Scotland will open Euro 2024 against Germany.
Steve Clarke’s side enjoyed a resurgent run of form to qualify and have been rewarded with an opening game against the hosts in Munich. They are joined in Group A by Hungary and Switzerland.
England were handed a favourable draw and will meet Denmark — who they beat in the Euro 2020 semi-finals — as well as Serbia and Slovenia in Group C.
Defending champions Italy, who finished behind Gareth Southgate’s side in qualification, will meet Spain in one of the games of the group stage, while also facing Albania and 2018 World Cup finalists Croatia.
Play-offs in March will determine the final three participants at the tournament with Wales — should they progress past Finland and one of Poland or Estonia — drawn to take on France, Netherlands and Austria in what is statistically the toughest of the six groups.
Italy were victorious in 2020, beating England in the final at Wembley Stadium. Hosts Germany are the most successful team in the competition’s history with three tournament victories and three second places. Spain — the only country to successfully defend a title — have also won it on three occasions.
Here, The Athletic guide you through everything you need to know about the tournament and every team in it…
Euro 2024 schedule and stadiums
Euro 2024 will start on Friday, June 14, with the final in Berlin on Sunday, July 14, the same day as the Copa America final in Miami.
The tournament will take place in 10 venues across 10 host cities.
- Olympiastadion Berlin, Berlin (70,000 capacity)
- Munich Football Arena, Munich (67,000)
- BVB Stadion Dortmund, Dortmund (66,000)
- Stuttgart Arena, Stuttgart (54,000)
- Arena AufSchalke, Gelsenkirchen (50,000)
- Volksparkstadion Hamburg, Hamburg: (50,000)
- Frankfurt Arena, Frankfurt (48,000)
- Cologne Stadium, Cologne (47,000)
- Düsseldorf Arena, Dusseldorf: (47,000)
- Leipzig Stadium, Leipzig (42,000)
What are the Euro 2024 groups?
Group A
Germany (World ranking: 16, Previous best: Winners, 1972, 1980, 1996)
Who is the key player?
The somehow-still-underrated Joshua Kimmich is crucial, either in dictating the team’s tempo from central midfield or fixing (at least half of) their thorny full-back problem if he slots in at right-back. But the impossibly elegant Jamal Musiala holds the key to Germany’s attack and can make every player around him better. If he’s on form, they will score goals. Can they keep enough out at the other end though?
What are their chances?
Has a host nation that has won the tournament three times ever been less fancied for the title? As hosts, they didn’t have to play qualifiers, but that has starved them of competitive matches. Their games since the World Cup have been friendlies, but even those have yielded defeats against Poland, Colombia, Japan, Turkey and Austria. With a new manager and many places in the squad up for grabs, I predict a last-16 exit after finishing second in the group. But in front of their own fans, you never know…
Max Mathews
Scotland (World ranking: 36, Previous best: Group stage, 1992, 1996, 2020)
Who is the key player?
John McGinn. He is the heartbeat of the team and, until Scott McTominay outdid him in the most recent qualifying campaign, the main source of goals. Without an established goal scoring striker, there is a big reliance on the two midfielders breaking into the box. They have done it well but for Scotland to cope at the top level they need McGinn to help control periods of games rather than simply feeding off scraps. When he is at his best, winning second balls, driving forward and running off the striker, he lifts the entire team.
What are their chances?
After such a strong qualifying campaign, the big target is to make it out of the group having only picked up one point at Euro 2020. This is a squad that will have learned from their first tournament and they have gained dozens of caps together over the past four years. They are coming into their peak and, although they missed out on being a pot 2 side, it may actually have worked in their favour given Croatia and the Netherlands are in pot 3 with them. To progress they’ll need to be much more confident in possession but a favourable draw and Steve Clarke’s strength in one-off games could come to the fore.
Jordan Campbell
Hungary (World ranking: 27, Previous best: Third place, 1964)
Who is the key player?
It’s hard to look past captain Dominik Szoboszlai. He has transitioned from wonderkid into a key part of Liverpool’s new-look, revamped midfield this season and has the technical and mental attributes to shine on the highest stage next summer.
Szoboszlai will be a key player for Hungary (Attila Kisbenedek/AFP via Getty Images)
What are their chances?
