Of all the groups drawn in this year’s European Championship, Group F is arguably one of the most enticing. It pits three countries who faced each other at Euro 2008 in a memorable group stage, which saw eventual semi-finalists Turkey coming from two goals down to advance at the Czech Republic’s expense.
2016 champions Portugal make this a heavyweight and potentially unpredictable group, with the trio being joined by Euros first-timers Georgia, who knocked out 2004 winners Greece on penalties in the play-offs.
With all the teams now confirmed, here is how the sides gearing up for battle this summer are shaping up.
Euro 2024 Group F fixtures
Tue 18th June, 5pm
Turkey
vs
Georgia
Westfalenstadion, Dortmund
Tue 18th June, 8pm
Portugal
vs
Czech Republic
Red Bull Arena, Leipzig
Sat 22nd June, 2pm
Georgia
vs
Czech Republic
Volksparkstadion, Hamburg
Sat 22nd June, 5pm
Turkey
vs
Portugal
Westfalenstadion, Dortmund
Wed 26th June, 8pm
Georgia
vs
Portugal
Arena AufSchalke, Gelsenkirchen
Wed 26th June, 8pm
Czech Republic
vs
Turkey
Volksparkstadion, Hamburg
Turkey
Vincenzo Montella
Hakan Calhanoglu
40th
22nd
Kerem Akturkoglu, Cenk Tosun (2)
Group D winners, 17 points
Semi-finals (2008)
Recently under new management, Turkey are a side that may carry some unpredictability about them this summer. Tipped as dark horses by many for the previous tournament, they vastly underperformed, losing all three of their group games.
Tue 4th June
Italy 0-0 Turkey
Mon 10th June
Poland 2-1 Turkey
But qualification as group winners above Croatia and Euro 2020 group stage nemesis Wales hints at a potential renaissance in Germany this summer. Semi-finalists 16 years ago, they have produced the goods in the past, though whether the lack of a star striker makes their attack futile remains to be seen.
With former Italy striker Vincenzo Montella at the helm, perhaps they can surprise the continent once more.
Position
Player
Club
Goalkeeper
Altay Bayindir
Man Utd
Goalkeeper
Ugurcan Cakir
Trabzonspor
Goalkeeper
Mert Gunok
Besiktas
Defender
Samet Akaydin
Panathinaikos
Defender
Abdulkerim Bardakci
Galatasaray
Defender
Zeki Celik
Roma
Defender
Merih Demiral
Al-Ahli
Defender
Ferdi Kadioglu
Fenerbahce
Defender
Ahmetcan Kaplan
Ajax
Defender
Mert Muldur
Fenerbahce
Midfielder
Kaan Ayhan
Galatasaray
Midfielder
Hakan Calhanoglu
Inter
Midfielder
Arda Guler
Real Madrid
Midfielder
Orkun Kokcu
Benfica
Midfielder
Salih Ozcan
Borussia Dortmund
Midfielder
Okay Yokuslu
West Brom
Midfielder
Ismail Yuksek
Fenerbahce
Forward
Yunus Akgun
Leicester
Forward
Kerem Akturkoglu
Galatasaray
Forward
Irfan Kahveci
Fenerbahce
Forward
Semih Kilicsoy
Besiktas
Forward
Cenk Tosun
Besiktas
Forward
Yusuf Yazici
Lille
Forward
Bertug Yildirim
Stade Rennais
Forward
Kenan Yildiz
Juventus
Forward
Baris Alper Yilmaz
Galatasaray
Georgia
Willy Sagnol
Guram Kashia
75th
36th
Khvicha Kvaratskhelia (4)
Play-off winner Path C
Never qualified
Georgia will take part in their first-ever major tournament after seeing off Luxembourg and Greece in the Euro 2024 play-offs following a dramatic shootout victory over the Greeks in Tbilisi.
They may have finished second-bottom of Group A in qualifying, but winning their Nations League group above Bulgaria and Euro 2020 qualifiers North Macedonia shows how far the side has come.
Sun 9th June
Montenegro 1-3 Georgia
Former Bayern Munich and France defender Willy Sagnol is in charge, and has won just under half of his games at the helm to steer Georgia into Group F, handing the likes of Napoli’s Khvicha Kvaratskhelia an unlikely shot at international glory.
Position
Player
Club
Goalkeeper
Luka Gugeshashvili
Qarabag
Goalkeeper
Giorgi Loria
Dinamo Tiflis
Goalkeeper
Giorgi Mamardashvili
Valencia
Defender
Lasha Dvali
APOEL
Defender
Giorgi Gocholeishvili
Shakhtar Donetsk
Defender
Giorgi Gvelesiani
Persepolis
Defender
Otar Kakabadze
Cracovia
Defender
Guram Kashia
Slovan Bratislava
Defender
Solomon Kvirkvelia
Al-Okhdood
Defender
Luka Lochoshvili
Cremonese
Defender
Jemal Tabidze
Panetolikos
Midfielder
Sandro Altunashvili
Wolfsberger
Midfielder
Giorgi Chakvetadze
Watford
Midfielder
Zuriko Davitashvili
Bordeaux
Midfielder
Otar Kiteishvili
Sturm Graz
Midfielder
Giorgi Kochorashvili
Levante
Midfielder
Nika Kvekveskiri
Lech Poznan
Midfielder
Saba Lobzhanidze
Atlanta United
Midfielder
Anzor Mekvabishvili
Universitatea Craiova
Midfielder
Levan Shengelia
Panetolikos
Midfielder
Gabriel Sigua
Basel
Midfielder
Giorgi Tsitaishvili
Dinamo Batumi
Forward
Khvicha Kvaratskhelia
Napoli
Forward
Giorgi Kvilitaia
APOEL
Forward
Giorgi Mikautadze
Metz
Forward
Budu Zivzivadze
Karlsruher
Portugal
Roberto Martinez
Cristiano Ronaldo
6th
4th
Cristiano Ronaldo (10)
Group J winners, 30 points
Winners (2016)
It has been a near-faultless start for Roberto Martinez as Portugal boss, winning all his qualifying matches and losing just twice since – having won 14 of 16 matches in charge ahead of their final warm-up game.
