France will attempt to become the only nation to win as hosts twice, while Spain is chasing a third consecutive title. (Getty)
The weakest of the Pot 1 teams, Portugal is still the favorite to win Group F at EURO 2016. A squad that is mostly dependent on Ronaldo, Portugal caught a break in the draw when they were matched with EURO newcomer Iceland and playoff qualifier Hungary.
Iceland is new to the contest, but they’ve been on the brink for a while. Now a team with a strong youth core will get it’s first chance at a major tournament, after narrowly missing out on the 2014 World Cup.
The unlikely winner in the group could be Austria, who had a near-perfect run through qualifying. Austria scored 22 goals while only allowing five, and is poised to make their best major tournament appearance in over 60 years.
In France, all group matches will be played at either 3, 6, or 9 p.m. There is a six-hour time difference between New York and France, meaning many American viewers will be watching EURO in the morning and early afternoon. All times below will be Eastern. For a full match schedule, click here.
Here’s how this group looks:
Portugal
Portugal’s quest for a EURO title begins and ends with Ronaldo. (Getty)
Preview:
Any Portugal preview begins and ends with Cristiano Ronaldo. CR7 and Portugal haven’t been to a final since 2004, when they were the host for EURO but were upset by Greece. Now 30 years old, this may be Ronaldo’s last chance to win a major tournament in his prime. The Madrid striker led the team in qualifying with five goals, and only one other member (Moutinho) had more than two.
Five from Ronaldo is nice, but he can’t be expected to carry a team. Portugal finished top of their group in qualifying, but scored just 11 goals in ten matches. That’s the lowest of any team in Pot One, and a cause for concern for fans of Selecção das Quinas.
Manager: Fernando Santos
World Ranking: 7
Schedule:
June 14, 3 p.m. vs. Iceland
June 18, 3 p.m. vs. Austria
June 22, 12 p.m. vs. Hungary
Iceland
Gylfi Thor Sigurdsson (left) will lead Iceland into the 2016 European Championships in France. (Getty)
Preview:
Iceland fought to a 6-2-2 record to finish second in Group A and earn a berth in the 2016 European Championship in France. A 3-0 win over Turkey and 2-0 win over Netherlands at home were enough to finish behind the Czech Republic in the group to clinch a group stage entry. Gylfi Sigurdsson scored six times for Iceland to lead the team to the European Championship.
This is the first European Championship berth for Iceland and continues to show that they are trying to make their name known on the world’s soccer stage. Iceland has never made a World Cup either, but did barely miss the 2014 tournament, falling to Croatia in the playoff for the final tournament. Before this year’s tournament, Iceland’s best qualification record for the European Championship was a third place finish in their group in 2004. (Preview by Chris Zolli)
Manager: Lars Lagerbäck
World Ranking: 36
Schedule:
June 14, 3 p.m. vs. Portugal
June 18, 12 p.m. vs. Hungary
June 22, 12 p.m. vs. Austria
Austria
Austria will rely on Bayern Munich defender David Alaba in the 2016 UEFA European Championships in France. (Getty)
Preview:
A poor European history did not stop the unblemished Austria from qualifying for their second European Championship next summer in France. Austria won Group G with 28 points, finishing 9-1-0 in their ten matches and scored 22 goals while allowing only five. Marc Jenko led the team with seven goals in qualification, but David Alaba, Marko Arnautovic, and Martin Harnik all scored three goals or more for the Austrians in qualification as they ran through to the 24-team field.
Ivica Vastic has scored the only goal in the European Championship for Austria, against Poland, as the Austrians have only made the European Championship once, as hosts, losing in the Group Stage in 2008. (Preview by Chris Zolli)
Manager: Marcel Koller
World Ranking: 10
Schedule:
June 14, 12 p.m. vs. Hungary
June 18, 3 p.m. vs. Portugal
June 22, 12 p.m. vs. Iceland
Hungary
Hungary snuck into the 24-team EURO field after a narrow playoff victory over Norway. (Getty)
Preview:
Hungary defeated Norway in the playoffs, and is into the EURO final tournament for the first time since 1972. The Magyars scored a crucial 1-0 victory in Norway on the first leg, aided by a goal from László Kleinheisler. Norway had 16 corners and hit the crossbar, but was only able to score goal once in two playoff matches.
Hungary has a few names that play club football abroad, but most play in the Hungarian league. In fact, most of the team plays for the same Hungarian club. Nine players on the squad play for Videoton, the reigning Hungarian League champions. They advanced to the third qualifying round of Champions League, where they were knocked off by BATE Borisov.
Manager: Bernd Storck
World Ranking: 20
Schedule:
June 14, 12 p.m. vs. Austria
June 18, 12 p.m. vs. Iceland
June 22, 12 p.m. vs. Portugal