Hungary passed the test of a competitive qualifying Group G with flying colours. Though there were no outstanding sides to face, their opponents Serbia, Montenegro, Lithuania and Bulgaria offered few easy games. They finished top with 18 points and also beat England twice in the Nations League, including a raucous 4-0 win at Molineux. Reaching the quarter-finals is realistic. Don’t be surprised if they shock a big team.
Max Mathews
Switzerland (World ranking: 18, Previous best: Quarter-finals, 2020)
Who is the key player?
There are the stunning saves of Yann Sommer (Inter Milan), the stylistic confidence of Manuel Akanji (Man City), the speed of Noah Okafor (AC Milan) and still the cunning of Xherdan Shaqiri (Chicago Fire). But no one stands out to me more than captain Granit Xhaka. The former Arsenal player, now at Leverkusen, is the clear leader and places the highest demands on himself and his team. Although recently there has been unrest in the team due to issues between Xhaka and coach Murat Yakin, mainly about team training, the tactical setup and player selection.
What are their chances?
Remember what Forrest Gump said in the famous movie? “Life is like a box of chocolates, you never know what you’re going to get”. You can easily adapt this sentence to the Swiss national team. On good days, Switzerland can defeat France, as they did in the round of 16 of Euro 2020. On bad days they find themselves 3-1 down against Belarus (when they salvaged a point). The problem with this team is the trend appears to be downwards. After three wins at the start of European Championship qualification, they were only able to win one of seven games — against Andorra. Now the big question is: will the team finally manage to achieve brilliant results again? Many experts doubt this with good reason.
Ueli Kagi
Group A analysis
By Michael Cox
The hosts of a major tournament generally struggle for fluency without competitive matches — but Germany’s seven defeats from 11 friendlies in 2023 has been particularly alarming. Julian Nagelsmann has replaced Hansi Flick as head coach, but hasn’t yet been able to turn the side’s fortunes around. They appear slightly stuck between two great generations of footballer. If they are to triumph, it will probably because of youngsters like Florian Wirtz and Musiala, both 20, rather than ageing veterans rolling back the years.
This might not look like a difficult group for Germany, but all three opponents are difficult to break down.
Scotland are in their best shape this century and recorded a famous victory over Spain in qualification. McTominay was in particularly fine form, scoring seven goals in seven qualifiers.
Switzerland are always slightly better than anticipated, having qualified from the group stage at the last three World Cups and last two European Championships. They drew half of their 10 games in qualifying, more than anyone else, summarising the sense they struggle to dominate games, but are difficult to defeat.
Hungary, meanwhile, went unbeaten in qualifying, spurred on by the drive of Szoboszlai. Their 3-4-3 system causes opponents problems down the flanks.
Group B
Spain (World ranking: 8, Previous best: Winners, 1964, 2008, 2012)
Who is the key player?
It is a team full of great potential and a good mix of young and experienced players, but there aren’t many of the players in the squad who we can consider absolutely world class. Rodri comes to mind, but for the attack to work they need someone with vision and creativity in their game. That player is Pedri. He has been struggling a bit at Barcelona after coming back from his injury, but he is the absolute key to success for them next summer. Spain need Pedri at his best if they want to go all the way.
What are their chances?
I’d say they are just behind France, Portugal and England when it comes to favourites. Their playing style is crystal clear and they are perhaps the best team at defending with the ball, but they are still struggling when having to break down a team that defends deep. They need a few of their attacking players to raise their level if they are to win it.
Nicolai Lisberg
Croatia (World ranking: 10, Previous best: Quarter-finals, 1996, 2008)
Who is the key player?
Normally, I would say Ivan Perisic but he suffered an ACL injury and the whole nation is hoping for his recovery. Luka Modric will be very motivated, but I see Lovro Majer on the right wing or in the middle and Bruno Petkovic as a centre forward in very important roles.
What are their chances?
Croatia had a difficult qualification after two unexpected defeats in October. But now they have qualified the expectations are high, as usual. There will be a lot of Croatia fans in Germany and I expect them to reach the quarter-finals. From there, anything is possible.
Marko Sepat
Italy (World ranking: 9, Previous best: Winners, 1968, 2020)
Who is the key player?
The most important player is definitely going to be Federico Chiesa. He is the most talented player and since we’ve had some problems finding a forward who guarantees many goals, he is going to be the key. If Chiesa is in good shape, everything will work out fine for Italy.
What are their chances?
