Swansea), James Chester (West Brom), Ben Davies (Tottenham), James Collins (West Ham), Chris Gunter (Reading), Neil Taylor (Swansea), Jazz Richards (Fulham) - Joe Ledley (Crystal Palace), Joe Allen (Liverpool), David Vaughan (Nottingham Forest), Jonathan Williams (Crystal Palace), David Edwards (Wolves), George Williams (Fulham), Aaron Ramsey (Arsenal), Andy King (Leicester) - Gareth Bale (Real Madrid), David Cotterill (Birmingham), Hal Robson-Kanu (Reading), Simon Church (MK Dons), Sam Vokes (Burnley)
Qualification Runners-up of Group B (W6 D3 L1 F11 A4 Pts 21)
Warm-up match
05-Jun v Sweden (A) L0-3
Best performance Never previously qualified
GROUP C
| Sun 12-Jun | 5pm | BBC | POLAND v NORTHERN IRELAND | Nice |
| Sun 12-Jun | 8pm | BBC | GERMANY v UKRAINE | Lille |
| Thu 16-Jun | 5pm | ITV | UKRAINE v NORTHERN IRELAND | Lyon |
| Thu 16-Jun | 8pm | ITV | GERMANY v POLAND | Saint-Denis |
| Tue 21-Jun | 5pm | BBC | NORTHERN IRELAND v GERMANY | Paris |
| Tue 21-Jun | 5pm | BBC | UKRAINE v POLAND | Marseille |
WORLD champions Germany will be happy enough in Group C as Joachim Löw's men seek to emulate France (1998, 2000) and Spain (2010, 2012) in following up a World Cup title with victory in the European Championships. The Germans' qualifying campaign was not without its hitches - they lost in Poland, who they will face again this summer, and in Ireland. Nevertheless, the Nationalmannschaft still topped the section, and there is an unflinching belief that, for a sixth consecutive tournament, they will reach at least the semi final stage.
Poland may indeed have beaten Germany in the qualifiers - in a 2-0 win in Warsaw in October 2014 - but this was the Poles' first win over their neighbours in history. Therefore, it really would be a surprise if it happened again in Saint-Denis on 16 June. As such, Adam Nawałka's men may instead look to target their opening match against Northern Ireland as a way of smoothing their progress through to the knockout stage, something which they have never done at a European finals. Robert Lewandowski - Europe's top scorer in qualifying with 13 goals - should at least ensure that happens this time.
Fellow Euro 2012 hosts Ukraine can be less certain of a place in the Last 16. An ageing team, the Ukrainians scrambled through to these finals by beating Slovenia in the playoffs after finishing behind Slovakia as well as Spain. Ukraine failed to score in any of their four matches against the top two - a sign of the times following the retirement of Andriy Shevchenko - and, although Shevchenko is now back involved in the national set-up as assistant coach, Ukraine are undoubtedly a team which the Northern Irish should aim to beat.
Of course, Northern Ireland enter their first major tournament in 30 years with little to lose and nothing to fear. After years in the doldrums, Michael O'Neill's men produced a scintillating qualifying campaign to top their section and reach the finals of the European Championships for the first time ever.
True, there were two World Cup finals appearances in the 1980s - but, as the team declined in the 1990s and 2000s, those days seemed to belong to a bygone era. Now, Norn Iron - as they are sometimes affectionately known - are back, though heavily reliant on the goals of Kyle Lafferty who matched Gareth Bale's qualifying total of seven. An injury doubt to Lafferty on the eve of the tournament has potentially dealt O'Neill a major blow - and, with much of the rest of the squad hailing from England's lower divisions, it would be difficult to see how they would do enough to pick up the slack if their main man is struggling for fitness.
