Euro 2024 has officially kicked off, bringing together the crème de la crème of European football to vie for the prestigious title of continental champions. The tournament will run from June 14 to July 14, showcasing football at its finest across ten vibrant German cities.
Defending Champions and Contenders
Italy enters Euro 2024 as the reigning champions; however, they will face steep competition. England, France, Spain, and Portugal are nations with high hopes and formidable squads that are capable of disrupting Italy's reign. The host nation, Germany, also cannot be written off given their rich footballing history and home advantage.
High-profile stars like France's Kylian Mbappe and England's Jude Bellingham are expected to light up the tournament. However, Euro 2024 is also an opportunity for smaller nations like Georgia and Albania to spring surprises and potentially make a deep run.
Venues Across Germany
The tournament will take place in ten German cities, each boasting modern facilities and passionate local fan bases. Notably, UEFA has renamed these venues for the event:
- Arena AufSchalke, Cologne Stadium, Waldstadion, and Leipzig Stadium will host matches up to the Round of 16. These games will be played at Gelsenkirchen's Veltins-Arena (home of Schalke 04), Cologne's RheinEnergieStadion (home of FC Köln), Frankfurt's Deutsche Bank Park (home of Eintracht Frankfurt), and Leipzig's Red Bull Arena (home of RB Leipzig).
- Stuttgart Arena, Volksparkstadion, and Düsseldorf Arena will host matches up to the quarterfinals, with games played at Stuttgart's MHPArena (home of VfB Stuttgart), Hamburg's Volksparkstadion (home of Hamburger SV), and Düsseldorf's Merkur Spiel-Arena (home of Fortuna Düsseldorf).
- Fußball Arena München and BVB Stadion Dortmund will host games up to the semifinals, located at Munich's Allianz Arena (home of Bayern Munich) and Dortmund's Signal Iduna Park (home of Borussia Dortmund).
- Berlin's Olympiastadion (home of Hertha BSC) will be the venue for the final showdown on July 14.
Group Stage Excitement
The group stage has already sparked excitement among fans. Here's a snapshot of the group standings and key fixtures:
Group A
Germany triumphed over Scotland with a 5-1 victory. Upcoming fixtures include:
- Hungary vs. Switzerland, June 15, 9 a.m.
- Germany vs. Hungary, June 19, 12 p.m. on FS1
- Scotland vs. Switzerland, June 19, 3 p.m. on Fox
- Switzerland vs. Germany, June 23, 3 p.m. on Fox
- Scotland vs. Hungary, June 23, 3 p.m. on FS1
Group B
- Spain vs. Croatia, June 15, 12 p.m. on Fox
- Italy vs. Albania, June 15, 3 p.m. on Fox
- Croatia vs. Albania, June 19, 9 a.m. on FS1
- Spain vs. Italy, June 20, 3 p.m. on Fox
- Albania vs. Spain, June 24, 3 p.m. on FS1
- Croatia vs. Italy, June 24, 3 p.m. on Fox
Group C
- Slovenia vs. Denmark, June 16, 12 p.m. on FS1
- Serbia vs. England, June 16, 3 p.m. on Fox
- Slovenia vs. Serbia, June 20, 9 a.m. on FS1
- Denmark vs. England, June 20, 3 p.m. on FS1
- England vs. Slovenia, June 25, 3 p.m. on Fox
- Denmark vs. Serbia, June 25, 3 p.m. on FS1
Group D
- Poland vs. Netherlands, June 16, 9 a.m. on FS1
- Austria vs. France, June 17, 3 p.m. on Fox
- Poland vs. Austria, June 21, 12 p.m. on FS1
- Netherlands vs. France, June 21, 3 p.m. on Fox
- Netherlands vs. Austria, June 25, 12 p.m. on FS1
- France vs. Poland, June 25, 12 p.m. on Fox
Group E
- Romania vs. Ukraine, June 17, 9 a.m.
- Belgium vs. Slovakia, June 17, 12 p.m. on FS1
- Slovakia vs. Ukraine, June 21, 9 a.m.
- Belgium vs. Romania, June 22, 3 p.m. on Fox
- Slovakia vs. Romania, June 26, 12 p.m. on FS1
- Ukraine vs. Belgium, June 26, 12 p.m. on Fox
Group F
- Turkey vs. Georgia, June 18, 12 p.m.
- Portugal vs. Czechia, June 18, 3 p.m. on Fox
- Georgia vs. Czechia, June 22, 9 a.m.
- Turkey vs. Portugal, June 22, 12 p.m. on Fox
- Georgia vs. Portugal, June 26, 3 p.m. on Fox
- Czechia vs. Turkey, June 26, 3 p.m. on FS1
Progressing to the Knockout Stages
Out of 24 teams, 16 will advance to the knockout stages, setting the stage for even more thrilling matches. The Round of 16 is filled with potentially epic clashes:
Round of 16
- 2A vs. 2B, June 29, 12 p.m. on FS1
- 1A vs. 2C, June 29, 3 p.m. on Fox
- 1C vs. 3D/E/F, June 30, 12 p.m. on Fox
- 1B vs. 3A/D/E/F, June 30, 3 p.m. on Fox
- 2D vs. 2E, July 1, 12 p.m. on FS1
- 1F vs. 3A/B/C, July 1, 3 p.m. on Fox
- 1E vs. 3A/B/C/D, July 2, 12 p.m. on FS1
- 1D vs. 2F, July 2, 3 p.m. on Fox
Quarterfinals
- TBD vs. TBD, July 5, 12 p.m. on Fox
- TBD vs. TBD, July 5, 3 p.m. on Fox
- TBD vs. TBD, July 6, 12 p.m. on Fox
- TBD vs. TBD, July 6, 3 p.m. on Fox
Semifinals
- TBD vs. TBD, July 9, 3 p.m. on Fox
- TBD vs. TBD, July 10, 3 p.m. on Fox
The Grand Finale
Finally, the tournament will culminate in a grand finale on July 14 at Berlin's Olympiastadion. With national pride and European glory at stake, football fans around the world will be glued to their screens.
For those eager to catch every moment of the action, you can watch Euro 2024 live on Fubo, with a free trial available.