Even though Italy are the reigning champions, they haven’t been enjoying good times since winning the 2006 World Cup. But in tournaments, nobody wants to draw them, so I think that the semi-finals is a realistic target.
Filippo Benincampi
Italy are defending champions after winning Euro 2020 (Michael Regan/UEFA via Getty Images)
Albania (World ranking: 62, Previous best: Group stage, 2016)
Who is the key player?
The best player, Chelsea’s Armando Broja, missed the whole qualification campaign through injury but now he is regaining his fitness, he will be one to watch. Other key players will be goalkeeper Etrit Berisha, captain Berat Djimsiti, midfielder Kristjan Asllani and forward Jasir Asani — all have important roles in terms of leadership and performance on the pitch.
What are their chances?
Albania can hold their own against big teams but their chances of progressing from the group are small — but never say never. At Euro 2016, they won the last group match against Romania but had to wait three days to see if they would qualify as one of the best third-placed teams, only to miss out on goal difference. This time they will try to do a better job and reach the knockout stages.
Ermal Kuka
Group B analysis
By Michael Cox
Defending champions Italy’s status as a Pot 4 side meant they were almost inevitably going to be part of the ‘group of death’. That said, it’s difficult to ascertain precisely how good these sides will be next summer.
Spain won the Nations League in the summer, but it’s now over a decade since their last major tournament victory, and perhaps they’ve reverted to their old status as perennial disappointments. They have plenty of midfield quality, but lack world-class forwards and coach Luis de la Fuente is largely untested at the top level. He used 40 players in qualification.
Oddly, this will be the fourth European Championship in a row where Spain have faced both Italy and Croatia.
Italy, now coached by Luciano Spalletti, depended on penalties in the semi-final and final to win Euro 2020, didn’t qualify for either of the last two World Cups and only guaranteed their place here with a highly nervy goalless draw away at Ukraine.
Croatia remain one of international football’s best sides at controlling possession, although Luka Modric is now 38 and Marcelo Brozovic is now playing in Saudi Arabia. Their golden generation may have passed.
Albania are clearly the underdogs, but they went unbeaten in qualification and are blessed with their best-ever generation of talent. They could prove to be the tournament’s surprise package, despite this tough draw.
Group C
Slovenia (World ranking: 54, Previous best: Group stage, 2000)
Who is the key player?
Goalkeeper and captain Jan Oblak is a brilliantly solid presence between the sticks and is the obvious answer. But also keep an eye out for rangy 20-year-old striker Benjamin Sesko, who already has 10 goals for his country. Tagging him with ‘the next Erling Haaland’ buzz phrase is deeply unhelpful but this could really be his breakthrough tournament.
What are their chances?
Ultimately, reaching the last 16 would be a good achievement. They qualified in second from their qualifying group, level on points with Denmark, which is some going, and ousting the likes of Finland and Kazakhstan, who provide tricky opposition. They have brilliant quality in goal but the depth isn’t there across the XI to provide a sustained challenge.
Jernej Suhadolnik
Denmark (World ranking: 19, Previous best: Winners, 1992)
Who is the key player?
Christian Eriksen has been the best Danish player of the last 15 years or so and the entire nation cheered for him when he returned to football after his cardiac arrest at the Euros in 2021. But he is not a consistent performer for Denmark and there is constant debate about his place in the team. Head coach Kasper Hjulmand is among his biggest fans, though, so it is unlikely he will be cut from the starting 11. But he has never played at his absolute best level at a major tournament, and it would be a great help for Denmark if he did it this time.
What are their chances?
It used to be a success every time Denmark qualified for a major tournament, but this time the mood around the team is quite negative. Expectations have increased after reaching the semi-finals at Euro 2021 but they have not reached those performance levels since. Peter Moller, director of football at the Danish FA, has said the ambition is to progress from the group. Unfortunately it is hard to hope for more at the moment.
Max Mathews
Serbia (World ranking: 34, Previous best: N/A)
Who is the key player?
From the outside looking in, many would say all-time top scorer Aleksandar Mitrovic or leading appearance-maker Dusan Tadic, but the truth is both have lost some of their physical edge and need a strongly performing Sergej Milinkovic-Savic to excel. For Serbia, Milinkovic-Savic usually plays in a deeper role — he is key to the side’s ability to control the ball in midfield and bring players into their most advantageous attacking positions.
What are their chances?
