Euro 2016: Team-by-team guide, what you need to know about England, France, Germany, Spain and the rest

Jack Pitt-Brooke guides us through the 24 nations competing at this summer's tournament in France

What it's all about: The Euro 2016 trophy (Getty)

GROUP A

FRANCE

They are the hosts, they are in the best form, and they have the best range of quality players in Europe. There are more powerful arguments to suggest France will repeat their 1998 triumph than that they will not. While they have not played competitively since the 2014 World Cup, Didier Deschamps’ side has improved as he been able to throw more and more individual ability into the mix. The core was strong enough, built on the consistency of Hugo Lloris, Laurent Koscielny, Blaise Matuidi and Olivier Giroud. But the arrival of fresh quality in Anthony Martial, Kingsley Coman and Dimitri Payet provides an extra edge.

IF THEY WERE FRENCH THEY WOULD BE…

Alexandre Dumas: At constant risk of being overwhelmed by having too many characters.

NEED TO KNOW...

Coach: Didier Deschamps

Captain: Hugo Lloris

Q-Record: n/a

EC-Record: Winners: 1984 & 2000

Star Man: Dimitri Payet (CM - West Ham)

France and Manchester United youngster Anthony Martial (Getty)

ROMANIA

Romania’s greatest generation reached five tournaments out of six between Italia ’90 and Euro 2000 but this will just be their second tournament since then. Coach Anghel Iordanescu, who took Romania to the quarter-finals of USA ’94, is back in the job, for his third spell. But a repeat of those heroics is unlikely in France. This is not a great Romanian generation, and their most prominent player is Vlad Chiriches, the rather haphazard centre-back who was escorted out of Tottenham Hotspur by Mauricio Pochettino as quickly as he could. But few have got to as high a level as him.

IF THEY WERE FRENCH THEY WOULD BE…

Gerard Depardieu: Will never recover be as good or as famous as in the 1990s

NEED TO KNOW...

Coach: Anghel Iordănescu

Captain: Răzvan Raț

Q-Record: P10 W5 D5 L0

EC-Record: Quarter-finals 2000

Star Man: Stefan Radu (LB – Lazio)

ALBANIA

The most impressive qualification achievement of the lot, as Albania made it through to their first ever tournament, despite a lack of resources and the fact that some of the best ethnic Albanian players represent Switzerland. So while Granit Xhaka plays for the Swiss, his brother Taulant Xhaka represents Albania. The team is knitted together by Lorik Cana, once of Sunderland, now of Nantes, and a ferocious leader whether at centre-back or holding midfield. They also have Frederic Veseli, the Lugano full-back, who controversially left Manchester City for Manchester United as a 19-year-old over four years ago.

IF THEY WERE FRENCH THEY WOULD BE…

'The Hunchback of Notre Dame' : An unfancied underdog who has done well to get this far.

NEED TO KNOW...

Coach: Gianni De Biasi

Captain: Lorik Cana

Q-Record: P8 W4 D2 L2

EC-Record: Debutants

Star Man: Lorik Cana (CB - FC Nantes)

SWITZERLAND

Vladimir Petkovic’s side never troubled England in qualifying Group E and for all their talent, they may struggle to score enough goals in France. Their solid midfielder is anchored by new Arsenal signing Granit Xhaka, who has support from the experienced Valon Behrami and Gelson Fernandes. But their best striker, Breel Embolo of Basel, is just 19 years old. For all his gifts he cannot be expected to do it all by himself, nor can Xherdan Shaqiri on the wing, after a season at Stoke City in which he showed that his best days are very good, but do not happen as often as they might.

IF THEY WERE FRENCH THEY WOULD BE…

Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec: Entertaining but short up front

NEED TO KNOW...

Coach: Vladimir Petković

Captain: Stephan Lichtsteiner

Q-Record: P10 W7 D0 L3

EC-Record: Group Stage 2008

Star Man: Granit Xhaka (CM – Arsenal)

Granit Xhaka poses in an Arsenal shirt following completion of his transfer to the Premier League (twitter.com/Arsenal)

GROUP B

ENGLAND

Two years of steady progress after a disappointing World Cup climaxed in Berlin in March, as England overturned Germany in their own backyard. There is finally a clear sense of identity to Roy Hodgson’s side now – young, energetic, dynamic - with half of the outfield players coming from a Tottenham team with the same traits. Harry Kane and Dele Alli are the match-winners but they have options up front from Wayne Rooney to Marcus Rashford. It was the defence, ultimately, that cost England in Brazil and if they can find some security there the semi-finals are within reach.

