Group A will get the ball rolling for Euro 2024 when hosts Germany take on Scotland at the futuristic Allianz Arena in Munich on Friday.
It's a group that the Germans will be favourites to top as they come into a home tournament in more optimistic humour following some encouraging recent results under Julian Nagelsmann, while in-form Hungary - the recent friendly defeat to John O'Shea's Republic of Ireland at the Aviva Stadium aside - a traditionally competitive Switzerland and a Scotland hopeful of recapturing the form from the early phase of qualifying will all hold out realistic hopes of ensuring a place in the knockout stages.
Country: Germany
Manager: Julian Nagelsmann
Captain: Ilkay Gundogan
Player to watch: Florian Wirtz
Best Euros performance: Winners x3 (1972, 1980 and 1996)
Fixtures
Friday, 14 June: Scotland, (Munich), 8pm
Wednesday, 19 June: Hungary, (Stuttgart), 5pm
Sunday, 23 June: Switzerland, (Frankfurt), 8pm
This time last year, optimism was thin on the ground for Germany fans. A group stage exit from the 2022 FIFA World Cup was followed by a dire run of four defeats and a draw from their next six friendly matches, culminating on 9 September with a disastrous 4-1 defeat to Japan, the same country that had contributed to their downfall in the Qatari winter 11 months previously.
That was the final straw for the DFB, Germany's football association, which immediately sacked head coach Hansi Flick, who now finds himself in charge of Barcelona.
Germany legend Rudi Voller stepped in as caretaker and then oversaw a morale-boosting 2-1 win over France, before former Bayern Munich and RB Leipzig manager Julian Nagelsmann was parachuted into the role on a permanent basis.
While there have been bumps in the road in terms of results, the 36-year-old, whose stock had dipped slightly after a turbulent spell in Bavaria, has managed to engineer an upturn in form since the turn of the year, beating France again 2-0 and the Netherlands 2-1 in March.
Nagelsmann has a squad with plenty of potential going forward at his disposal, with two of the best young attacking midfielders in Europe, Jamal Musiala and Florian Wirtz, expected to provide the flair behind Kai Havertz who has proven his worth as a false nine for Arsenal. They can also call upon Borussia Dortmund striker Nicklas Fullkrug if a more traditional centre-forward to lead the line is required, while Leroy Sane also brings the option of pace off the flanks.
Behind them, fresh off the back of yet another Champions League triumph with Real Madrid, the controlling presence of Toni Kroos who made an international comeback after almost three years away in time for what he hopes will be a glorious career swansong on home soil, has brought a level of class back to the engine room of the likely 4-2-3-1 shape, where he will partner Bayer Leverkusen's late bloomer Robert Andrich in behind captain Ilkay Gundogan.
With Joshua Kimmich stepping in from right back, expect Germany to dominate possession especially in the group phase and they will need that level of control because the defence in front of veteran World Cup-winning goalkeeper Manuel Neuer is the weakest point.
Real Madrid's Antonio Rudiger aside, the centre-back options are not at the level of eras past, although Bayer Leverkusen's Jonathan Tah has played his part in an unprecedented season of success for his club and Nico Schlotterbeck partnered veteran World Cup winner Mats Hummels - left out of this Germany squad - in the Borussia Dortmund defence that came close to Champions League glory.
Germany will be expected to reach the knockout stages without too much fuss even in this tricky group but, with a title tilt uncertain, it will be more of a case of whether they can replicate what the 2006 World Cup side achieved in making a deep run and energising the home support.
Country: Hungary
Manager: Marco Rossi
Captain: Dominik Szoboszlai
Player to watch: Milos Kerkez
Best Euros performance: Third place (1964)
Fixtures
Saturday, 15 June: Switzerland, (Cologne), 2pm
Wednesday, 19 June: Germany, (Stuttgart), 5pm
Sunday, 23 June: Scotland, (Stuttgart), 8pm
When it comes to Hungary, there has to be an obligatory reference to their golden team of the 1950s and '60s, the Magical Magyars, so let's get that out of the way.
That generation led by Ferenc Puskas, Nandor Hidegkuti and co never attained ultimate glory - if you don't count the Olympics - but left their indelible mark on the game via a run to the 1954 World Cup final and the total football-esque style in which they spanked England twice - the first famously at Wembley - in the months before that, inspiring a legion of future managers across the continent.
Since those glory years, Hungarian football had slipped into the obscurity of the pack. But the current team, while nowhere near that elevated standard, have brought back a sense of good times.
Before losing 2-1 to the Republic of Ireland via a late Troy Parrott goal in a friendly this month, the Hungarians had been on a long 14-game unbeaten run stretching back to September 2022.
That month Italy had beaten them in the Nations League but that was a blip which had followed a 1-0 win over Germany and a 4-0 thrashing of England in Wolverhampton - the second time the Hungarians had beaten Gareth Southgate's side in that group.