Expectations and euphoria have never been lower in Serbia after qualifying for a major tournament. Partly because the results have been disappointing ever since qualifying for the World Cup, but for the most part because there is little faith in coach Dragan Stojkovic’s ability to properly establish the team’s defensive unit. However, considering the format of the Euros and the individual quality within the squad, a place in the knockouts should still be the goal. Serbia are one of the most unpredictable sides in Europe.
Veljko Dragosavljevic
England (World ranking: 3, Previous best: Runners-up, 2020)
Who is the key player?
Harry Kane and Jude Bellingham, but in terms of importance for actually winning the tournament you are probably looking at the performances of the centre-backs. If their attacking talents are fit, England will not be short of creativity or firepower, but it is in defence where the current generation is not blessed with top level options. Good teams with poor defences generally don’t win big tournaments. If John Stones and Harry Maguire — the likely centre-back pairing — have the tournament of their lives, England have a much better chance of winning the thing. If not, the defence, no matter how much protection Gareth Southgate gives them with his system, may be England’s undoing.
Bellingham and Kane will be central to England’s chances (Richard Heathcote/Getty Images)
What are their chances?
England have legitimately been among the favourites to win the last two major tournaments they have been involved in and the same is true of Euro 2024 — they are in a small group of teams along with France, Spain, Germany and Portugal who on paper have the quality to go all the way. We are used to England comfortably bypassing the group stages and then falling short when it really counts against a top tier team in a knockout stage match. Why could next summer be any different? Five words — Harry Kane and Jude Bellingham. Yes, they have a great supporting cast in Bukayo Saka, Phil Foden and Declan Rice, but getting England’s two best players to the tournament fit, fresh and in form will probably define their hopes. Will the fact they are not playing in the Premier League help England?
Tim Spiers
Group C analysis
By Michael Cox
England’s probable XI is familiar from the World Cup and yet this side is perhaps more potent going forward. Trent Alexander-Arnold, who Gareth Southgate has previously struggled to place in his England side, has been used in midfield while Bellingham’s form at Real Madrid makes him Europe’s most in-form player. Kane and Rice’s moves to Bayern and Arsenal, meanwhile, have probably made them more rounded players.
England’s toughest test will be against Denmark, who took them to extra-time in Euro 2020, when they became the neutral’s favourites. Rasmus Hojlund might be struggling to get off the mark in the Premier League, but he’s scoring regularly at international level, and may have solved the Danes’ previous problem position.
Denmark and Slovenia were also paired together in qualifying. They drew 1-1 in Ljubljana before a 2-1 Denmark win in Copenhagen. Slovenia could prove more difficult opponents than expected, led by the long-serving Matjaz Kek, who can now rely upon Leipzig’s Sesko for goals.
Serbia have often turned up at tournaments as dark horses, but they did the bare minimum to qualify — only beating Lithuania and neighbours Montenegro twice each, while drawing twice to Bulgaria and losing twice to Hungary. In Mitrovic and Dusan Vlahovic they have two dangerous strikers, although they’re rarely fielded together.
Group D
Netherlands (World ranking: 6, Previous best: Winners, 1988)
Who is the key player?
Frenkie de Jong is a key player for both the Dutch team and Barcelona. Ronald Koeman and Xavi rate him very highly; he was instrumental in helping the Catalan side win La Liga last season. Building from the back and holding the team together with his link-up play, he is the binding factor of the Dutch team.
What are their chances?
They don’t really expect to win the Euros — they are more like an outside bet, like they were at the Qatar World Cup. On their day they can compete with the world’s best, like they did with Argentina for some parts in the World Cup quarter-final, but two convincing defeats against France in our Euro qualifying group shows that they are just below the top teams.
Arthur Renard
Austria (World ranking: 24, Previous best: Round of 16, 2020)
Who is the key player?
David Alaba and Marcel Sabitzer. The two players with most experience at the highest level of the European game, they will be both be integral to Austria’s chances of making it out of the group.
What are their chances?
Austria has a well balanced squad and a lot of experience. They have just beaten Germany and have good chances this year to reach the quarterfinals for the first time in history.
Johnny Ertl
France (World ranking: 2, Previous best: Winners, 1984, 2000)
Who is the key player?
Instinctively, the easy answer is Kylian Mbappe because he is an immense talent who thirsts for glory. But Antoine Griezmann is an essential player in this setup. He has dropped deeper to become the metronome, setting the tempo, keeping the ball when the team need to breathe and finding perfectly timed passes. At 32, he has reached footballing maturity and plays football like no one else.
