Euro 2024 LIVE: Germany vs Scotland team news and kick off time as tournament begins

What lengths would you go to in order to support your country at a major tournament? Would you walk 500 miles? And then 500 more? When Craig Ferguson arrives in Munich on the eve of Euro 2024, the 20-year-old from Paisley will have walked 1,000 miles in 41 days across six countries to support Scotland in Germany and fulfil a lifelong dream.

But for Ferguson, an epic challenge has been fuelled by a greater cause. After departing Hampden on 5 May in his kilt and Scotland top, with only a pack of additional clothes and supplies strapped to his back, his long days on the road have been driven by raising funds for men’s mental health and male suicide prevention charities. There has been a close source of inspiration, too. The idea of walking from Hampden to Munich came from one of Ferguson’s best mates, whose dad took his own life while they were teenagers in high school.

Euro 2024 is nearly upon us and with it comes a sartorial smorgasbord for us to enjoy, or be deeply offended by.

What have Croatia done this time? Have England pulled off a genuine gem? Why are Belgium wearing brown shorts? And which kit has won our highly coveted top spot?

Nike, Adidas, Puma, Macron, Joma and the good people at Hummel have dropped their designs so, without further ado, let’s get stuck in.

Ranked from the visually upsetting to the optically arousing, here is our list of Euro 2024 kits.

Euro 2024 is just around the corner and that can only mean one thing…fans of all 24 countries fuming at their national team head coaches and insisting they could do a better job, pick a more exciting team, go further in the tournament.

Thankfully, they have a chance to do that – sort of – with fantasy football back on the radar. We’re using the official Uefa version for the summer and have below detailed everything you need to know to get started (which will be familiar to Fantasy Premier League veterans) and picked out a handful of possible stars for your team.

There are even prizes on offer for a lucky few, including game consoles, footballs, kits and a trip overseas. You can sign up to create your team here.

hen the Germany squad first got together for the final Euro 2024 camp two weeks ago, some of their senior players were a bit surprised. Huge numbers had come out to see them. “It was great to see that so many people were there,” Joshua Kimmich said. “You can feel that the people at home are ready, that the atmosphere is building.”

There was no sense of this tournament suddenly starting without much build-up for them. They are among a few countries which have been relishing it for months.

That’s something that figures like Kimmich can often forget, through no fault of their own. This isn’t everything for them but just another part of football that is relentlessly dominated by the club game. It was instructive that the eve of the tournament saw the Professional Footballers’ Association join the legal case against Fifa over the international match calendar. The Champions League final took place just 13 days ago, the shortest-ever break between that showpiece and the start of the European Championships. That’s all the more remarkable given they are both Uefa events. It is a huge reduction from the three-week break in 2012.

Euro 2024 is upon us, as Germany hosts its first major men’s tournament since 2006 – with the national team seeking its first trophy in a decade.

Some fancy Julian Nagelsmann’s team to defy expectations on home soil, while there is naturally significant faith in France, as the 2018 world champions and 2022 runners-up.

Can England finally get over the line under Gareth Southgate, three years after losing the delayed Euro 2020 final to Italy at Wembley? And if so, will Harry Kane claim his second international Golden Boot?

Or will a younger star steal the spotlight, as clubs and coaches around Europe keep an eye out for the ‘next big thing’ in the summer transfer market?

Below, we predict the teams, players and moments that could define Euro 2024. Without further ado…

Germany’s buildup has gone reasonably well in fitness terms, though they did see Serge Gnabry ruled out before the tournament and opted to leave out Champions League finalist Mats Hummels. The biggest change this year, however, is the return of Toni Kroos from international retirement – on a short-term basis though, as he’ll be retiring from all football at the end of the Euros. Kai Havertz looks to have done enough to start up front, while Nagelsmann seems to have settled on a triumvirate of Ilkay Gundogan, Florian Wirtz and Jamal Musiala behind him. Aleksandar Pavlovic was the only late withdrawal, through tonsilitis.

As for Scotland, they’ve been beset by misfortune. Lyndon Dykes was ruled out by injury soon after being named in the squad, Ben Doak didn’t make it because of his own one and Lewis Ferguson suffered an injury just before the end of the campaign. It certainly means there’s at least one place up for grabs in attack, with Che Adams or Lawrence Shankland battling for the starting role and the likes of John McGinn and Scott McTominay even more important in support.

GER – Ter Stegen, Kimmich, Rudiger, Tah, Mittelstadt, Kroos, Andrich, Musiala, Gundogan, Wirtz, Havertz

SCO – Gunn, Hendry, Hanley, Tierney, Ralston, McTominay, McGregor, Gilmour, Robertson, McGinn, Adams

Good morning and welcome to The Independent’s live blog on the first day of Euro 2024.

Stay tuned for all the build up, team news and latest from Munich as we build up to the opening match between Germany and Scotland from the Allianz Arena.

Scotland have not played in a major tournament overseas since 1998, while Germany will be under the pressure of expectation as tournament hosts.