There's a feelgood factor under their Italian manager Marco Rossi who has been in charge for six years as they go into their third European Championships in a row.
Liverpool midfielder Dominik Szoboszlai is central to their hopes of making an impact in Germany and will be relishing the chance to play at a major tournament after injury robbed him of the chance of appearing at the delayed Euro 2020 tournament.
The captain will act as the link between midfield and centre-forward in a flexible and well-drilled team with a strong spine, anchored by RB Leipzig centre-back Willi Orban, spearheaded by Roland Sallai and with the experienced Peter Gulasci in goal.
While the dark horses tag can end up weighing down teams, Hungary will feel confident that they can carry their recent form into the competition and get out of the group at the very least.
Country: Scotland
Manager: Steve Clarke
Captain: Andy Robertson
Player to watch: Billy Gilmour
Best Euros performance: Group stage (1992, 1996 and 2020)
Fixtures
Friday, 14 June: Germany, (Munich), 8pm
Wednesday, 19 June: Switzerland (Cologne), 8pm
Sunday, 23 June: Hungary, (Stuttgart), 8pm
Scotland have famously never got out of a group at a major tournament after 11 attempts between World Cups and European Championships.
The fact that three teams can make it out of a group in the Euros' 24-team format improves their odds somewhat.
But manager Steve Clarke will hope that Scotland recapture the form from the first half of the qualifiers, otherwise a dozen first-hurdle failures could well be on the cards in a tricky Group A.
The Tartan Army booked their Euros place early after storming through the first fixtures in their qualifying group with a superb 2-0 win over Spain in Glasgow last March followed by a victory over Norway in Oslo three months later the high points.
Results have not been quite as forthcoming in recent windows and injuries have dented their defensive options but Scotland will feel quietly optimistic that they can put themselves in contention of getting out of the group.
Their foundations are built around the tandem of Kieran Tierney and Andy Robertson on the left fringes of the back-five along with a balanced midfield of deep-lying playmaker Billy Gilmour, the tireless dynamo John McGinn and Manchester United's Scott McTominay who provided a goalscoring edge during the qualifiers.
Lewis Ferguson, who starred for a brilliant Bologna this season is also absent from the midfield due to a knee injury, while injuries to Nathan Patterson and Aaron Hickey are a blow defensively that Clarke will have to contend with.
Along with a potential lack of elite-level firepower among their forward options, Scotland will have their work cut out but they have mostly proven themselves to be a durable outfit under their current manager and if they can get anything out of their daunting opener against the host nation in Munich, will feel capable of mixing it with their other group rivals.
Country: Switzerland
Manager: Murat Yakin
Captain: Granit Xhaka
Player to watch: Dan Ndoye
Best Euros performance: Quarter-finals (2020)
Fixtures
Saturday, 15 June: Hungary, (Cologne), 2pm
Wednesday, 19 June: Scotland (Cologne), 8pm
Sunday, 23 June: Germany, (Frankfurt), 8pm
It's a sixth major tournament in a row for the Swiss and 10th in their last 11 attempts to get to either a World Cup or Euros for a country accustomed to 'being there' but not necessarily causing too many ripples.
They did cause reverberations at Euro 2020 however by getting to a quarter-finals - their first last-eight appearance in any major tournament since the 1954 World Cup - by staging a late comeback against favourites France and then advancing via penalties.
Usually though during this Millennium, Switzerland qualify without too much trouble before getting to the first knockout stage and promptly heading home.
However, making it into this year's Euros in their neighbour Germany was a more laboured affair, with some unimpressive results including a 3-3 draw at home to Belarus last October, two draws with Kosovo and a 1-0 loss in Romania at the end of the qualifiers.
Still, the Swiss got there in the end with manager Murat Yakin, a former national team favourite as a player remaining in charge, albeit with a new assistant in the shape of Giorgio Contini since February.
And the bulk of the squad are not lacking in major tournament experience, led by captain Granit Xhaka who has enjoyed a strong season with Bundesliga invincibles Bayer Leverkusen; goalkeeper Yann Sommer just won Serie A with a dominant Inter Milan and centre-backs Manuel Akanji and Fabian Schar are regulars for Manchester City and Newcastle respectively.
It's a relatively older squad with MLS-based Xherdan Shaqiri, still a key man in the attacking third - his free-kick undid Ireland in a March friendly at the Aviva - although Bologna winger, Dan Ndoye brings a more youthful edge on the right flank.
Up front, Breel Embolo is only after returning from a serious knee injury so his sharpness will be a worry for Yakin who will see their opening fixture against Hungary on Saturday as important to Swiss hopes of securing a last-16 spot before facing into the games against Germany and the Scots.
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