IF THEY WERE FRENCH THEY WOULD BE…

Tour de France: Always the biggest draw but now hoping to be more humble and likeable than in the past.

NEED TO KNOW...

Coach: Roy Hodgson

Captain: Wayne Rooney

Q-Record: P10 W10 D0 L0

EC-Record: 3rd Place 1968

Star Man: Harry Kane

Harry Kane will lead the line for England

RUSSIA

Russia were heading for the embarrassment of not qualifying under the highly-paid Fabio Capello, and it was only when he was replaced by CSKA Moscow boss Leonid Slutsky last summer that results turned around. Slutsky won his first five games to confirm qualification. And yet this squad of players is no better than it was under Capello, with a lack of youth and quality. They have some solid experience in Sergei Ignashevich, Yuri Zhirkov and Roman Shirokov, but they are some way from the exciting team who took Euro 2008 by storm. Aleksandr Kokorin, just signed by Zenit St Petersburg from Dynamo Moscow, is their best hope.

IF THEY WERE FRENCH THEY WOULD BE…

'Spin': Intriguing political drama but may not entertain everyone.

NEED TO KNOW...

Coach: Leonid Slutski

Captain: Roman Shirokov

Q-Record: P10 W6 D2 L2

EC-Record: Semi-finals 2008

Star Man: Oleg Shatov (ST – Zenit)

WALES

Chris Coleman’s job has been to build a perfect platform for Gareth Bale and that is what he has done, taking Wales to their first major tournament since 1958. Coleman has Bale up front alongside Hal Robson-Kanu in a 5-3-2 system, and Bale’s goals were crucial in qualification. Then, Wales have a solid defence built around James Collins and Ashley Williams, and good midfielders in Joe Allen and Aaron Ramsey, who can score goals with those clever late runs. But if Bale can play at his best in France then Wales can give more established opposition – including England – a real scare.

IF THEY WERE FRENCH THEY WOULD BE…

Napoleon: Brave to have accomplished as much as they have so far, but the crunch will come when they take on Russia.

NEED TO KNOW...

Coach: Chris Coleman

Captain: Ashley Williams

Q-Record: P10 W6 D3 L1

EC-Record: Debutants

Star Man: Gareth Bale (LW – Real Madrid)

Gareth Bale in action for Wales (Getty)

SLOVAKIA

When Slovakians competed as part of Czechoslovakia they excelled, and seven of the starting 11 when they won the European Championship in 1976, famously beating West Germany in the final, were Slovakian rather than Czech. But it has not been so easy for Slovakia since separation and this will be their first European Championship since independence in 1992. Slovakia, though, did go to the 2010 World Cup, scraping out of their group and into the last 16. Then as now, the stars of the team are Martin Skrtel, Liverpool’s physically uncompromising centre-back, and Marek Hamsik, the Napoli midfielder who can score goals from anywhere.

IF THEY WERE FRENCH THEY WOULD BE…

Joan of Arc: Will put up a good fight but will surely be overrun in the end by the British.

NEED TO KNOW...

Coach: Ján Kozák

Captain: Martin Škrtel

Q-Record: P10 W7 D1 L2

EC-Record: Debutants

Star Man: Marek Hamšík (CAM – Napoli)

GROUP C

GERMANY

Finally fulfilling years of promise in Brazil in 2014, Germany are world champions and have a squad full of top players coming into their peak. They have the best goalkeeper in the world, a strong defence and intelligent midfield, players going into their fourth tournament together. And yet defeats to Poland and Ireland in qualification – and to England in March – suggest that this is not quite a perfect team. They lack a world class centre forward, and their two most accomplished goal-scorers, Mario Gomez and Lukas Podolski, both play in Turkey. They can use Mario Gotze there – he won them the World Cup of course – but it is not an ideal solution.

IF THEY WERE FRENCH THEY WOULD BE…

Jacques Audiard: More talent than anyone else this generation, and finally has the success to prove it.

NEED TO KNOW...

Coach: Joachim Löw

Captain: Bastian Schweinsteiger

Q-Record: P10 W7 D1 L2

EC-Record: Winners 1972, 1980, 1996

Star Man: Manual Neuer – (GK – Bayern Munich)

Mario Gotze scored the winning goal in the World Cup final (Getty)

UKRAINE

Many teams would be happy with one winger of top quality but Ukraine are blessed with two. Out on the left wing, stretching play, they will have Yevhen Konoplyanka. The stocky Konoplyanka is punchy, explosive and direct, and was fought over by almost everyone in Europe when he left Dnipro Dnipropetrovsk for Sevilla last summer. On the other side Ukraine will have Andriy Yarmolenko, more tall and lithe than Konoplyanka, but just as incisive and dangerous. The Ukraine coach Mykhalyo Fomenko is not too popular, because of his innate conservatism, but if he can harness these two Ukraine will be a threat.