Extending that record in the summer’s finals would be even more impressive, especially given that this is a nation without the best of group stage records – despite their 2016 triumph, during which they drew all of their group clashes.
Tue 4th June
Portugal 4-2 Finland
Sat 8th June
Portugal 1-2 Croatia
Tue 11th June
Portugal 3-0 Republic of Ireland
As top seeds and boasting a perfect record in qualifying, Portugal will head into the tournament as favourites to advance, with Cristiano Ronaldo looking to stretch his record tally of goals at European Championships at what is surely his final Euros campaign – his sixth in total.
Position
Player
Club
Goalkeeper
Diogo Costa
Porto
Goalkeeper
Jose Sa
Wolves
Goalkeeper
Rui Patricio
Roma
Defender
Antonio Silva
Benfica
Defender
Danilo Pereira
Paris Saint-Germain
Defender
Diogo Dalot
Man Utd
Defender
Goncalo Inacio
Sporting
Defender
Joao Cancelo
Barcelona
Defender
Nelson Semedo
Wolves
Defender
Nuno Mendes
Paris Saint-Germain
Defender
Pepe
Porto
Defender
Ruben Dias
Man City
Midfielder
Bruno Fernandes
Man Utd
Midfielder
Joao Neves
Benfica
Midfielder
Joao Palhinha
Fulham
Midfielder
Matheus Nunes
Man City
Midfielder
Ruben Neves
Al-Hilal
Midfielder
Vitinha
Paris Saint-Germain
Forward
Bernardo Silva
Man City
Forward
Cristiano Ronaldo
Al-Nassr
Forward
Diogo Jota
Liverpool
Forward
Francisco Conceicao
Porto
Forward
Goncalo Ramos
Paris Saint-Germain
Forward
Joao Felix
Barcelona
Forward
Pedro Neto
Wolves
Forward
Rafael Leao
Milan
The top 12 European Championship goalscorers of all time
With the Euros now upon us, here’s who leads the way as the tournament’s all-time top scorer.
ByBrogan Clasper Czech Republic
Ivan Hasek
Tomas Soucek
36th
20th
Vaclav Cerny, Tomas Soucek (3)
Group E runners-up, 15 points
Winners (1976; as Czechoslovakia)
While Czech Republic boss Ivan Hasek has only been in the post since the beginning of the year, he got his reign off to a fine start in March with a friendly win over Norway, who failed to qualify for the finals. In fact, Hasek will begin the tournament with a 100% record.
Fri 7th June
Czech Republic 7-1 Malta
Mon 10th June
Czech Republic 2-1 North Macedonia
Seeing off the threat of Poland to qualify as runners-up in Group E, the Czechs have the chance to go deep into this tournament once again, having shocked the Netherlands to make the last eight at Euro 2020, along with making the semi-finals in 2004 and being losing finalists in 1996.
Of course, the champions of 1976 will take some beating, but this is a nation that usually turns up at the Euros.
Position
Player
Club
Goalkeeper
Vitezslav Jaros
Sturm Graz
Goalkeeper
Matej Kovar
Bayer Leverkusen
Goalkeeper
Jindrich Stanek
Slavia Prague
Defender
Vladimir Coufal
West Ham
Defender
David Doudera
Slavia Prague
Defender
Tomas Holes
Slavia Prague
Defender
Robin Hranac
Viktoria Plzen
Defender
David Jurasek
Hoffenheim
Defender
Ladislav Krejci
Sparta Prague
Defender
Tomas Vicek
Slavia Prague
Defender
Martin Vitik
Sparta Prague
Defender
David Zima
Slavia Prague
Midfielder
Antonin Barak
Fiorentina
Midfielder
Vaclav Cerny
Wolfsburg
Midfielder
Lukas Cerv
Viktoria Plzen
Midfielder
Matej Jurasek
Slavia Prague
Midfielder
Ondrej Lingr
Feyenoord
Midfielder
Lukas Provod
Slavia Prague
Midfielder
Michal Sadilek
FC Twente
Midfielder
Tomas Soucek
West Ham
Midfielder
Pavel Sulc
Viktoria Plzen
Forward
Tomas Chory
Viktoria Plzen
Forward
Mojmir Chytil
Slavia Prague
Forward
Adam Hlozek
Bayer Leverkusen
Forward
Jan Kuchta
Sparta Prague
Forward
Patrik Schick
Bayer Leverkusen
