Ahead of the first round of matches The Predictors' resident Tipster picks out some of the key players who may influence your predictions for the tournament:

Karim Benzema (France) The 20 year old French forward is one of the hottest properties in Europe, able to play as a striker or on either wing he is a product of the Lyon youth academy. Playing in the adidas adiPure football boots Benzema notched up two goals in qualifying for France, and scored twenty in the domestic league. The adiPure football boots follows a more traditional design, with handcrafted quality and 100% K leather offering an extremely comfortable fit giving Benzema a great touch and feel for the ball.

Lukas Podolski (Germany) After an impressive World Cup in Germany 2006 in which Podolski won the Best Young Player he moved to Bayern Munich. From a footballing family Podolski wears the adidas F50 football boots which offers the utmost in customization. Made of three component parts- upper, chassis and stud, boots can be personalized for the most comfort and suitability for various playing surfaces.

Cristiano Ronaldo (Portugal) Voted PFA Player of the Year for the second successive year, Ronaldo has been in amazing form this season scoring an incredible 42 goals in 49 appearances. Wearing Nike Vapor football boots Ronaldo is complemented by the boots technology as they are specifically designed for speed. Using a revolutionary carbon-fibre chassis the boot is both super strong and super light.

Wesley Sneijder (Netherlands) The former Ajax midfielder announced himself to his new club Real Madrid scoring the winning goal against rivals Atletico Madrid on his debut. A versatile midfielder Sneijder made his international debut aged 18, and is able to play anywhere across the middle due to him being equally adept with both feet. His ability to spread play is helped by wearing Nike T90 Laser II football boots with unique precision rings creating optimum trajectory, spin and accuracy.

Zlatan Ibrahimovic (Sweden) Despite Henrik Larssons' inclusion in the squad, Sweden will be looking for Ibrahimovic to be the man leading the attacking line for Sweden. Having scored the goals which confirmed Internazionale won the Italian league, Zlatan also contributed 22 goals in 33 appearances for the season. Skillful on the ground Ibrahimovic also benefits from the Nike Mercurial Vapor football boots' superlight design, and the streamlined lace-cover offers more accuracy when shooting.

Gennaro Gattuso (Italy) Capped over 50 times for his country, the World Cup winner is a tenacious midfielder with a relentless work rate. Nicknamed the ‘ringhio', meaning the ‘snarler', he hounds his opponents offering them no time on the ball. The Nike T90 Laser II football boots he wears is made of a higher density material than synthetic uppers, offering better boot to ball alignment. Meaning after Gattuso has won the ball back for his team the accuracy of his passes are enhanced, leading to the team building a quicker attack.

Cesc Fabregas (Spain) The young Spanish midfielder made his debut for arsenal aged 16 and alongside Ronaldo is one of the hottest talents in the game today. With great vision and creativity Fabregas at the age of 21 has made himself key to Spain. Wearing Nike Legend II football boots which features zoom air in the innersole for protected shock absorption, and a high-tech molded sock liner. The boot adds comfort and cushioning aiding the midfielder who is constantly on the move as a playmaker.

Niko Kranjcar (Croatia) A member of Croatia under 16, 17, 19 and 21 he is now a key member of the senior side. Responsible for preventing England from qualifying by scoring a long range goal at Wembley, his domestic performances have been catching the eye of some big clubs. Kranjcar is a very good technical player, and playing in adidas adiPure he is in good company with the boot also worn by Kaka and Lampard. The adiPure boots now offers a full plate traxion outsole, providing maximum outsole grip through excellent ground penetration without the typical stud pressure that football boots place on the foot.

Christian Chivu (Romania) Captain of Romania the 27 year old can play at either left-back or centre-back. Always looking to drive the team forward, Chivu adds another dimension to his game with his threatening set piece ability, a product of his great left foot. Wearing adidas Predator Powerswerve football boots he has the correct boot for striking free kicks, with SmartFoam technology and a re-designed PowerPulse system giving increased ball spin for accuracy and increasing power.

Jan Koller (Czech Republic) The 6ft 7in giant is an experienced campaigner, and at the age of 35 has already stated this competition will be his last on the international stage. All time leading goal scorer for Czech Republic with 52 international goals Koller wears Nike Legend II. A boot offering full support from the external heel counter and throughout the molded innersole, the Legend is ideal for a player of Kollers size and frame.