European Football Championship 2024

Germany will host the UEFA European Championship for the second time in its history. This will be the seventeenth edition of the tournament, featuring the twenty-four best national teams. Italy, the defending champions, will aim to retain their title, while the hosts will undoubtedly try to win the European crown on home soil, aiming to become the best national team in Europe for the fourth time.

Qualifications

Fifty-three European teams participated in the qualifiers, which were divided into ten groups—seven groups with five teams each and three groups with six teams. The top two teams from each group secured their spots in the European Championship.

The most excitement was seen in Group C, which included Italy, England, Ukraine, North Macedonia, and Malta. After the group draw, Italy and England were expected to secure the top two spots and qualify for Germany comfortably. England lived up to their status as favorites and took first place in this group. However, Italy’s inconsistent performances complicated their situation and opened the door for Ukraine to challenge for second place. In the final group match, Ukraine hosted Italy, needing a win to qualify for the European Championship. The Italians held on for a goalless draw, securing direct qualification to Germany thanks to a better head-to-head record.

Group D was also interesting, with Turkey, Croatia, and Wales vying for the top two spots. Wales had a chance in the final two rounds to complicate the group standings by winning against Armenia and Turkey. However, the Welsh team drew away to Armenia and then played a home draw against Turkey, which meant Turkey secured first place and Croatia took second, both qualifying for the European Championship.

Host Country

Germany will host the best European footballers from June 14 to July 14 this year, with matches being played in ten cities. In addition to Berlin, Munich, and Dortmund as major centers, matches will also be held in Stuttgart, Gelsenkirchen, Frankfurt, Hamburg, Düsseldorf, Cologne, and Leipzig.

Stadium in Frankfurt. Photo: unsplash.com.

Participating Teams

Twenty-four national teams will participate in this European Championship. Germany, as the host, automatically secured participation. The teams that qualified as group winners in the qualifiers were Belgium, France, Portugal, Spain, Turkey, England, Hungary, Albania, Denmark, and Romania. The second-placed teams that secured passage to the final tournament were Scotland, Austria, Slovakia, the Netherlands, Switzerland, Serbia, the Czech Republic, Italy, Slovenia, and Croatia. The last three teams secured their spots through three playoff groups. Ukraine, Poland, and Georgia, making its debut, qualified for the European Championship in Germany.

Group Stage

In the group stage, all teams are divided into four groups of six. The competition system is such that the best first-placed and best second-placed teams directly advance. Additionally, the four best third-placed teams from the six groups will secure a spot in the Round of 16.

Group A includes Germany, Scotland, Hungary, and Switzerland. The hosts are not expected to face major difficulties and are anticipated to comfortably take first place. The other teams will compete for the second and potentially third positions guaranteeing advancement. Group B includes Spain, Italy, Croatia, and Albania. This is undoubtedly the strongest group in the European Championship, and it is likely to be uncertain until the final round which teams will advance. However, Spain, Italy, and Croatia are expected to move on. In Group C, Serbia will compete with Denmark, Slovenia, and England. The Serbian team received a group from which they can advance to the next round. Still, caution is needed, especially in matches against Denmark and Slovenia, to avoid high expectations leading to disappointment. England is certainly the favorite in this group, so it might be beneficial for Serbia to play them first.

Group D includes Poland, the Netherlands, Austria, and France. The French team is favored to take first place, and the Dutch team is favored for second, but neither Poland nor Austria will easily concede the spots that lead to the second round. In Group E, Belgium will play against Slovakia, Romania, and Ukraine. At first glance, this is certainly the weakest of the six groups, and Belgium should be fine taking first place. Romania will likely contend for second place, but neither Ukraine nor Slovakia should be easily dismissed. In the final Group F, Turkey, Georgia, Portugal, and the Czech Republic will compete. Although Portugal might seem like the favorite to win the group, Turkey and the Czech Republic will certainly seek their chances to surprise Portugal and take at least second place, which also leads to the Round of 16.

Dortmund, one of the hosts of the semi-finals. Photo: unsplash.com.

Knockout Stage

After the group stage, sixteen teams will advance to the knockout stage, where the matches will be played in a cup system.

Statistics

As with previous editions, this European Championship will feature awards for the best player and the top scorer.

Legacy and impact

This European Championship is expected to be one of the most attended, with significant excitement building several months before its start. This enthusiasm indicates that this European Championship will reaffirm its status as one of the most important national football events in the world, alongside the World Cup.

Interesting Facts

The Russian national team was not eligible to compete in the qualifiers for this European Championship as they were excluded from all UEFA competitions due to the invasion of Ukraine.