Predictions Germany - winners; Poland - quarter finals; Ukraine - second round; Northern Ireland - group stage
GERMANY
FIFA ranking 4
UEFA ranking 1
Head coach Joachim Löw (since July 2006)
Captain Bastian Schweinsteiger
Squad Manuel Neuer (Bayern Munich), Bernd Leno (Bayer Leverkusen), Marc-Andre ter Stegen (Barcelona) - Jerome Boateng (Bayern Munich), Emre Can (Liverpool), Jonas Hector (Cologne), Benedikt Howedes (Schalke), Mats Hummels (Dortmund), Shkodran Mustafi (Valencia), Antonio Ruediger (Roma) - Julian Draxler (Wolfsburg), Sami Khedira (Juventus), Joshua Kimmich (Bayern Munich), Toni Kroos (Real Madrid), Thomas Muller (Bayern Munich), Mesut Ozil (Arsenal), Lukas Podolski (Galatasaray), Andre Schurrle (Wolfsburg), Bastian Schweinsteiger (Manchester United), Julian Weigl (Dortmund) - Mario Gomez (Besiktas), Mario Gotze (Bayern Munich), Leroy Sane (Schalke)
Qualification Winners of Group D (W7 D1 L2 F24 A9 Pts 22)
Warm-up matches
29-May v Slovakia (H) L1-3
04-Jun v Hungary (H) W2-0
Best performance Winners 1972, 1980, 1996
UKRAINE
FIFA ranking 19
UEFA ranking 14
Head coach Mykhaylo Fomenko (since December 2012)
Captain Anatoliy Tymoshchuk
Squad Andriy Pyatov (Shakhtar Donetsk), Denys Boyko (Besiktas), Mykyta Shevchenko (Shakhtar Donetsk) - Yevhen Khacheridi (Dynamo Kiev), Bohdan Butko (Shakhtar Donetsk), Artem Fedetskyi (Dnipropetrovsk), Oleksandr Karavaev, Oleksandr Kucher, Yaroslav Rakytskiy, Vyacheslav Shevchuk (all Shakhtar Donetsk) - Serhiy Rybalka (Dynamo Kiev), Denys Garmash (Dynamo Kiev), Serhiy Sydorchuk (Dynamo Kiev), Andriy Yarmolenko (Dynamo Kiev), Yevhen Konoplyanka (Sevilla), Ruslan Rotan (Dnipropetrovsk), Taras Stepanenko (Shakhtar Donetsk), Viktor Kovalenko (Shakhtar Donetsk), Anatoliy Tumoschuk (Kairat), Oleksandr Zinchenko (UFA) - Roman Zozulya (Dnipropetrovsk), Pylyp Budkivskyi (Shakhtar Donetsk), Yevhen Seleznyov (Shakhta Donetsk)
Qualification Third place in Group C (W6 D1 L3 F14 A4 Pts 19)
Playoffs Won 3-1 on aggregate
14-Nov-15 v Slovenia (H) W2-0
17-Nov-15 v Slovenia (A) D1-1
Warm-up matches
29-May v Romania (N) W4-3
03-Jun v Albania (N) W3-1
Best performance Group stage 2012
POLAND
FIFA ranking 27
UEFA ranking 17
Head coach Adam Nawałka (since October 2013)
Captain Robert Lewandowski
Squad Lukasz Fabianski (Swansea), Wojciech Szczesny (Roma), Artur Boruc (Bournemouth) - Thiago Cionek (Palermo), Kamil Glik (Torino), Artur Jedrzejczyk (Krasnodar), Michal Pazdan (Legia Warsaw), Lukasz Piszczek (Dortmund), Bartosz Salamon (Cagliari), Jakub Wawrzyniak (Lechia Gdansk) - Jakub Blaszczykowski (Dortmund), Kamil Grosicki (Rennes), Tomasz Jodlowiec (Legia Warsaw), Bartosz Kapustka (Cracovia), Grzegorz Krychowiak (Sevilla), Karol Linetty (Lech Poznan), Krzysztof Maczynski (Wisla Krakow), Slawomir Peszko (Lechia Gdansk), Filip Starzynski (Zaglebie Lubin), Piotr Zielinski (Udinese) - Arkadiusz Milik (Ajax), Robert Lewandowski (Bayern Munich), Mariusz Stepinski (Chorzow)
Qualification Runners-up of Group D (W6 D3 L1 F33 A10 Pts 21)
Warm-up matches
01-Jun v Netherlands (H) L1-2
06-Jun v Lithuania (H) D0-0
Best performance Group stage 2008, 2012
NORTHERN IRELAND
FIFA ranking 25
UEFA ranking 33
Head coach Michael O'Neill (since December 2011)