Mbappe’s France are one of the tournament favourites (Franck Fife/AFP via Getty Images)
What are their chances?
World Cup runners-up, with a golden generation of players, strong competition across the team, a seasoned coach (in place since 2012) and one of the best two attackers in the world in Mbappe, France is in my opinion hot favourites at the Euros. This group of players will be desperate to put the World Cup final defeat against Argentina behind them and add a title to their record.
Florent Torchut
Play-off winner A
One of Poland, Estonia, Wales and Finland will join what looks like an ominous Group D.
Group D analysis
By Michael Cox
Along with Group B, this looks set to provide the most exciting games in the competition. Didier Deschamps has been in charge of France since 2012, and by the time of the tournament will have coached twice as many national team managers as anyone else in France’s history. He rarely receives praise for his style of play, but Deschamps knows how to navigate his way through tournaments better than most. In Mbappe, France have the most explosive attacker at the tournament.
Their games against both the Austria and the Netherlands should be exciting affairs — and they’ll need little introduction to the Dutch, whom they defeated twice in qualifying. Ronald Koeman is still figuring out his optimum system and best XI — it was difficult to keep track in qualifying, with only a couple of players starting the majority of matches.
In contrast, Austria have fared well under Rangnick, qualifying comfortably after impressive home-and-away wins over Sweden. His focus on pressing high up the pitch means Austria have tended to play well against better opposition, and playing against France and the Netherlands may suit them.
These three sides will probably hope to avoid Poland, even if solely because of the threat of Lewandowski. Estonia’s position in the play-offs, as a result of their Nations League performance, feels a little peculiar — they won one point from eight qualification games.
Group E
Belgium (World ranking: 4, Previous best: Runners-up, 1980)
Who is the key player?
Jeremy Doku. His performances with City and Belgium have given a country hope again…
What are their chances?
They are outsiders. We don’t have the sheer quality we used to have, like in 2018 when we finished third at the World Cup. Mainly our defence isn’t at the same level anymore. But we have brilliant young shining players to play on the counter-attack, with Doku’s dribbling and pace, Kevin De Bruyne’s passing range and Romelu Lukaku’s goalscoring attributes. Our new national team manager, Domenico Tedesco, is unbeaten in his first year. But Belgium still need to be tested. Is their defensive outfit, with Timothy Castagne, Wout Faes, the old but reliable Jan Vertonghen and left-back-in-need Arthur Theate, strong enough?
Kristof Terreur
Slovakia (World ranking: 45, Previous best: Round of 16, 2016)
Who is the key player?
After retirement of Marek Hamsik, I’d say that the two most important players are Milan Skriniar and Stanislav Lobotka. Skriniar has been a leader of the defence for a few years now, as he has both defensive qualities, and can also help the team with the buildup very well. Lobotka plays as a defensive midfielder, so he’s no playmaker like Marek Hamsik was, but he has been very good with his passing in order to break the lines of the opponent and help the team.
What are their chances?
It has been a weird year for Slovakia, as they qualified for the Euros and also tried to improve tactically, under new coach Francesco Calzona. To sum up, he managed to do that, which led to some optimism. Still, the squad depth is not really big with the Slovak team, so their chances at the Euros will depend on the form and health of the key players. Still, Slovakia will hope to advance from their group, as they did at Euro 2016.
Lukas Vrablik
Romania (World ranking: 43, Previous best: Quarter-finals, 2000)
Who is the key player?
Romania don’t have an attack-minded coach, so it’s expect that a defensive player will catch the eye. Centre-back Radu Dragusin is the best Romanian player at the moment. He was born in Bucharest, but he was signed by Juventus when he was just 16. Dragusin only played four games for Juve but now he is a regular starter in Serie A for Genoa. Romania conceded only five goals in qualifying and his contribution was huge.
What are their chances?
It’s very hard to predict a victory for Romania in a major tournament. A draw would be more likely than a win even against the play-off winner. The goal will be to reach the round of 16.
Alexandru Tentu
Play-off winner B
Group E will also see a play-off winner drop in following the semi-finals and final in March. Israel meet Iceland and Bosnia & Herzegovina host Ukraine with the winners facing each other in a one-off tie to reach Germany.