IF THEY WERE FRENCH THEY WOULD BE…

Johnny Hallyday: Wildly popular at home but unlikely to make too much of an impression on the outside world.

NEED TO KNOW...

Coach: Mykhailo Fomenko

Captain: Anatoliy Tymoshchuk

Q-Record: P12 W7 D2 L3

EC-Record: Group Stage 2012

Star Man: Yevgen Konoplyanka (LM – Sevilla)

POLAND

Football is a team game but Poland have the best individual player at the tournament: Robert Lewandowski. The Bayern Munich striker was top scorer in qualification, with 13 goals, and has been shredding the Bundesliga with Bayern and Dortmund for years now, and has four league titles and two cups to show for it. All Poland need is for the rest of the team to keep things tight, but with experienced defenders, and Sevilla’s canny Grzegorz Krychowiak anchoring midfield, they should be able to do that. The quarter-finals should be well within their reach.

IF THEY WERE FRENCH THEY WOULD BE…

'Spiral' : gritty tense and hard-edged but not everyone's idea of good fun.

NEED TO KNOW...

Coach: Adam Nawałka

Captain: Robert Lewandowski

Q-Record: P10 W6 D3 L1

EC-Record: Group Stage 2008, 2012

Star Man: Robert Lewandowski (ST – Bayern Munich)

Robert Lewandowski represents a threat up front for Poland (Getty)

NORTHERN IRELAND

Michael O’Neill’s side were so strong in qualification, winning their group, that they would have made it to a 16-team tournament, which is quite something. O’Neill has got them playing purposeful, attractive football, despite a lack of quality or depth in the squad. While Kyle Lafferty’s club career is a curious thing, he is a reliable goalscorer and talisman to the national side. Steven Davis adds intelligence in midfield, although they will miss the precise left-foot of Chris Brunt in at left-back. Reaching the tournament was what mattered most, and the knock-out rounds may be beyond them.

IF THEY WERE FRENCH THEY WOULD BE…

‘Madame Bovary’: An impressive achievement, but ultimately rooted in mundane provincial life.

NEED TO KNOW...

Coach: Michael O'Neill

Captain: Steven Davis

Q-Record: P10 W6 D3 L1

EC-Record: Debutants

Star Man: Steven Davis (CM – Soton)

GROUP D

SPAIN

The greatest international team of the modern era was knocked off its perch two years ago in Brazil, and is now wondering how to get back there. The only question, for Vicente del Bosque is whether he sticks with the players who won those three straight tournaments, or whether he brings through the next generation. Iker Casillas or David De Gea? Cesc Fabregas or Koke? David Silva or Thiago Alcantara? There is so much talent in this squad, and they finally have a good striker again in Alvaro Morata, but they still do not look like they quite have the right balance.

IF THEY WERE FRENCH THEY WOULD BE…

Nicolas Sarkozy: Trying to get back on top, but using the same tired formula that failed last time.

NEED TO KNOW...

Coach: Vicente del Bosque

Captain: Iker Casillas

Q-Record: P10 W9 D0 L1

EC-Record: Winners 1964, 2008, 2012

Star Man: Andreas Iniesta (CM – Barca)

Manchester United goalkeeper David De Gea will hope to take his club form into the finals (Getty)

CZECH REPUBLIC

The Czech Republic, in their best tournament performance since separating from Slovakia, reached the semi-finals of Euro 2004. That side included a young Petr Cech, Tomas Rosicky and Jaroslav Plasil and now, 12 years on, those three are still anchoring the team even as they head towards the end of their careers. They expertly shepherded the side through qualification, winning a very competitive Group A which included Iceland, Holland and Turkey. Only England qualified before the Czechs. Their group in France is imposingly hard, though, and a return to the semi-finals 12 years on has to be unlikely.

IF THEY WERE FRENCH THEY WOULD BE…

Arsene Wenger: Still has a veneer of class and style but you wonder whether the old quality and imagination is still there.

NEED TO KNOW...

Coach: Pavel Vrba

Captain: Petr Čech

Q-Record: P10 W7 D1 L2

EC-Record: Runners-up 1996

Star Man: Petr Čech (GK – Arsenal)

TURKEY

After putting together a brilliant qualification run, with 17 points from their last seven matches, Fatih Terim’s side will arrive in France full of momentum and confidence. Their team mixes the elite experience of Arda Turan, Mehmet Topal and Burak Yilmaz with a new generation of midfielders whose gifts were honed in the academies of western Europe. From Germany they have free-kick specialist Hakan Calhanoglu, scurrying Yunus Malli and the explosive Gokhan Tore. The best talent, though, is Oguzhan Ozyakup, the subtle midfielder who was born in Holland and coached at Arsenal, excelling against England at the Etihad Stadium in May.

