Group A - Cristiano Ronaldo

For Cristiano Ronaldo, life has lately become a continuous procession of awards ceremonies. He's won 10 major player of the year awards in the last five seasons (that's excluding baubles like the Manchester United Players' Player of the Year awards), he has just collected the European Golden Shoe, and he is hailed as the world's best by everyone but a rogue cell of Irish TV analysts who are probably only doing it to wind everybody up.

Individually, the Iberian players are a class apart, but Germany are overall favourites

Following Ireland's abysmal exit from the Euro 2008 qualifiers, support will naturally draw to the nearest underdog, Poland. Bouts of mediocrity notwithstanding, Poland can progress beyond the first round of the Euro finals. By Ken Early