Group E analysis
By Michael Cox
On paper this is probably the weakest group in the competition, although Belgium looked reinvigorated in qualifying, with Lukaku scoring 14 goals, the most in the entire process. Tedesco has created a dynamic, efficient side who have started to lose key players from their golden generation, but arguably look more cohesive.
Slovakia are a curious side: they twice ran Portugal close, beat both Iceland and Bosnia and Herzegovina home and away, but 0-0 at home to Luxembourg and only squeezed past them 1-0 in the reverse fixture. They have a strong spine but lack attacking inspiration.
Romania topped their qualification group ahead of Switzerland without losing a game. They have a talented young squad and are well-organised defensively.
The fourth side is unknown, but the playoff route featuring Israel, Iceland, Bosnia and Herzegovina and Ukraine could produce a tricky opponent — Ukraine are probably the strongest of the quartet.
Group F
Turkey (World ranking: 37, Previous best: Semi-finals, 2008)
Who is the key player?
The 24-year-old Fenerbahce left back Ferdi Kadıoglu is the one to watch out for. He is likely to be involved in a big-money move next summer. Real Madrid attacking midfielder Arda Guler, 18, is another favourite.
What are their chances?
In terms of the squad, Turkey is well behind big teams, such as France, England and Spain. The average age is 26 and there are some important players in the squad that play in the top European leagues. On their day, Turkey can be a difficult opposition for any team in the competition with the head coach Vincenzo Montella getting the best out of his players. He took charge in September 2023, and his record in four matches is three wins and a draw. The team’s main handicap is there is no proven goal-scorer in the No 9 role. Baris Alper Yilmaz has played in that role, but the 23-year-old Galatasaray player is more naturally a right winger.
Ziya Adnan
Portugal (World ranking: 7, Previous best: Winners, 2016)
Who is the key player?
Bruno Fernandes was the star of the qualifiers. Along with Bernardo Silva, they are the main men. Cristiano Ronaldo is still there but he’s no longer the key player.
What are their chances?
Portugal looks stronger than ever. They have a different mindset with Roberto Martínez, tactically more capable and versatile and with a core of players at the top of their careers.
Carlos Machado
Czech Republic (World ranking: 39, Previous best: Runners-up, 1996)
Who is the key player?
The Czechs’ best player is striker Patrik Schick, who was among the breakout stars at Euro 2020. However, he has been injured quite a lot since then and played only a couple of minutes this season. If Schick is healthy, he’ll be a key player: without him the Czechs aren’t as dangerous. In his absence, Tomas Soucek is an obvious choice as a leader of the midfield and dressing room, too.
What are their chances?
Czech Republic made it to the quarter-final at the last Euros and they have a team with some quality players, formed by those who play abroad or play at three big Czech clubs, Slavia Prague, Sparta Prague and Viktoria Plzen. The depth of the team is quite good, however its form over the last few months has been inconsistent, which also led to the criticism of head coach Jaroslav Silhavy. In the end, Silhavy decided to step down after qualifying for the Euros. So it has been a turbulent period. I would say that the Czech Republic will hope to advance from their group to the knockout stages.
Lukas Vrablik
Play-off winner C
Georgia, Luxembourg, Greece or Kazakhstan will round out Group F and they will be up against it with three highly-ranked sides alongside them.
Group F analysis
By Michael Cox
2016 champions Portugal were the only side to finish with a 100 per cent record in qualifying, and recorded clean sheets in six of their 10 games. Cristiano Ronaldo remains the captain and is now on 128 international goals, although remains a slight debate about which player really dominates this side — Fernandes and Bernardo are in their peak years and have sometimes looked better without Ronaldo.
Their toughest challenge will come from Turkey, who were a disappointment at Euro 2020 but looked good in qualification under Montella. Hakan Calhanoglu is their clear technical leader, but they have a young, fresh squad focused on dominating possession, and are sure to have strong support in Germany.
The Czech Republic’s qualification for the tournament wasn’t enough to keep Silhavy in a job — he stepped down in November amid concerns about poor performances and a lack of squad discipline.
It would be a surprise if any of Georgia, Luxembourg, Kazakhstan or Greece made a major impact here — although with four third-placed sides qualifying, one surprise win could be enough.
