UEFA 2024 European Football Championships

The UEFA 2024 European Football Championships – commonly known as the 2024 Euros – is on the horizon, with the continent’s top teams set to compete against each other in Germany later this summer.

While the tournament is focused on European nations, it is one of the top global international competitions. Arguably, it is just second behind the FIFA World Cup, with the quality of teams typically on show in this tournament often being among the very best in terms of world football.

A total of 24 national teams will be involved during the Euro 2024, with all of them hoping to follow in Italy’s footsteps to win this year’s edition after the Azzurri defeated England in a penalty shootout in the postponed 2020 finals played in 2021.

Logistically, the return of the competition to one nation makes things a lot easier for fans and teams. It will also be a familiar stomping down for many, as it will be the third time the competition has been held in the country. A total of 10 cities will be used, with the following 10 stadiums having been selected to host games:

• Berlin – Olympiastadion Berlin (home to Hertha BSC), which has a capacity of 74,461
• Munich – Fußball Arena München (home to FC Bayern Munich), and holds 70,076 
• Dortmund – BVB Stadion Dortmund (Borussia Dortmund’s home), which has a capacity of 65,849
• Stuttgart – Stuttgart Arena (VfB Stuttgart’s ground), and has a capacity of 54,906
• Gelsenkirchen – Arena AufSchalke (FC Schalke 04’s base), and holds 54,740 fans
• Frankfurt – Frankfurt Arena (Eintracht Frankfurt’s home), which has a capacity of 54,697
• Hamburg – Volksparkstadion (home of Hamburger SV), and holds 52,245 fans
• Düsseldorf – Düsseldorf Arena (Fortuna Düsseldorf’s stadium), which has a capacity of 51,031
• Cologne – Cologne Stadium (where 1. FC Köln plays) and has a capacity of 49,827
• Leipzig – Leipzig Stadium (RB Leipzig’s home), and is able to accommodate 42,959 fans

The stadiums used in the Euro 2024 Championships all have different names, which fans may recognise them by, but given the rules regarding sponsorships by UEFA, they will be known under the names that have been provided.

These stadiums have been selected as they meet the criteria that have been set out by the UEFA’s requirement of holding at least 30,000 fans for Championship games. These venues and cities have also been selected as they cover all the major regions of Germany. Locations like Bremen and Mönchengladbach were not selected for this tournament. Nine of the venues selected (all but Düsseldorf) were used when Germany hosted the 2006 FIFA World Cup, while cities Hanover, Nuremberg and Kaiserslautern will not be used for this year’s competition despite being host cities during that World Cup.

What national teams will be participating at the 2024 Euros?

As highlighted, there will be a total of 24 national teams competing in this year’s tournament. Unlike the upcoming 2026 FIFA World Cup, this year’s 2024 Euros will not feature an expansion in the number of teams, meaning we will see a familiar format be kept.

The nations to have qualified are:

Albania	England	Portugal	Spain
Austria	France	Romania	Switzerland
Belgium	Germany	Scotland	Turkey
Croatia	Hungary	Serbia	Play-off Winner A
Czech Republic	Italy	Slovakia	Play-off Winner B
Denmark	Netherlands	Slovenia	Play-off Winner C

Currently, of the 21 teams to have qualified already, 17 featured at Euro 2020, while all of them have appeared at one edition of the competition in the past. Albania (2016) and Slovenia (2000) are the most inexperienced in terms of appearances. In contrast, Germany will be appearing in their 13th and will remain the national team with the most appearances. They – and Spain – are the most successful teams to have been involved in the Euros competing in this year’s event, with both having won the tournament on three occasions.

Sweden will be a notable absence this year, as it will be the first European Championships that they will have missed since Euro 1996. Russia will also not be involved as their ban in sporting competitions continues to be in place.

Teams were seeded as follows:

Pot 1	Pot 2	Pot 3	Pot 4
Germany	Hungary	Netherlands	Italy
Portugal	Turkey	Scotland	Serbia
France	Romania	Croatia	Switzerland
Spain	Denmark	Slovenia	Play-off Winner A
Belgium	Albania	Slovakia	Play-off Winner B
England	Austria	Czech Republic	Play-off Winner C

2024 Euro Tournament Format

The above seedings helped to determine the groups that have been set for the competition. There will be a total of six groups of four teams, lettered A-F. The top two teams and the four best-placed teams to finish third will progress to the competition’s knockout stages. These matches will be contested as single-game eliminators, with the path to the final requiring teams to advance from the Round of 16, Quarter-finals, and then the Semi-finals.

The following groups have been drawn together:

Group A	Group B	Group C	Group D	Group E	Group F
Germany	Spain	Slovenia	Play-off Winner A	Belgium	Turkey
Scotland	Croatia	Denmark	Netherlands	Slovakia	Play-off Winner C
Hungary	Italy	Serbia	Austria	Romania	Portugal
Switzerland	Albania	England	France	Play-off Winner B	Czech Republic

Group matches will be played between 14 June and 26 June, with the Round of 16 commencing on 29 June. These matches will come to an end on 2 July, with the Quarter-finals scheduled to begin on 5 July and end a day later.

