Every four years, the top national football teams from all over the world gather in a host country to decide which one of them is the best football nation of them all. Two years after the World Cup, in turn, there’s another tournament held every four years that keeps the football world on fire: the UEFA European Championship.
The latest round of qualifiers for the tournament has begun this month, and all sports betting sites around the world have started speculating about the possible winner. So, let’s take a look today at all there is to know about the upcoming UEFA European Championship.
When does the EURO 2024 start?
The tournament’s qualification round started in March 2023, with a match between Kazakhstan and Slovenia. The final match of the qualification round, between the national football teams of Wales and Turkey, will be played on November 21.
The tournament itself will begin with the group stage, on June 14, 2024, with a match played by Germany and a team yet to be determined at the 67,000-person Munich Football Arena in Munich, Germany.
What teams are qualified for EURO 2024?
At the time of writing, only Germany is certainly qualified as the host of the tournament. All other teams are still fighting for a place in the tournament. There are teams that are likely to qualify based on their standing in their respective groups:
- Scotland and Spain in Group A
- France and the Netherlands in Group B
- England and Italy in Group C
- Croatia and Turkey in Group D
- Albania and Czechia in Group E
- Belgium and Austria in Group F
- Hungary and Serbia in Group G
- Slovenia and Denmark in Group H
- Switzerland and Romania in Group I
- Portugal and Slovakia in Group J
Once the qualifiers group stage ends, the top 2 teams in each group advance to the playoffs where the teams play each other to decide who advances to the tournament itself. The playoffs will take place in March 2024 – then we will find out which national teams advance to the knockout stage.
When does the actual tournament start?
The first matches in the EURO 2024 Round of 16 will played on June 29. One of them is played in Dortmund, the other in Berlin, at the Olympiastadion – the same stadium that will host the EURO 2024 final.
When is the EURO 2024 Final played?
The grand final of the 2024 UEFA European Championship will be played on July 14 at the Olympiastadion in Berlin.
Which team is the most likely to win the 2024 European Championship title?
Although it’s way too early for predictions about the tournament winner, bookmakers have already posted the odds for the teams most likely to win the title:
- France
- England
- Germany
- Spain
- Portugal
The least likely teams to win are the national football teams of Gibraltar, Malta, and San Marino.
Are there other similar tournaments happening in 2024?
Yes, every regional football association holds tournaments similar to the European Championship in 2024:
- South America’s top football governing body, CONMEBOL, will hold the Copa América between June 20 – July 14, 2024
- The Oceania Football Confederation (OFC) will hold the 2024 edition of the Nations Cup at a date yet to be announced.
Football unites fans and players across countries and continents in a fair and peaceful competition. Next year, some of the top football nations in the world will challenge each other – and themselves – to prove their worth to their fans and themselves. These continental championships are the most exciting and entertaining football events to look forward to in 2024.