IF THEY WERE FRENCH THEY WOULD BE…

Charles Baudelaire: Hard to read but could provide a shock.

NEED TO KNOW...

Coach: Fatih Terim

Captain: Arda Turan

Q-Record: P10 W5 D3 L2

EC-Record: Semi-finals 2008

Star Man: Arda Turan (LM – Barca)

Oguzhan Ozyakup in action against England at the Etihad Stadium last month (Getty)

CROATIA

They had to sack Robert Kovac on the way, but under new coach Ante Cacic, Croatia turned their qualification campaign around to reach the Euros. They have experience and quality in Darijo Srna, Luka Modric and Mario Mandzukic, who play for top clubs and have been to enough tournaments before to know how it works. Then they have the new generation of brilliant midfielders – Mateo Kovacic and Alen Halilovic – who are owned by Real Madrid and Barcelona, even if they do not play much. If those two find a rhythm it will not be easy to get the ball back off them.

IF THEY WERE FRENCH THEY WOULD BE…

Daft Punk: Quiet for long periods but still capable of brilliance when they want.

NEED TO KNOW...

Coach: Ante Čačić

Captain: Darijo Srna

Q-Record: P10 W6 D3 L1

EC-Record: Quarter-finals 1996, 2008

Star Man: Luka Modrić (CM – Real Madrid)

GROUP E

BELGIUM

Marc Wilmots has one of the strongest squads in Europe at his disposal but there is still a nagging sense that he does not get enough out of his players. That is why they under-performed at the last World Cup and Wilmots must prove this time he can find the right balance. The signs are not good, as he plans to split the best centre-back pair in England, Jan Vertonghen and Toby Alderweireld, so he can play them both at full-back. Kevin De Bruyne, Eden Hazard, Mousa Dembele and Romelu Lukaku are four of the best attackers in England, but talent alone is not enough. Vincent Kompany will be missed.

IF THEY WERE FRENCH THEY WOULD BE…

Francois Hollande: Ought to be dominating Europe, but still peculiarly unconvincing.

NEED TO KNOW...

Coach: Marc Wilmots

Captain: Eden Hazard

Q-Record: 10 W7 D2 L1

EC-Record: Runners-up 1980

Star Man: De Bruyne (CAM – Man City)

Manchester City's Belgian forward Kevin De Bruyne (Getty)

ITALY

It is four years since Italy reached the Euro 2012 final, and only 10 years since they won the World Cup, but it feels like longer than that. They will arrive at France with their weakest squad for a generation, built on all the old experience at the back and in midfield, but with precious little quality in midfield or up front. The fact that Antonio Conte has lasted just two years and is already looking forward to taking over at Chelsea points to a national team which is drifting and from which little can be expected in France.

IF THEY WERE FRENCH THEY WOULD BE…

Claude Monet: ‘From far away it’s ok, but up close it’s a big old mess’, as they say in Clueless.

NEED TO KNOW...

Coach: Antonio Conte

Captain: Gianluigi Buffon

Q-Record: P10 W7 D3 L0

EC-Record: Winners 1968

Star Man: Antonio Candreva (RW - Lazio)

REPUBLIC OF IRELAND

Martin O’Neill’s rebuilding of the Republic side looked to be in vain before a historic 1-0 defeat of Germany in Dublin last October which transformed the team’s prospects. After beating Bosnia in the play-off they arrive in France with real momentum, far more than Giovanni Trappattoni’s ageing team had at Euro 2012, a tournament too late for them. This Ireland team is not full of goals but they do have a willing runner up front in Shane Long. But there is still proven Premier League quality in James McCarthy, Wes Hoolahan, John O’Shea and Seamus Coleman.

IF THEY WERE FRENCH THEY WOULD BE…

Antoine de Caunes: Good fun but unlikely to still be around when it gets serious.

NEED TO KNOW...

Coach: Martin O'Neill

Captain: Robbie Keane

Q-Record: P12 W6 D4 L2

EC-Record: Group stage 1988, 2012

Star Man: Shane Long (ST – Southampton)

Shane Long will be Ireland's main attacking option in France (Getty)

SWEDEN

Sweden’s qualification campaign summed them up as a team, not just right now but over the last 10 years. They played poorly and finished third in an average group, and had to go into the play-offs to face a better-balanced Denmark side to get to France. But then Zlatan Ibrahimovic rescued them, scoring three goals in a 4-3 win. This is likely to be Zlatan’s last ever major tournament, as the 34-year-old considers the last big move of his career. He will relish the stage, though, and would love to give the world one final flourish.

