There has been a major rule change ahead of Euro 2024 that could massively benefit Gareth Southgate and England's chances.
It feels like a rather quick turnaround from the last couple of international tournaments, with Euro 2020 taking place in 2021 due to the pandemic and the World Cup in Qatar taking place during the winter rather than the summer.
Germany 2024 is set to get underway on Friday, June 14th, with the hosts facing a Scotland side that many consider to be the dark horses of the competition.
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England go into the tournament as the favourites alongside France who knocked Southgate's side out at the quarter-final stage of the 2022 World Cup.
There has been a lot of speculation surrounding squad size heading into the summer with speculation of an increased squad getting louder, and it's seemingly been confirmed according to Sky Sports.
Expanded squads were introduced in the previous Euros in 2021 to help nations manage the challenges posed by the COVID-19 pandemic.
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The idea was first proposed during a gathering of all the national team coaches in Dusseldorf two weeks ago.
However, during a meeting of the UEFA national competitions committee on Monday, Sky Sports News revealed that delegates voted in favour of changing the rules for Euro 2024, increasing the squad limit from 23 players to 26.
The decision is not yet final, but the green light is now given for the change.
This could have a huge impact for the bigger nations, with managers not having the same headaches as usual when being forced to leave behind a high-profile player.
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In previous major tournaments, we have seen the likes of Leroy Sane and Sergio Ramos miss out on selection despite being available.
With these new rules in place, it is a lot more likely we will see the biggest stars all make the cut.
The news should have gone down extremely well with Southgate due to England having the luxury of a lot of world-class players all in the same position, with the attacking midfield role being particularly stacked.
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It will also allow the England boss to take more risks, with players such as Anthony Gordon, Jarrad Branthwaite, and Kobbie Mainoo all having incredible seasons but lack international experience.
Fellow home nation Scotland will also have a wider variety of options heading into their second consecutive Euros finals. The added bodies could also have a major boost in morale as they aim to get out of their group.
The increase will hopefully allow younger players across Europe to get a chance on the biggest stage. The 2022 World Cup was dubbed the end of a footballing era, so Euro 2024 could be the start of a new one.
Featured Image Credit: GettyTopics: Euro 2024, England, Gareth Southgate, Scotland, France