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Full Euro 2024 fixtures day-by-day
Confirmed UK broadcaster selections included. Fox Sports will broadcast the games in the US with channels to be confirmed
Group stage
Friday, June 14
- Germany vs Scotland (Munich, 9pm CEST, 8pm BST, 3pm ET) (ITV)
Saturday, June 15
- Hungary vs Switzerland (Cologne, 3pm CEST, 2pm BST, 9am ET) (ITV)
- Spain vs Croatia (Berlin, 6pm CEST, 5pm BST, 12pm ET) (ITV)
- Italy vs Albania (Dortmund, 9pm CEST, 8pm BST, 3pm ET) (BBC)
Sunday, June 16
- Play-off Winner A vs Netherlands (Hamburg, 3pm CEST, 2pm BST, 9am ET) (BBC)
- Slovenia vs Denmark (Stuttgart, 6pm CEST, 5pm BST, 12pm ET) (ITV)
- Serbia vs England (Gelsenkirchen, 9pm CEST, 8pm BST, 3pm ET) (BBC)
Monday, June 17
- Romania vs Play-off Winner B (Munich, 3pm CEST, 2pm BST, 9am ET) (BBC)
- Belgium vs Slovakia (Frankfurt, 6pm CEST, 5pm BST, 12pm ET) (ITV)
- Austria vs France (Dusseldorf, 9pm CEST, 8pm BST, 3pm ET)) (ITV)
Tuesday, June 18
- Turkey vs Play-off Winner C (Dortmund, 6pm CEST, 5pm BST, 12pm ET) (BBC)
- Portugal vs Czech Republic (Leipzig, 9pm CEST, 8pm BST, 3pm ET) (BBC)
Wednesday, June 19
- Croatia vs Albania (Hamburg, 3pm CEST, 2pm BST, 9am ET) (ITV)
- Germany vs Hungary (Stuttgart, 6pm CEST, 5pm BST, 12pm ET) (BBC)
- Scotland vs Switzerland (Cologne, 9pm CEST, 8pm BST, 3pm ET) (BBC)
Thursday, June 20
- Slovenia vs Serbia (Munich, 3pm CEST, 2pm BST, 9am ET) (ITV)
- Denmark vs England (Frankfurt, 6pm CEST, 5pm BST, 12pm ET) (BBC)
- Spain vs Italy (Gelsenkirchen, 9pm CEST, 8pm BST, 3pm ET) (ITV)
Friday, June 21
- Slovakia vs Play-off Winner B (Dusseldorf, 3pm CEST, 2pm BST, 9am ET) (BBC)
- Play-off Winner A vs Austria (Berlin, 6pm CEST, 5pm BST, 12pm ET) (ITV)
- Netherlands vs France (Leipzig, 9pm CEST, 8pm BST, 3pm ET) (BBC)
Saturday, June 22
- Play-off Winner C vs Czech Republic (Hamburg, 3pm CEST, 2pm BST, 9am ET) (BBC)
- Turkey vs Portugal (Dortmund, 6pm CEST, 5pm BST, 12pm ET) (ITV)
- Belgium vs Romania (Cologne, 9pm CEST, 8pm BST, 3pm ET) (ITV)
Sunday, June 23
- Switzerland vs Germany (Frankfurt, 9pm CEST, 8pm BST, 3pm ET) (BBC)
- Scotland vs Hungary (Stuttgart, 9pm CEST, 8pm BST, 3pm ET) (BBC)
Monday, June 24
- Croatia vs Italy (Leipzig, 9pm CEST, 8pm BST, 3pm ET) (BBC)
- Albania vs Spain (Dusseldorf, 9pm CEST, 8pm BST, 3pm ET) (BBC)
Tuesday, June 25
- Netherlands vs Austria (Berlin, 6pm CEST, 5pm BST, 12pm ET) (BBC)
- France vs Play-off Winner A (Dortmund, 6pm CEST, 5pm BST, 12pm ET) (BBC)
- England vs Slovenia (Cologne, 9pm CEST, 8pm BST, 3pm ET) (ITV)
- Denmark vs Serbia (Munich, 9pm CEST, 8pm BST, 3pm ET) (ITV)
Wednesday, June 26
- Slovakia vs Romania (Frankfurt, 6pm CEST, 5pm BST, 12pm ET) (BBC)
- Play-off Winner B vs Belgium (Stuttgart, 6pm CEST, 5pm BST, 12pm ET) (BBC)
- Czech Republic vs Turkey (Hamburg, 9pm CEST, 8pm BST, 3pm ET) (ITV)
- Play-off Winner C vs Portugal (Gelsenkirchen, 9pm CEST, 8pm BST, 3pm ET) (ITV)
Round of 16
Saturday, June 29
- Match 38 2A vs 2B (Berlin, 6pm CEST, 5pm BST, 12pm ET)
- Match 37 1A vs 2C (Dortmund, 9pm CEST, 8pm BST, 3pm ET)
Sunday, June 30
- Match 40 1C vs 3D/E/F (Gelsenkirchen, 6pm CEST, 5pm BST, 12pm ET)
- Match 39 1B vs 3A/D/E/F (Cologne, 9pm CEST, 8pm BST, 3pm ET)
Monday, July 1
- Match 42 2D vs 2E (Dusseldorf, 6pm CEST, 5pm BST, 12pm ET)
- Match 41 1F vs 3A/B/C (Frankfurt, 9pm CEST, 8pm BST, 3pm ET)
