Can’t wait until the next World Cup to see some of the world’s most talented soccer players take to the pitch? You don’t have to: the UEFA Euro 2024 is just around the corner!
Whether you’re a die-hard fan of European soccer or just getting into the sport with this year’s edition of the UEFA Euro 2024, this guide will make sure you know which players to watch and how to catch every single soccer match on DIRECTV.
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What is the UEFA Euro 2024?
The UEFA Euro 2024 is the 2024 edition of one of the world’s most important soccer events, second only in popularity to the FIFA World Cup.
Held every four years, the UEFA European Football Championship, as it’s formally known, features the best of the best in European soccer, pitting the senior men’s national teams against each other in a major tournament to determine the continental European champions.
Until 1968, the tournament was known as the European Nations’ Cup. Initially, four teams competed, but the field is now up to 24 teams who play across 51 matches.
When does the UEFA Euro 2024 Start?
The UEFA Euro 2024 tournament will be held at venues across host country Germany beginning on June 14, 2024, and ending on July 14, 2024, when the final match is played in Berlin.
This will be the first time Germany has hosted the tournament since West Germany hosted it in 1988, and the first time Germany has been selected as host country since its reunification. Matches will take place in Berlin, Cologne, Dortmund, Dusseldorf, Frankfurt, Gelsenkirchen, Hamburg, Leipzig, Munich and Stuttgart.
Germany also hosted the FIFA World Cup in 2006.
How to Watch UEFA Euro 2024
You’ll be able to catch every match of the UEFA Euro 2024 on FOX (Check local channel listings) and stream it with DIRECTV Stream.
How Does the UEFA Euro 2024 Work?
The format for the UEFA Euro 2024 will be the same as it was in 2020:
First, qualifying teams will face off in the group round, with the top two teams from each of the six groups and the four best third-place finishers moving on to the knockout round.
The knockout round, known as the Round of 16, pits the teams that moved on from the group stage in a series of single-elimination games to reduce the field to eight teams.
Those eight teams square off in the quarterfinals, and the four winners of those matches go head-to-head in the semi-finals until two teams remain to face each other in the Euro 2024 Final in Berlin.
How Do Teams Qualify for the UEFA Euro 2024?
There are two ways teams can qualify for the UEFA Euro 2024: either finish in one of the direct qualifying spots in the group stage qualifiers or win a playoff matchup for one of the last three spots. This year, those three playoff spots were claimed by Poland, Ukraine, and Georgia.
Which Countries Qualified for the UEFA Euro 2024?
The following countries will appear in the UEFA Euro 2024:
- Albania
- Austria
- Belgium
- Croatia
- Czechia
- Denmark
- England (2020 runner-up)
- France
- Georgia
- Germany
- Hungary
- Italy (Defending Champion)
- Netherlands
- Poland
- Portugal
- Romania
- Scotland
- Serbia
- Slovakia
- Slovenia
- Spain
- Switzerland
- Turkey
- Ukraine
The qualifying countries will begin play in the following groups:
| Group | Countries |
|---|---|
| A | Germany, Scotland, Hungary, Switzerland |
| B | Spain, Croatia, Italy, Albania |
| C | Slovenia, Denmark, Serbia, England |
| D | Poland, Netherlands, Austria, France |
