The world will be watching as Euro 2020 finally kicks off

Staging a football tournament across 12 countries was always going to be a daunting challenge. And that was before a global pandemic turned things even more upside down.

The delayed European Championships will finally get underway on Friday – 12 months later than planned – with the eyes of the footballing world turning to Europe and one of the great events in the sporting calendar.

Some of the most talented players the game has to offer will be battling it out to decide the continent's best before a winner is crowned, at Wembley Stadium, on 11 July.

It won't be without its difficulties though.

Those 12 venues are now only 11 for one, with Dublin and Bilbao seeing their hosting rights stripped with both unable to commit to the safe return of fans to their stadiums.

Getting those fans back into stadiums is another problem with plans for the group stage and last-16 matches at Wembley to be played out in front of 22,500 supporters.

That will then increase up to around 50 per cent capacity (45,000) for the semi-finals and final, should the UK's roadmap out of the pandemic continue to stay on course.

The tournament itself is having to adapt to that new reality with games able to be postponed up to 48 hours before they're scheduled if Covid infections spike.

To compensate teams have been allowed to select bigger squads with 26 players able to be picked rather than the usual 23.

That plays into the hands of some more than others with the likes of France able to pick even more top quality options.

The world champions boast world-class players in almost every position and in Kylian Mbappe perhaps the best player at the whole tournament.

Portugal's star-studded group, still with Cristiano Ronaldo at the sharp end, will rival them and return hoping to defend the crown they so famously won over the French five years ago.

They will begin alongside Germany in a devilishly tricky-looking group meaning one of the big favourites will possibly be on their way home before the knockout stages even begin.

There should be no such worries for Belgium with the world's number one ranked side hoping to deliver a first tournament win in their history and are surely a certainty to go deep.

Spain have a history of doing just that and even without the talismanic Sergio Ramos, controversially left out of his country's squad, will be one of the contenders with a revitalised Italy under the guidance of Roberto Mancini another likely to go far.

And what of England? Is it finally coming home?

Gareth Southgate has the best talent pool to pick from in years, two English Champions League finalists and home advantage in as many as six of his side's seven tournament games.

Whether they can make all of that count is the only question remaining.

There will be 51 matches in 31 football-filled days to decide. The world will be watching. A whole continent can't wait for it get started.