Captain Steven Davis
Squad Alan Mannus (St Johnstone), Michael McGovern (Hamilton), Roy Carroll (Linfield) - Craig Cathcart (Watford), Jonathan Evans (West Brom), Gareth McAuley (West Brom), Luke McCullough (Doncaster), Conor McLaughlin (Fleetwood), Lee Hodson (MK Dons), Aaron Hughes (free agent), Patrick McNair (Manchester United), Chris Baird (Derby) - Steven Davis (Southampton), Oliver Norwood, (Reading), Corry Evans, (Blackburn), Shane Ferguson (Millwall), Stuart Dallas (Leeds), Niall McGinn (Aberdeen), Jamie Ward (Nottingham Forest) - Kyle Lafferty (Norwich), Conor Washington (QPR), Josh Magennis (Kilmarnock), Will Grigg (Wigan)
Qualification Winners of Group F (W6 D3 L1 F16 A8 Pts 21)
Warm-up matches
27-May v Belarus (H) W3-0
03-Jun v Slovakia (A) D0-0
Best performance Never previously qualified
GROUP D
| Sun 12-Jun | 2pm | ITV | TURKEY v CROATIA | Paris |
| Mon 13-Jun | 2pm | ITV | SPAIN v CZECH REPUBLIC | Toulouse |
| Fri 17-Jun | 5pm | BBC | CZECH REPUBLIC v CROATIA | Saint-Étienne |
| Fri 17-Jun | 8pm | ITV | SPAIN v TURKEY | Nice |
| Tue 21-Jun | 8pm | ITV | CROATIA v SPAIN | Bordeaux |
| Tue 21-Jun | 8pm | ITV | CZECH REPUBLIC v TURKEY | Lens |
DEFENDING champions Spain are looking to make it three European Championship wins in a row following their success at Euro 2008 and Euro 2012. However, La Roja's swift exit from the World Cup has called into question if this glorious era for the Spanish national team is indeed fizzling out. Still, Vicente del Bosque's men should have few problems this time negotiating a straight-forward looking group.
Croatia are perhaps their trickiest opponents - and, since their independence in the 1990s, the Croatians have done pretty well at the Euros, failing to qualify only once and reaching two quarter finals. Coach Ante Čačić can call upon Luka Modric of Real Madrid and Mario Mandzukic of Juventus, and there is some hope that this team could even emulate the last Croatia team to head to France for a major tournament - the class of 98 which reached the semi finals of the World Cup. That may be pushing it a bit far but there can be little doubt that Croatia will be a competitive force this summer.
However, one team which Croatia will not relish facing is Turkey. The Turks knocked the Croatians out of Euro 2008 on penalties having secured a last minute equaliser in extra time. Earlier in that tournament, in the group stage, Turkey had scored late winners against Switzerland and the Czech Republic - and they left it late again to qualify this time. Selcuk Inan scored a free-kick in the last seconds and Turkey duly made it through as the best third-placed finisher, without the need for a playoff.
The Czechs, who they will face again this summer, actually won the same qualifying group - but, while hopes are high in Turkey of another good run, positivity is in much shorter supply in Prague. A team devoid of star names looks hard pushed to match the achievements of their predecessors who reached the Final in 1996 and the semi finals in 2004. The defence is a particular concern having kept only one clean sheet in 22 games under coach Pavel Vrba - and that came in a warm-up against Malta.