| E | Belgium, Slovakia, Romania, Ukraine |
| F | Turkey, Georgia, Portugal, Czechia |
UEFA Euro 2024 Full Schedule
Here are the dates that each of the rounds will take place across:
June 14, 2024: Euro 2024 Opening Game (Germany vs. Scotland)
June 15 – 26: Group Stage
| Date | Match | Location | Kick-off (ET) |
|---|---|---|---|
| June 15 | Hungary vs Switzerland | Cologne | 9am |
| June 15 | Spain vs Croatia | Berlin | 12 pm |
| June 15 | Italy vs Albania | Dortmund | 3pm |
| June 16 | Poland vs Netherlands | Hamburg | 9am |
| June 16 | Slovenia vs Denmark | Stuttgart | 12 pm |
| June 16 | Serbia vs England | Gelsenkirchen | 3pm |
| June 17 | Romania vs Ukraine | Munich | 9am |
| June 17 | Belgium vs Slovakia | Frankfurt | 12 pm |
| June 17 | Austria vs France | Dusseldorf | 3pm |
| June 18 | Turkey vs Georgia | Dortmund | 12 pm |
| June 18 | Portugal vs Czech Republic | Leipzig | 3pm |
| June 19 | Croatia vs Albania | Hamburg | 9am |
| June 19 | Germany vs Hungary | Stuttgart | 12 pm |
| June 19 | Scotland vs Switzerland | Cologne | 3pm |
| June 20 | Slovenia vs Serbia | Munich | 9am |
| June 20 | Denmark vs England | Frankfurt | 12pm |
| June 20 | Spain vs Italy | Gelsenkirchen | 3pm |
| June 21 | Slovakia vs Ukraine | Dusseldorf | 9am |
| June 21 | Poland vs Austria | Berlin | 12pm |
| June 21 | Netherlands vs France | Leipzig | 3pm |
| June 22 | Georgia vs Czech Republic | Hamburg | 9am |
| June 22 | Turkey vs Portugal | Dortmund | 12 pm |
| June 22 | Belgium vs Romania | Cologne | 3pm |
| June 23 | Switzerland vs Germany | Frankfurt | 3pm |
| June 23 | Scotland vs Hungary | Stuttgart | 3pm |
| June 24 | Croatia vs Italy | Leipzig | 3pm |
| June 24 | Albania vs Spain | Dusseldorf | 3pm |
| June 25 | Netherlands vs Austria | Berlin | 12 pm |
| June 25 | France vs Poland | Dortmund | 12 pm |
| June 25 | England vs Slovenia | Cologne | 3pm |
| June 25 | Denmark vs Serbia | Munich | 3pm |
| June 26 | Slovakia vs Romania | Frankfurt | 12 pm |
| June 26 | Ukraine vs Belgium | Stuttgart | 12 pm |
| June 26 | Czech Republic vs Turkey | Hamburg | 3pm |
| June 26 | Georgia vs Portugal | Gelsenkirchen | 3pm |
June 30 – July 2: Round of 16
| Date | Matchup | Location | Kick-off (ET) |
|---|---|---|---|
| June 29 | 1A vs 2C | Dortmund | 3pm |
| June 29 | 2A vs 2B | Berlin | 12 pm |
| June 30 | 1B vs 3A/D/E/F | Cologne | 3pm |
| June 30 | 1C vs 3D/E/F | Gelsenkirchen | 12 pm |
| July 1 | 1F vs 3A/B/C | Frankfurt | 3pm |
| July 1 | 2D vs 2E | Düsseldorf | 12 pm |
| July 2 | 1E vs 3A/B/C/D | Munich | 12 pm |
| July 2 | 1D vs 2F | Leipzig | 3pm |
July 5-6: Quarterfinals
| Date | Matchup | Location | Kick-off (ET) |
|---|---|---|---|
| July 5 | W39 vs W37 | Stuttgart | 12pm |
| July 5 | W41 vs W42 | Hamburg | 3pm |
| July 6 | W43 vs W44 | Berlin | 3pm |
| July 6 | W40 vs W38 | Dusseldorf | 12pm |
July 9-10: Semi-finals
| Date | Matchup | Location | Kick-off (ET) |
|---|---|---|---|
| July 9 | W45 vs W46 | Munich | 3pm |
| July 10 | W47 vs W48 | Dortmund | 3pm |
July 14: Euro 2024 Final
Who Is Expected to Win the UEFA Euro 2024?
Currently, England, the 2020 tournament runner-up who fell to eventual champions Italy in a match decided on penalties, is the favorite to take home the trophy at UEFA Euro 2024 this year. England has never won a UEFA Euro title.
France, the runner-up to the 2022 FIFA World Cup, also having been defeated on penalties by champions Argentina, is right behind them in the odds.
