England Euro 2024 qualifiers – Preview, squad, fixtures, TV coverage & expectations | OneFootball

England’s quest to qualify for a fourth straight European Championship continues in June as they take on Malta and North Macedonia.

After a disappointing quarter-final exit to France at the Qatar World Cup in December, the Three Lions have gone from strength to strength at the start of the Euro 2024 qualifying campaign.

They avenged a Euro 2020 heartache by overcoming Italy 2-1 in a curtain-raising fixture before easing past Ukraine 2-0 at home last time out to move to the top of Group C.

What’s next for England?

Back to action for the first time since March, Gareth Southgate’s side head to Ta’ Qali to encounter continental minnows Malta on Friday before hosting North Macedonia to Old Trafford next Monday.

Where to watch the games on TV?

England’s Euro 2024 qualifiers will be broadcast exclusively on Channel 4 in the UK. For non-UK residents, see our live streaming page for more options.

Who is in England’s squad?

Goalkeepers: Jordan Pickford, Aaron Ramsdale, Sam Johnstone.

Defenders: Kyle Walker, Kieran Trippier, Trent Alexander-Arnold, John Stones, Harry Maguire, Marc Guehi, Tyrone Mings, Luke Shaw.

Midfielders: Jordan Henderson, Declan Rice, Kalvin Phillips, James Maddison, Conor Gallagher, Eberechi Eze.

Forwards: Phil Foden, Jack Grealish, Bukayo Saka, Harry Kane, Marcus Rashford, Callum Wilson.

Southgate has welcomed back Manchester City’s treble-winning cast to his England squad, although he’ll likely spare them the trouble of starting against sub-par Malta on Friday.

In addition to Jack Grealish, who’s been embroiled in wild celebrations on the streets for days, Kyle Walker, John Stones, Phil Foden and Kalvin Phillips linked up with the squad at St George’s Park.

Declan Rice has joined the group after captaining West Ham United to Europa Conference League glory, while Tyrone Mings returns to the national team after helping Aston Villa to European qualification.

It’s been a year since the defender’s last international call-up, but his recent return to prominence at Villa Park has earned him a place in Southgate’s star-studded squad.

What did Mings have to say about his teammates?

Mings believes the trophy-winning mentality brimming within the team can help England bring home a piece of silverware for the first time since lifting the 1966 World Cup trophy.

“The manager always talks about your club experiences and adding to the group,” he said.

“We have a squad full of serial winners.”

England came close to replicating their famous 1966 World Cup triumph in 2018, only to bow out to Croatia in the semi-finals before going down to Italy in the Euro 2022 showpiece on penalties.

However, Mings is adamant the England squad boasts enough talent to halt a lengthy title drought.

“When you look around the European and domestic competitions and the amount of players that were involved in those, it can only help,” the centre-back added.

Expectations

The upcoming trip to Malta to take on the perennial continental strugglers should be a walk in the park compared to other England fixtures in the ongoing qualifying campaign.

Seeking a top-place finish in a Euro qualifying cycle for the fourth time in a row, Southgate’s side head into proceedings having lost only one of their last 26 qualifiers (W22, D3).

While Southgate’s still searching for his first standout achievement at major tournaments, his managerial record in qualifying fixtures since replacing Sam Allardyce in 2016 is remarkable.

He has won 24 out of 29 matches in qualifiers for major international tournaments (D4, L1).

Considering Malta’s woeful run of 11 consecutive defeats in Euro qualifiers and the fact they’ve only won once in 41 such games since 2006 (D5, L35), England should steamroll to another three points on Friday.

North Macedonia’s visit to Old Trafford seems like another routine task for the Three Lions, especially if Southgate’s ‘serial winners’ return to the starting line-up on Monday. The real test will still be next summer, when England bid to win Euro 2024.