The semi-finals will be played on 9 & 10 July, with the Final scheduled to take place at the Olympiastadion Berlin on 14 July.

Euro 2024 Players to Watch

Given the national teams that are a part of the 2024 European Championships, there will be a collection of superstars likely to be on show when the action begins in Germany. While we know we will be deprived of the talents of Erling Haaland this summer due to Norway’s absence, there will be an abundance of quality on the pitch wherever you look.

Providing injuries do not strike and their form remains as consistent as they have shown throughout the season, we can expect to see players like Jude Bellingham, Kylian Mbappe, Harry Kane, Cristiano Ronaldo, and many others lace their boots and put on magical displays as they look to guide their national team to major tournament success.

History of the European Football Championships

Here is a table of the previous UEFA European Championship winners, organised by the date of their victories:

Year	Host Country	Winner	Runner-up	Final Score
1960	France	Soviet Union	Yugoslavia	2-1
1964	Spain	Spain	Soviet Union	2-1
1968	Italy	Italy	Yugoslavia	1-1 (aet), 2-0 (replay)
1972	Belgium	West Germany	Soviet Union	3-0
1976	Yugoslavia	Czechoslovakia	West Germany	2-2 (aet), 5-3 (pen)
1980	Italy	West Germany	Belgium	2-1
1984	France	France	Spain	2-0
1988	West Germany	Netherlands	Soviet Union	2-0
1992	Sweden	Denmark	Germany	2-0
1996	England	Germany	Czech Republic	2-1 (aet)
2000	Belgium/Netherlands	France	Italy	2-1 (aet)
2004	Portugal	Greece	Portugal	1-0
2008	Austria/Switzerland	Spain	Germany	1-0
2012	Poland/Ukraine	Spain	Italy	4-0
2016	France	Portugal	France	1-0 (aet)
2020 (postponed until 2021)	Various	Italy	England	1-1 (aet), 3-2 (pen)

England came incredibly close to winning their maiden competition in the last edition and fell short in front of their own crowd in the final, something that has happened quite often to the hosts who reach the final in this tournament’s history.

Portugal were beaten famously in 2004 when they hosted the competition in the final by Greece in a shock result, while France were beaten by Portugal in front of their own fans in 2016’s edition of the tournament.

Six of the finals to have been played in the 16 editions of the Euros have required additional time, too, with a scoreline of 2-1 appearing on five occasions. 2-0 is another common scoreline in the final, having appeared on four occasions over the course of the competition’s history.

Could we see the host nation be crowned winners again? It has happened on three occasions in the past, and many will feel Germany have the capabilities and talent required to make it a fourth time it happens.

2024 Euro Fan Engagement & Events

Fans who will be heading out to Germany for this year’s competition will be able to engage and interact with a number of other supporters (from home and abroad) at many of the dedicated fan parks that will have been created.

Each city hosting a match will have a fan zone that fans can attend and enjoy many of the festivities that are on offer. These will include areas in which supporters can purchase food and beverages, watch the action on the pitch from big screens, and participate in numerous activities that can be participated in throughout the day.

While Ireland may have failed to qualify for this year’s tournament, there will likely be a number of activities that can still be enjoyed across the country. While fan parks are not going to exist, fans will be able to come together and watch the matches they want to see in many of the country’s pubs. It will also be possible to engage with others through social media.

How can viewers in Ireland watch Euro 2024?

Fans will be able to watch every single match being played at the 2024 UEFA European Championships this summer as it will be broadcast on mainstream TV. Broadcasters who have the rights to the competition include RTÉ, Premier Sports, and Virgin Media, although those who have access to other channels may find it can be available on those, too.

Those who watch British TV will be able to find matches being played across ITV and BBC, with their streaming platforms also being used to show games.

Are there any COVID-19 Protocols in place for the 2024 Euro Championships?

There is no official guidance or protocols currently in place regarding COVID-19 and the upcoming European Championships, although a level of common sense and precautionary measures would be recommended to follow.

The virus has become more manageable since it first swept the world, and travel restrictions have since been eased. Requirements to wear masks have also become relaxed, with people expected to live with the viral infection as if it is any other. Individuals are recommended to continue to practice traditional hygiene measures, such as washing hands, and to remain aware of any developments that might happen.

The UEFA European Championships is one of football’s greatest spectacles, and this summer’s 2024 edition will be another that will showcase some of the very best action that the international game has to offer.

Will Germany be the next host nation to be crowned winners? Will England recover from the heartbreak they experienced in the last tournament? Will Italy retain their title? Or, will we get a new winner for the very first time?

Stay with us as we will provide you with all the latest in the run-up to the tournament and provide you with all of the biggest updates as the competition progresses, looking at a number of aspects including providing you with betting angles that can help ease the pain of Ireland not being involved and maximise the enjoyment that you can obtain from this sport. Keep up with the latest football news with us!