Germany, Spain and Portugal round out the top five most likely teams to take it all the way in Germany during the UEFA Euro 2024.
Who has won the most UEFA European Championships?
This year’s hosts, Germany, are tied with Spain for the most UEFA Championship Titles at three wins each. Germany has also appeared in every UEFA Euro tournament since 1972.
Italy and France have each won twice, and the Netherlands, Czech Republic, Slovakia, Russia, Greece, Denmark and Portugal have all won once.
Players to Watch in UEFA Euro 2024
A soccer team is nothing without its players. So, who are the top players participating in the UEFA Euro 2024? Let’s take a look:
Jude Bellingham, England: Bellingham, Real Madrid’s star midfielder, will take a central role on the team favorited to win the Euro 2024. He’s also currently playing for the favorite to win the UEFA Champion’s League tournament, and previously played for their opponent, Borussia Dortmund. That’s a pretty serious resume that puts him at the top of most lists of players to watch this tournament.
Harry Kane, England: Every team needs its top striker, and Harry Kane of England is one of the best available. Kane is the all-time scoring leader for both Tottenham Hotspur and for the English national team, and the second-highest all-time scorer in Premier League history. England’s captain will bring that scoring prowess, which Bayern Munich currently enjoys, to bear at Euro 2024.
Kylian Mbappe, France: The star forward on Paris Saint-Germaine, Mbappe made a big impact almost immediately during the final match between France and Argentina in the last World Cup, and he’s generally considered one of the best players of all time. Keep an eye on him as he tries to position France ahead of England for the trophy.
Cristiano Ronaldo, Portugal: Ronaldo is a household name in international soccer at this point and needs little introduction. He, too, is considered one of the best of all time, a living legend, and he’ll be front and center in Portugal’s quest for the title.
Kevin De Bruyne, Belgium: Manchester City took it all the way in the Premier League this season, and De Bruyne was no small part of that. De Bruyne is widely regarded as a balanced and complete footballer, and he’ll aim to help Belgium move up the bracket in Germany.
Alessandro Bastoni, Italy: Inter Milan’s star center-back, one of the best at the position, will be front and center in Italy’s matches.
Rodri, Spain: Another star from Premier League champs Manchester City, Rodri will hold down the midfield for Spain, a perennial competitor for the UEFA Euro title.
Luka Modric, Croatia: Real Madrid’s Modric has been a fixture on Croatia’s national team for a very long time, serving as captain for the better part of the last ten years. He’ll be at the helm again as the Croatians vie for a title.
Christian Eriksen, Denmark: Beyond being a top-notch footballer, Eriksen, Manchester United’s midfielder, is most known for having suffered a cardiac arrest on the pitch during the last Euro tournament while playing against Finland. He survived and has been playing actively ever since.
John McGinn, Scotland: Aston Villa’s captain will be on the pitch for Scotland.
Other players to watch: Virgil Van Dijk (Netherlands), Filip Kostic (Serbia), Aleksandar Mitrovic (Serbia) Amadou Onana (Belgium), Bruno Fernandes (Portugal), Dusan Tadic (Serbia), Antoine Griezmann (France), Billy Gilmour (Scotland), Andriy Lunin (Ukraine), Kai Havertz (Germany)
Notable Absentees: Russia will not have any presence in the Euro 2024 this year, since the country was suspended from participation in both UEFA and FIFA competitions due to its 2022 invasion of Ukraine.
What is UEFA?
UEFA stands for the Union of European Football Associations. It’s a continental governing body overseeing national football in Europe and has 55 members.
Watch the UEFA Euro 2024 on DIRECTV
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Frequently Asked Questions
When is the UEFA Euro 2024?
The UEFA Euro will take place between June 14 and July 14, 2024.
Who is the favorite to win the UEFA Euro 2024?
England is the favorite to win the UEFA Euro for 2024. It would be their first title.
Who has won the most UEFA Euro 2024 titles?
Germany and Spain have won the most UEFA Euro titles, with 3 each.
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