Brazil is magnificent. So is Argentina. But if you want the best soccer tournament in the world outside of the World Cup itself, you want the 2008 UEFA European Football Championship – Euro 2008 for short.

Austria and Switzerland are co-hosting this year’s event, which conveniently gets both countries automatic bids into the 16-team tournament. Germany are the favorites at 4-1, followed closely by a pack of four powerful teams; Spain get the nod as second favorites at 11-2.

Spain’s history in international soccer is not very good. La Furia have made it to the Euro tournament seven times, but have only their 1964 victory to show for it. This year’s squad made it through the qualifying stages by winning Group F, giving up just one goal in six games at home. Theirs is an absolutely beautiful brand of soccer, but with only five players outside of La Liga, how prepared are the Spaniards for Europe’s best?