World Cup runners-up France are among the tournament favorites and begin their Euro 2024 campaign in Düsseldorf against Austria.
France had a strong 2023 with eight wins from 10 games and only one loss, to Germany. This year, their performances include a 2-0 loss to Germany in a friendly and a 0-0 draw with Canada last week.
Aurelien Tchouameni has been sidelined since missing Real Madrid’s Champions League final with a foot injury. N’Golo Kante filled the defensive midfield role in France’s two pre-tournament friendlies, marking his first international appearances since 2022.
Austria, managed by former Manchester United boss Ralf Rangnick, has been revitalized since he took over in 2022. Rangnick turned down the Bayern Munich job to stay with the national team. Under his leadership, Austria is on a seven-game unbeaten run with just three goals conceded. Highlights include a 2-0 win over Germany and a 6-1 demolition of Turkey.
Rangnick reports his squad is fully fit, with defender Gernot Trauner rested from training on Friday.
Stat: In his only Euros appearance in 2021, Mbappe failed to convert any of his 14 shots and missed his penalty in the shoot-out against Switzerland.
Euro 2024 Matches on June 17:
- France vs Austria at 00:30 AM IST (Tuesday) on HD Live Sports