Predictions Spain - finalists; Croatia - quarter finals; Turkey - second round; Czech Republic - group stages
SPAIN
FIFA ranking 6
UEFA ranking 2
Head coach Vicente del Bosque (since July 2008)
Captain Iker Casillas
Squad Iker Casillas (Porto), David de Gea (Manchester United), Sergio Rico (Sevilla) - Marc Bartra (Barcelona), Jordi Alba (Barcelona), Gerard Pique (Barcelona), Cesar Azpilicueta (Chelsea), Hector Bellerin (Arsenal), Sergio Ramos (Real Madrid), Juanfran (Atletico Madrid) - Sergio Busquets (Barcelona), Mikel San Jose (Athletic Bilbao), Cesc Fabregas (Chelsea), Thiago Alcantara (Bayern Munich), Bruno Soriano (Villarreal), Andres Iniesta (Barcelona), Koke (Atletico Madrid) - Pedro (Chelsea), David Silva (Manchester City), Alvaro Morata (Juventus), Aritz Aduriz (Athletic Bilbao), Nolito (Celta Vigo), Lucas Vazquez (Real Madrid)
Qualification Winners of Group C (W9 D0 L1 F23 A3 Pts 27)
Warm-up matches
29-May v Bosnia-Herzegovina (N) W3-1
01-Jun v South Korea (N) W6-1
07-Jun v Georgia (H) L0-1
Best performance Winners 1964, 2008, 2012
CZECH REPUBLIC
FIFA ranking 30
UEFA ranking 15
Head coach Pavel Vrba (since January 2014)
Captain Tomáš Rosický
Squad Petr Cech (Arsenal), Tomas Vaclik (Basel), Tomas Koubek (Sparta Prague) - Theodor Gebre Selassie (Werder Bremen), Pavel Kaderabek (Hoffenheim), David Limbersky (Viktoria Pilsen), Marek Suchy (Basel), Michal Kadlec (Sparta Prague), Tomas Sivok (Bursaspor), Roman Hubnik (Viktoria Pilsen), Daniel Pudil (Sheffield Wednesday) - Borek Dockal (Sparta Prague), Jiri Skalak (Brighton), Vladimir Darida (Hertha Berlin), Daniel Kolar (Viktoria Pilsen), Ladislav Krejci (Sparta Prague), Josef Sural (Sparta Prague), David Pavelka (Kasimpasa), Jaroslav Plasil (Bordeaux), Tomas Rosicky (Arsenal) - Milan Skoda (Slavia Prague), Tomas Necid (Bursaspor), David Lafata (Sparta Prague)
Qualification Winners of Group A (W7 D1 L2 F19 A14 Pts 22)
Warm-up matches
27-May v Malta (N) W6-0
01-Jun v Russia (N) W2-1
05-Jun v South Korea (H) L1-2
Best performance Winners 1976
TURKEY
FIFA ranking 18
UEFA ranking 22
Head coach Fatih Terim (since August 2013)
Captain Arda Turan
Squad Volkan Babacan (Basaksehir), Onur Recep Kivrak (Trabzonspor), Harun Tekin (Bursaspor) - Gokhan Gonul (Fenerbahce), Ahmet Calik (Genclerbirligi), Sener Ozbayrakli (Fenerbahce), Hakan Balta (Galatasaray), Mehmet Topal (Fenerbahce), Semih Kaya (Galatasaray), Ismail Koybasi (Besiktas), Caner Erkin (Fenerbahce) - Emre Mor (Nordsjaelland), Volkan Sen (Fenerbahce), Hakan Calhanoglu (Leverkusen), Nuri Sahin (Dortmund), Oguzhan Ozyakup (Besiktas), Ozan Tufan (Fenerbahce), Selcuk Inan (Galatasaray), Arda Turan (Barcelona), Olcay Sahan (Besiktas) - Burak Yilmaz (Beijing Guoan), Cenk Tosun (Besiktas), Yunus Malli (FSV Mainz 05)
Qualification Third place in Group A (W5 D3 L2 F14 A9 Pts 18)
Warm-up matches
22-May v England (A) L1-2
29-May v Montenegro (H) W1-0
05-Jun v Slovenia (A) W1-0
Best performance Semi finals 2008
CROATIA
FIFA ranking 27
UEFA ranking 12
Head coach Ante Čačić (since September 2015)
Captain Darijo Srna
Squad Danijel Subasic (Monaco), Lovre Kalinic (Hajduk Split), Ivan Vargic (Rijeka) - Vedran Corluka (Lokomotiv Moscow), Darijo Srna (Shakhtar Donetsk), Domagoj Vida (Dynamo Kiev), Sime Vrsaljko (Sassuolo), Gordon Schildenfeld (Dinamo Zagreb), Ivan Strinic (Napoli), Tin Jedvaj (Bayer Leverkusen) - Luka Modric, Mateo Kovacic (both Real Madrid), Ivan Rakitic (Barcelona), Marcelo Brozovic (Inter Milan), Ivan Perisic (Inter Milan), Milan Badelj (Fiorentina), Marko Rog (Dinamo Zagreb), Ante Coric (Dinamo Zagreb) - Mario Mandzukic (Juventus), Nikola Kalinic (Fiorentina), Marko Pjaca (Dinamo Zagreb), Duje Cop (Dinamo Zagreb), Andrej Kramaric (Hoffenheim)
