Euro 2016: Smaller teams like Albania, Northern Ireland and Iceland can spring shocks, says Danny Higginbotham

For all the criticisms of Euro 2016's 24-team format, it has allowed exciting new countries who could beat some of the bigger sides when it kicks off this weekend.

Iceland could spring a surprise when they open their campaign against Portugal on Tuesday

The element of the unknown has always been one of the best things about international football tournaments. That is why we enjoyed the success of Cameroon so much at Italia ’90, or Senegal in 2002. There is far less of that in modern football today, and that is why I am so excited about the 24-team European Championship starting this weekend, and seeing some of the smaller nations perform.

We have heard lots of complaints recently from the self-appointed ‘purists’ about 24 teams diluting the quality of the tournament. But I think this is a great opportunity for countries who do not have much recent experience at this level – including Albania, Iceland, Wales and Northern Ireland – to show what they can do. These are good teams, who have qualified well and who all deserve to be there. I remember watching Albania beat France 1-0 last June and they will certainly give a good account of themselves this month.

What excites me is the fact that many of those countries will go into their opening games facing teams who do not know very much about them. Opponents will not have played against too many of their players before, nor will their scouts have seen too many of their matches.

That gives those sides a crucial advantage going into the first round of games. And that is why I would not be surprised if we see an upset when Albania play Switzerland, Northern Ireland play Poland or Iceland play Portugal over the first few days of the tournament.

Given the new tournament format, where four points or even in some cases three points may be enough to get a side into the last-16, I think we could even see some of the smaller nations reaching the knock-out rounds, which would be a great achievement for them and good for the game.

Of course, over the whole course of the tournament the best sides will rise to the top, and they will be competing in the quarter-finals, semi-finals and final when we get until July. But before then the smaller nations could use the surprise factor to their advantage and spring a few shocks. Good luck to them.