IF THEY WERE FRENCH THEY WOULD BE…

The Eiffel Tower: Zlatan Ibrahimovic is an indispensable icon, but you wonder whether his achievements live up to his reputation.

NEED TO KNOW...

Coach: Martin O'Neill

Captain: Zlatan Ibrahimović

Q-Record: P12 W6 D4 L2

EC-Record: Semi-finals 1992

Star Man: Zlatan Ibrahimović (ST – PSG)

Zlatan Ibrahimovic (Getty)

GROUP F

PORTUGAL

Cristiano Ronaldo may be slowing down at 31, but as long as he leads the line for Portugal they can beat anyone in world football. This season he only managed 51 goals in Real Madrid, 10 down on last year, and yet he gives Portugal the potential to beat anyone in Europe. Behind him Fernando Santos has assembled a good team, livened up by a new generation of youngsters who ought to have won the European Under-21 Championship last year: William Carvalho and Bernardo Silva in midfield, and Arsenal target Raphael Guerreiro at left back all stand out.

IF THEY WERE FRENCH THEY WOULD BE…

Georges Bizet: For all the hard work elsewhere, there is only one name people want to talk about.

NEED TO KNOW...

Coach: Fernando Santos

Captain: Cristiano Ronaldo

Q-Record: P8 W7 L1

EC-Record: Runners-up 2004

Star Man: Cristiano Ronaldo (LW- Real Madrid)

Cristiano Ronaldo ended his club campaign with a second Champions League title in three seasons (Getty)

ICELAND

The most impressive feat of qualification was the 333,000-strong nation of Iceland reaching their first major tournament. And yet they are far from being the rankest outsiders, thanks to a very talented generation of players who have been working together with real success all the way through the youth system. Gylfi Sigurdsson is a proven Premier League player, a creator and scorer of goals and a set-piece specialist. Strikers Kolbeinn Sigthorsson and Alfred Finnbogason have scored goals all over Europe. They are compact, technical and play like a team, and will embarrass anyone who tries to take them for granted.

IF THEY WERE FRENCH THEY WOULD BE…

Carrefour: Good value to be had, likely to get stripped by bulk-buyers later this summer.

NEED TO KNOW...

Coaches: Lars Lagerbäck & Heimir Hallgrímsson

Captain: Aron Gunnarsson

Q-Record: P10 W6 D2 L2

EC-Record: Debutants

Star Man: Gylfi Sigurðsson (CAM – Swansea)

AUSTRIA

Having automatically played as co-hosts at Euro 2008, this is the first tournament Austria have qualified for since France ’98. But Marcel Koller has been coaching this team for five years and they were almost immaculate in Group G. This is mainly a physically robust team, with Premier League champion Christian Fuchs and Spurs’ Kevin Wimmer. They have a trump card in David Alaba, their brilliant multi-functional 23-year old. He switches between left-back and central midfield for Bayern Munich but may be wasted out at full-back in a tournament. He could well be one of the very best players at the Euros.

IF THEY WERE FRENCH THEY WOULD BE…

Marcel Marceau: Good at what they do but unlikely to make a big noise.

NEED TO KNOW...

Coach: Marcel Koller

Captain: Christian Fuchs

Q-Record: P10 W9 D1 L0

EC-Record: Group stage 2008

Star Man: David Alaba (LB – Bayern Munich)

David Alaba won the Bundesliga with Bayern Munich again (Getty)

HUNGARY

Hungary were once the best team in the world but their decline was so sharp that they went 30 years without qualifying for a major tournament before this campaign. Despite going through three coaches in qualification, German journeyman Bernd Stock saw them into the play-offs, where they surprisingly beat Norway 3-1. A side with no stars but some experience, including those Premier League stalwarts who have gone back to Hungary to finish their careers: 37-year-old Zoltan Gera, once of West Bromwich Albion and Fulham, now of Ferencvaros and, even more improbably, 39-year-old Gabor Kiraly, still going strong at Haladas.

IF THEY WERE FRENCH THEY WOULD BE…

Marie Antoinette: Probably fatally detached from the realities of the modern world.

NEED TO KNOW...

Coach: Bernd Storck

Captain: Balázs Dzsudzsák

Q-Record: P12 W6 D4 L2

EC-Record: 3rd Place 1964

Star Man: Balázs Dzsudzsák (LM – Bursaspor)