Qualification Runners-up of Group H (W6 D3 L1 F20 A5 Pts 20*)
*deducted one point and fined €100,000 for racist behaviour in the crowd against Italy (H)
Warm-up matches
27-May v Moldova (H) W1-0
04-Jun v San Marino (H) W10-0
Best performance Quarter finals 1996, 2008
GROUP E
| Mon 13-Jun | 5pm | BBC | IRELAND v SWEDEN | Saint-Denis |
| Mon 13-Jun | 8pm | BBC | BELGIUM v ITALY | Lyon |
| Fri 17-Jun | 2pm | ITV | ITALY v SWEDEN | Toulouse |
| Sat 18-Jun | 2pm | ITV | BELGIUM v IRELAND | Bordeaux |
| Wed 22-Jun | 8pm | ITV | ITALY v IRELAND | Lille |
| Wed 22-Jun | 8pm | ITV | SWEDEN v BELGIUM | Nice |
IRELAND lost all three games at Euro 2008 after being drawn into a tough group against Spain, Italy, and Croatia. Once again, the Irish will face the Italians - and, this time, it will be little easier against Sweden and Belgium. Still, it would be a surprise if Ireland lost all three group games again with head coach Martin O'Neill and assistant Roy Keane having mined the age-old Irish quality of sheer determination, something which undoubtedly helped them take four points off world champions Germany in the qualifying group. Shane Long is likely to lead the line, meaning Ireland have a bit more pace in their attack than four years ago. Robbie Keane - scorer of 67 international goals in 143 appearances - and playoff hero Jonathan Walters have unsurprisingly also made the cut.
For Italy, the European Championships four years ago have proved to be the highlight of a relatively poor decade since their World Cup win in 2006. Both World Cup campaigns since then have ended in the group stage and so it was something of a surprise that, in between, the Azzurri made it to the Final in 2012 after edging out Germany in the semis. Of course, it will not be a Final too fondly remembered in Italy with Spain running out 4-0 winners - but the Italians will do well to get anywhere near that stage this time. Coach Antonio Conte is leaving for Chelsea straight after the tournament, and it could be that he is making a very wise move indeed.
Belgium, after all, are the seeds in Group E having maintained their high FIFA ranking by winning a facile qualifying group ahead of Wales and Bosnia-Herzegovina. Undoubtedly, the Diables Rouges have a gloriously talented generation of players, spearheaded by the craft of Eden Hazard, the elegance of Kevin De Bruyne and the goals of Romelu Lukaku. Yet, despite this, coach Marc Wilmots has rarely engineered a truly cohesive performance from his men. True, two years ago, they won all of their group games - but they only scored four goals in the three matches, before then squeezing through against the United States in the second round, only to limp out to Argentina in the quarter finals. More frustration awaits this summer.
Finally, Sweden are almost a polar opposite to the Belgians. Whereas the latter seek to produce a performance from a team collective, the Swedes unashamedly look to one man - Zlatan Ibrahimović. Since Euro 2012, Sweden have played 21 competitive matches with Ibrahimović in the side - and, with 19 goals and six assists in that time, the skipper has been directly involved in three-quarters of the team's goals. Of course, this great strength can also be considered a weakness - opponents know that if they can shut out Ibrahimović then it is highly likely they will win. Planning to stop Ibrahimović and actually succeeding are two entirely different matters, however.
