Who will win euros? Insiders from the last four give their verdicts

Four teams are preparing for the Euro 2024 semi-finals, with Spain facing France on Tuesday, while England face the Netherlands the following day.

Spain are looking to win the tournament for the fourth time, having most recently triumphed in 2012.

France last won 24 years ago, while the Dutch triumphed in 1988 – and England will, of course, be hoping to end the wait for a first European Championship.

So who’s looking for the best semi-final form and who can win it all?

BBC Sport asked experts from each country for their opinion, and you can vote for who you think will lift the trophy in the end.

‘Spain showed that it has layers’

Spanish football journalist Guillem Balague:

Spain played three different ways against Germany. Although we were superior to the four previous opponents, we were not against Germany. However, we didn’t give up and we managed to win, so it was a different test and we came out of it well.

It was a different test because it was very physical; it was the most fouls in a European Championship game since 2016, but we showed that now we are not afraid of a physical battle.

We played with wingers, then without wingers and without a striker and finally 4-2-4 in extra time, which means we have layers. The main thing is that we adapt to everything that Germany throws at us. Yes, we could have lost, but we were also never far from winning.

Against France we know we will have to take the initiative, just as we had to do against Italy, Albania and Georgia. We will have to be careful with counterattacks.

I know that for France to win it is not necessary to play well, but we can also win without playing well.

Maybe we’re not as efficient as we should be with our shots, but because we press so often, we end up having a tendency to crack the nut and that will happen against France.

We have suspensions while Pedri was injured in the last game, and we will also have to be careful with France’s pace, such as Ousmane Dembele and Kylian Mbappe.

But everything will depend on what Spain does without the ball – and we are the best team at pressing high, despite our legs being tired – and with the ball.

I believe we will beat France and face England in the final.

WINNER: Spain

‘Despite modest performances, England are contenders’

BBC Sport chief football writer Phil McNulty:

England must build on the resilience they showed in the face of adversity and the individual brilliance of Jude Bellingham and Bukayo Saka, who put them through to the semi-final with a more cohesive collective performance to beat the Netherlands.

Gareth Southgate’s side have struggled at Euro 2024 against teams who have defended deep, so the Netherlands’ more attacking approach could suit them and give England’s creative players more room to manoeuvre.

England will have to be at their best defensively, because the Dutch represent a serious threat in attack, with Liverpool’s Cody Gakpo having an excellent tournament and the unpredictable Memphis Depay always dangerous.

If England get it right, it could cause problems for the Dutch defense, which looks vulnerable under pressure, with the potential battle between respective captains Harry Kane and Virgil van Dijk a key component.

Kane struggled desperately in England’s quarter-final against Switzerland, looking physically weak and off the pace, but you still wouldn’t bet on him taking the big chance if someone came along.

England are now, despite indifferent performances to date, in a position where they are serious contenders for victory at Euro 2024. They reached the semi-finals almost in spite of themselves, but confidence must certainly be growing and teams often They have a sense of destiny being with them at this stage of major competitions – think of Greece in 2004 and Portugal in 2016.

If England won their first major trophy since the 1966 World Cup, it wouldn’t surprise me – but while a sixth sense says England, the boss says Spain.

Spain looked the better team in what was a mixed Euro 2024, although they could still come away against an extremely talented but regimented France under Didier Deschamps.

None of the French players have scored a goal from open play, while Spain have been fluent with Lamine Yamal, who only turns 17 on the eve of the final, a revelation in a team that also boasts world-class talent in the form of figures such as Rodri, from Manchester City.

Spain have a potent mix of youth and experience, are rising in the competition and look to be the more impressive team from the start – but I believe they will have to overtake England to win Euro 2024.

WINNERS: Spain.

‘Mbappe will become Mbappe again’

French football journalist Julien Laurens:

We certainly saw the best of France defensively. This is what they do, it’s their style and it’s their DNA. This is also how you win tournaments, by being solid defensively.

Where they perhaps weren’t at their best was with the ball. They don’t play sexy football, that’s not what they want – but they have failed in terms of creating chances. They are generally more effective in the opponent’s area.

Along with Cristiano Ronaldo, Kylian Mbappe was possibly the biggest disappointment of this tournament.

There are a few explanations, the first of which is the mask he had to wear after breaking his nose against Austria. In that game he looked pretty smart. He also had some physical problems before the Euros, so I don’t think he’s fully fit – but the mask is also bothering him a lot.

If there is one team that can frustrate Spain more than anyone else here, it is France.

For me, with Spain’s problems in midfield due to Pedri’s injury, it will be a question of who wins the midfield battle. The physical impact of the French midfield is incredible and that is where the game will be won.

This will be a big game for Antoine Griezmann, considering he spent more of his career in Spain than in France, so we need him and Mbappe to improve their games.

I want a France-England final and I think that France, of the four semi-finalists, has the ruthlessness and experience at this level. I also think that at some point Kylian will become Kylian again and will be unbeatable.

WINNERS: France

‘Time is running out for England and Holland’

Dutch football writer Jesper Langbroek:

I think the game against Turkey showed that the Netherlands have a good Plan B – using Wout Weghorst as a striker and Memphis Depay just behind.

England played with five defenders against Switzerland, so they were very compact in that area. I think that’s how we need to play if we want to do that.

What I noticed about this team is that they need a wake-up call to move forward. They did that against Austria and then against Romania they were good. Then they had another warning sign when Turkey took the lead in the quarter-finals.

There is more to both teams, but it has not yet been revealed – and that is a similarity between the teams.

I think the winner will come from the other side of the draw. England and Holland have not yet been really tested; they have faced some good teams, but they have not faced any big countries as they are on the other side of the table.

I believe that Spain will win because they are playing good collective football. England, France and the Netherlands are still waiting to get everything right, but time is running out.

WINNERS: Spain