Later today [Friday, June 10] France and Romania will kick-off the 2016 European Championship in Paris.
While the World Cup may be the biggest soccer tournament in the world, the European Championship comes pretty close, with most of the world’s top teams playing in the tournament.
The Euros will have a lot of drama, not only for what is happening on the field, but also because the European transfer market is currently open. The off-season for Europe’s top soccer clubs is a frantic time, with transfer speculation flying around on a daily basis. Some of the biggest names in the tournament, such as Zlatan Ibrahimović, Jamie Vardy, Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, Paul Pogba, and James Rodríguez, could all be playing for new teams once the tournament is over.
Germany are favorites heading in, as they are the reigning world champions, but host country France is set to make a deep run in the tournament. Other top teams, such as England, Spain and Italy are hoping for more success in this tournament after poor performances in the 2014 World Cup.
Last host nation to win a EURO? France in 1984. #FRAROU #EURO2016 pic.twitter.com/dLqkBFIgij
— UEFA EURO 2024 (@EURO2024) June 10, 2016
The France vs. Romania match will start at 3 pm EST on ESPN 2, and you can watch all the games of the tournament on the ESPN networks in the coming weeks. Also, for those teams not in Europe, the Copa America is currently underway, almost at the end of the group stages. The United States currently sits in second place in their group, behind Columbia, after a shaky start to the tournament.