Predictions Belgium - second round; Italy - second round; Sweden - second round; Ireland - group stages
BELGIUM
FIFA ranking 2
UEFA ranking 5
Head coach Marc Wilmots (since May 2012)
Captain Eden Hazard
Squad Thibaut Courtois (Chelsea), Jean-Francois Gillet (Mechelen), Simon Mignolet (Liverpool) - Toby Alderweireld (Tottenham), Laurent Ciman (Montreal Impact), Jason Denayer (Galatasaray), Christian Kabasele (Genk), Jordan Lukaku (Ostend), Thomas Meunier (Club Bruges), Thomas Vermaelen (Barcelona), Jan Vertonghen (Tottenham) - Mousa Dembele (Tottenham), Marouane Fellaini (Manchester Utd), Radja Nainggolan (Roma), Axel Witsel (Zenit St Petersburg) - Michy Batshuayi (Marseille), Christian Benteke (Liverpool), Yannick Carrasco (Atletico Madrid), Kevin De Bruyne (Manchester City), Eden Hazard (Chelsea), Romelu Lukaku (Everton), Dries Mertens (Napoli), Divock Origi (Liverpool)
Qualification Winners of Group B (W7 D2 L1 F24 A5 Pts 23)
Warm-up matches
28-May v Switzerland (A) W2-1
01-Jun v Finland (H) D1-1
05-Jun v Norway (H) W3-2
Best performance Runners-up 1980
ITALY
FIFA ranking 12
UEFA ranking 6
Head coach Antonio Conte (since August 2014)
Captain Gianluigi Buffon
Squad Gianluigi Buffon (Juventus), Federico Marchetti (Lazio), Salvatore Sirigu (Paris St-Germain) - Andrea Barzagli (Juventus), Leonardo Bonucci (Juventus), Giorgio Chiellini (Juventus), Angelo Ogbonna (West Ham) - Federico Bernardeschi (Fiorentina), Antonio Candreva (Lazio), Matteo Darmian (Manchester United), Daniele de Rossi (Roma), Mattia de Sciglio (AC Milan), Stephan El Shaarawy (Roma), Alessandro Florenzi (Roma), Emanuele Giaccherini (Bologna), Thiago Motta (Paris St-Germain), Marco Parolo (Lazio), Stefano Sturaro (Juventus) - Eder (Sampdoria), Ciro Immobile (Torino), Lorenzo Insigne (Napoli), Graziano Pelle (Southampton), Simone Zaza (Juventus)
Qualification Winners of Group H (W7 D3 L0 F16 A7 Pts 24)
Warm-up matches
29-May v Scotland (N) W1-0
06-Jun v Finland (H) W2-0
Best performance Winners 1968
IRELAND
FIFA ranking 33
UEFA ranking 23
Head coach Martin O'Neill (since November 2013)
Captain Robbie Keane
Squad Darren Randolph (West Ham), Shay Given (Stoke), Keiren Westwood (Sheffield Wednesday) - Cyrus Christie (Derby), Seamus Coleman (Everton), Ciaran Clark (Aston Villa), Richard Keogh (Derby), Shane Duffy (Blackburn), John O'Shea (Sunderland), Stephen Ward (Burnley) - James McClean (West Brom), Glenn Whelan (Stoke), James McCarthy (Everton), Jeff Hendrick (Derby), Stephen Quinn (Reading), Wes Hoolahan (Norwich), David Meyler (Hull), Robbie Brady (Norwich), Aiden McGeady (Everton) - Jon Walters (Stoke), Shane Long (Southampton), Robbie Keane (LA Galaxy), Daryl Murphy (Ipswich)
Qualification Third place in Group D (W5 D3 L2 F19 A7 Pts 18)
Playoff Won 3-1 on aggregate
13-Nov-15 v Bosnia-Herzegovina (A) D1-1
16-Nov-15 v Bosnia-Herzegovina (H) W2-0
Warm-up matches
27-May v Netherlands (H) D1-1
31-May v Belarus (H) L1-2
Best performance Group stage 1988, 2012
SWEDEN
FIFA ranking 35
UEFA ranking 16
Head coach Erik Hamrén (since November 2009)
Captain Zlatan Ibrahimović
Squad Andreas Isaksson (Kasimpasa), Robin Olsen (Copenhagen), Patrik Carlgren (AIK Solna) - Ludwig Augustinsson (Copenhagen), Erik Johansson (Copenhagen), Pontus Jansson (Torino), Victor Lindelof (Benfica) Andreas Granqvist (Krasnodar), Mikael Lustig (Celtic), Martin Olsson (Norwich) - Jimmy Durmaz (Olympiakos), Albin Ekdal (Hamburg), Oscar Hiljemark (Palermo), Sebastian Larsson (Sunderland), Pontus Wernbloom (CSKA Moscow), Erkan Zengin (Trabzonspor), Oscar Lewicki (Malmo), Emil Forsberg (Leipzig), Kim Kallstrom (Grasshoppers Zurich) - Marcus Berg (Panathinaikos), John Guidetti (Celta Vigo), Zlatan Ibrahimovic (Paris St-Germain), Emir Kujovic (Norrkoping)