Tuesday, July 2
- Match 43 1E vs 3A/B/C/D (Munich, 6pm CEST, 5pm BST, 12pm ET)
- Match 44 1D vs 2F (Leipzig, 9pm CEST, 8pm BST, 3pm ET)
Quarter-finals
Friday, July 5
- Match 45 W39 vs W37 (Stuttgart, 6pm CEST, 5pm BST, 12pm ET)
- Match 46 W41 vs W42 (Hamburg, 9pm CEST, 8pm BST, 3pm ET)
Saturday, 6 July
- Match 48 W40 vs W38 (Dusseldorf, 6pm CEST, 5pm BST, 12pm ET)
- Match 47 W43 vs W44 (Berlin, 9pm CEST, 8pm BST, 3pm ET)
Semi-finals
Tuesday, July 9
- Match 49 W45 vs W46 (Munich, 9pm CEST, 8pm BST, 3pm ET)
Wednesday, July 10
- Match 50 W47 vs W48 (Dortmund, 9pm CEST, 8pm BST, 3pm ET)
Final
Sunday, July 14
- Match 51 W49 vs W50 (Berlin, 9pm CEST, 8pm BST, 3pm ET)
What about the play-offs?
The final three places at Euro 2024 will be decided via the play-offs which are split between three ‘paths’, so one place for Path A, one for Path B and one for Path C.
There are four teams in each path and they will play the following one-legged semi-finals on Thursday, March 21, 2024.
Path A
Path B
- Israel vs Iceland
- Bosnia & Herzegovina vs Ukraine
Path C
- Georgia vs Luxembourg
- Greece vs Kazakhstan
The winners of each semi-final will move to the three finals, all played five days later on Tuesday, March 26, 2024.
The destinations of the finals were decided by a UEFA draw; the winner of Wales vs Finland will host the Path A final, the winner of Bosnia & Herzegovina vs Ukraine will host the Path B final and the winner of Georgia vs Luxembourg will host the Path C final.
What is the Euro 2024 format?
There are 24 teams at Euro 2024, 12 fewer than at the World Cup. And that complicates the format somewhat.
The top two teams from each of the six groups will automatically qualify for the last 16.
They will be joined by the four best third-place teams, ie the four with the most points during the group stage. Where level on points, the decision will be made by:
- Higher goal difference
- Higher number of goals scored
- Higher number of wins
- Lower disciplinary points (yellow card = 1 point, red card = 3 points, two yellow cards in one match = 3 points)
- Position in European qualifiers rankings (or if Germany are involved, drawing of lots)
There will then be eight last-16 ties, four quarter-finals, two semi-finals before the final, on Sunday, July 14, which will determine the tournament winner and who will be crowned European champions.
There is no third-place play-off game, unlike the World Cup and Copa America, after UEFA decided to scrap it for the European Championships after 1980.
What else do I need to know?
The Athletic is the perfect place for you to follow Euro 2024. Our writers have already analysed the group stage draw — and made some predictions for next summer’s tournament — while Ali Rampling has broken down everything you need to know about securing a ticket.
Here is the full tournament schedule and here is an explanation of how the play-offs work. Three teams still need to secure their place in Germany next summer.
Sebastian Stafford-Bloor has meanwhile written this essential guide to all of the venues that will be used for the 2024 European Championship. And to stay up to date with all of the future articles we publish on the tournament, simply click here and hit the ‘follow’ button.
(Top photo: John MacDougall/AFP via Getty Images)
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