Qualification Third place in Group G (W5 D3 L2 F15 A9 Pts 18)
Playoffs Won 4-3 on aggregate
14-Nov-15 v Denmark (H) W2-1
17-Nov-15 v Denmark (A) D2-2
Warm-up matches
30-May v Slovenia (H) D0-0
05-Jun v Wales (H) W3-0
Best performance Semi finals 1992
GROUP F
| Tue 14-Jun | 5pm | ITV | AUSTRIA v HUNGARY | Bordeaux |
| Tue 14-Jun | 8pm | BBC | PORTUGAL v ICELAND | Saint-Étienne |
| Sat 18-Jun | 5pm | BBC | ICELAND v HUNGARY | Marseille |
| Sat 18-Jun | 8pm | BBC | PORTUGAL v AUSTRIA | Paris |
| Wed 22-Jun | 5pm | BBC | HUNGARY v PORTUGAL | Lyon |
| Wed 22-Jun | 5pm | BBC | ICELAND v AUSTRIA | Saint-Denis |
ICELAND will endure a baptism of fire when they play Portugal on Tuesday in their first ever major tournament finals match. With a population of around 330,000 - about the same size of Coventry - it will be quite remarkable when they line up against Cristiano Ronaldo and co. Yet to Icelanders, this qualification has come as rather less of a surprise than you would think. The signs were there in the World Cup 2014 qualifiers when the team was beaten by Croatia in a playoff, and Lars Lagerbäck's men actually qualified for Euro 2016 with two matches to spare, having beaten Netherlands 1-0 in Amsterdam.
Indeed, it could be said that Iceland's appearance in France this summer is the culmination of a major project by the Icelandic FA to construct seven full-size indoor pitches so that this football-mad country could continue to play through the harsh winter - and, of course, the adventure does not necessarily end at the group stage.
After all, Albania proved in qualifying that Portugal can be beaten. Beyond Ronaldo, this is not a squad to match the talent of the fabled golden generation of Luis Figo et al - and the two centre-backs, Ricardo Carvalho and Pepe, have both seen better days. Still, Portugal will be thankful then for a relatively kind group - and, if Ronaldo has his scoring boots on, he could end up with hatful by the end of the first stage.
The other two teams in this group - Austria and Hungary - have a long rivalry stretching back over 100 years. Historically, the two countries shared a Central European empire which lasted from 1867 until it was broken up after the First World War - and they first played each other on the football field in 1902 in a match which Austria won 5-0. The Austrians this time will again be favourites having breezed through qualifying with nine wins and a draw from their ten games, a real resurgence in a country which, except for hosting duties in 2008, had not qualified for anything since 1998. Hungary, similarly, have ended a long wait and reached their first major finals since 1986. The Magyars were not anything like as convincing as Austria, though, and qualified by edging past Norway in the playoffs.
Predictions Portugal - semi finals; Austria - second round; Hungary, Iceland - group stages
PORTUGAL
FIFA ranking 8
UEFA ranking 4
Head coach Fernando Santos (since September 2014)
Captain Cristiano Ronaldo
Squad Rui Patricio (Sporting Lisbon), Anthony Lopes (Lyon), Eduardo (Dínamo Zagreb) - Vieirinha (Wolfsburg), Cedric (Southampton), Pepe (Real Madrid), Ricardo Carvalho (Monaco), Bruno Alves (Fenerbahce), Jose Fonte (Southampton), Eliseu (Benfica), Raphael Guerreiro (Lorient) - William Carvalho (Sporting Lisbon), Danilo Pereira (Porto), Joao Moutinho (Monaco), Renato Sanches (Bayern Munich), Adrien Silva (Sporting Lisbon), Andre Gomes (Valencia), Joao Mario (Sporting Lisbon) - Rafa Silva (Braga), Ricardo Quaresma (Besiktas), Nani (Fenerbahce), Cristiano Ronaldo (Real Madrid), Eder (Lille)
Qualification Winners of Group I (W7 D0 L1 F11 A5 Pts 21)
Warm-up matches
29-May v Norway (H) W3-0
02-Jun v England (A) L0-1
08-Jun v Estonia (H) W7-0
Best performance Runners-up 2004
ICELAND
FIFA ranking 34
UEFA ranking 27
Head coaches Lars Lagerbäck and Heimir Hallgrímsson (since October 2011)
Squad Hannes Halldorsson (Bodo/Glimt), Ogmundur Kristinsson (Hammarby), Ingvar Jonsson (Sandefjord) - Ari Skulason (OB), Hordur Magnusson (Juventus), Hjortur Hermannsson (PSV Eindhoven), Ragnar Sigurdsson (Krasnodar), Kari Arnason (Malmo), Sverrir Ingi Ingason (Lokeren), Birkir Saevarsson (Hammarby), Haukur Heidar Hauksson (AIK) - Emil Hallfredsson (Udinese), Gylfi Sigurdsson (Swansea), Aron Gunnarsson (Cardiff), Theodor Elmar Bjarnason (AGF), Arnor Ingvi Traustason (Norrkoping), Birkir Bjarnason (Basel), Johann Gudmundsson (Charlton), Runar Mar Sigurjonsson (Sundsvall) - Kolbeinn Sigthorsson (Nantes), Alfred Finnbogason (Augsburg), Jon Dadi Bodvarsson (Kaiserslautern), Eidur Gudjohnsen (Molde)
Captain Aron Gunnarsson
Qualification Runners-up of Group A (W6 D2 L2 F17 A6 Pts 20)
Warm-up matches
01-Jun v Norway (A) L2-3
06-Jun v Liechtenstein (H) W4-0
Best performance Never previously qualified
AUSTRIA
FIFA ranking 10
UEFA ranking 11
Head coach Marcel Koller (since November 2011)
Captain Christian Fuchs
Squad Robert Almer (Austria Vienna), Heinz Lindner (Eintracht Frankfurt), Ramazan Oezcan (Ingolstadt) - Aleksandar Dragovic (Dynamo Kiev), Christian Fuchs (Leicester), Gyorgy Garics (Darmstadt), Martin Hinteregger (Moenchengladbach), Florian Klein (Stuttgart), Sebastian Prodl (Watford), Markus Suttner (Ingolstadt), Kevin Wimmer (Tottenham) - David Alaba (Bayern Munich), Marko Arnautovic (Stoke), Julian Baumgartlinger (Mainz), Martin Harnik (Stuttgart), Stefan Ilsanker (Leipzig), Jakob Jantscher (Lucerne), Zlatko Junuzovic (Werder Bremen), Marcel Sabitzer (Leipzig), Alessandro Schoepf (Schalke) - Lukas Hinterseer (Ingolstadt), Rubin Okotie (1860 Munich), Marc Janko (Basel)
Qualification Winners of Group G (W9 D1 L0 F22 A5 Pts 28)
Warm-up matches
31-May v Malta (H) W2-1
04-Jun v Netherlands (H) L0-2
Best performance Group stage 2008
HUNGARY
FIFA ranking 20
UEFA ranking 20
Head coach Bernd Storck (since July 2015)
Captain Balázs Dzsudzsák
Squad Gabor Kiraly (Haladas), Denes Dibusz (Ferencvaros), Peter Gulacsi (Leipzig) - Attila Fiola (Puskas Academy), Barnabas Bese (MTK Budapest), Richard Guzmics (Wisla Krakow), Roland Juhasz (Videoton), Adam Lang (Videoton), Tamas Kadar (Lech Poznan), Mihaly Korhut (Debrecen) - Adam Pinter (Ferencvaros), Gergo Lovrencsics (Lech Poznan), Akos Elek (Diosgyor), Zoltan Gera (Ferencvaros), Adam Nagy (Ferencvaros), Laszlo Kleinheisler (Werder Bremen), Zoltan Stieber (Hamburg) - Balazs Dzsudzsak (Bursaspor), Adam Szalai (Hoffenheim), Krisztian Nemeth (Al Gharafa), Nemanja Nikolics (Legia Warsaw), Tamas Priskin (Slovan Bratislava), Daniel Bode (Ferencvaros)
Qualification Third place in Group F (W4 D4 L2 F11 A9 Pts 16)
Playoffs Won 3-1 on aggregate
12-Nov-15 v Norway (A) W1-0
15-Nov-15 v Norway (H) W2-1
Warm-up matches
20-May v Ivory Coast (H) D0-0
04-Jun v Germany (A) L0-2
Best performance Semi finals 1964, 1972
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