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The 2022 World Cup may not be over yet, but Euro 2024 is now just over a year and a half away.
Because Euro 2020 has been delayed and the Qatar tournament has been moved to winter, the international football calendar is more condensed than ever.
Italy are reigning European champions after beating England on penalties at Wembley
And that means the next Euros are fast approaching.
Germany is set to host the 2024 edition of UEFA’s flagship international tournament and it is ready to host the rest of Europe.
The event will take place in the summer at the end of the 2023/24 domestic season, so that the Premier League and other major European divisions can operate as normal.
Not everything is set in stone, but here’s what we know so far…
Euro 2024 dates
Qualifying for the Euros hasn’t started yet due to the 2022 World Cup.
This means that the qualifications were condensed over an eight-month period and the groups were drawn.
The first round of matches will take place in March 2023 before finishing in November next year.
The draw to determine the respective tournament groups will take place in December 2023.
There will be 51 matches and the football will start on Friday June 14 at the Allianz Arena in Munich.
The group stage is set to run until Wednesday June 26, with the knockout stage set to start on Saturday June 29.
Euro 2024 will last for a month, with the final being held on Sunday July 14 at the 70,000 capacity Olympiastadion in Berlin.
The incredibly impressive Olympiastadion in Berlin will host the final
Euro 2024: the key dates
June 14: opening match
June 29: Beginning of the round of 16
July 5: start of the quarter-finals
July 9: start of the semi-finals
July 14: Final
Euro 2024: how the tournament works
There will be 24 countries competing at Euro 2024, including hosts Germany, who will be looking for their fourth tournament victory.
As with the World Cup, there is a round of 16 before the quarter-finals where the top two teams from the six groups qualify.
And they are joined by the top four third-placed teams to form the bottom 16.
The round of 16 then progress to the final.
There will be no play-off for third place at Euro 2024.
Euro 2024: the places
This edition of UEFA’s first international tournament will take place in Germany and ten stadiums have been selected.
Borussia Dortmund’s 66,000 capacity Signal Iduna Park (BVB Stadion Dortmund) will be one such venue.
Dortmund’s close neighbors Schalke will also see the Veltins Arena (Arena AufSchalke) used.
Few stadiums are close to each other, but Germany has a superb rail network that will ensure that getting to each ground won’t be difficult.
Dortmund’s impressive venue has reduced capacity for international matches
The Veltins Arena will host 55,000 people at Euro 2024
Euro 2024: Qualification process
Twenty teams from the ten groups will automatically qualify for the Euro.
The top two teams from Group A to J will earn their place in Germany, while three other countries will qualify via the play-offs.
Twelve countries will face off in March 2024 in the play-offs, with those positions decided by the 2022/23 UEFA Nations League.
Group winners from Leagues A, B and C all get an automatic play-off spot, but if they have already qualified they will be replaced by the next highest ranked team in their league.
If there are not enough unqualified teams in the same league, then it moves to the next league, ending with League D.
There will then be six semi-finals on Thursday March 21 before three finals on Tuesday March 26.
Euro 2024: Qualification groups
group A: Spain, Scotland, Norway, Georgia, Cyprus
Group B: Netherlands, France, Republic of Ireland, Greece, Gibraltar
Group C: Italy, England, Ukraine, North Macedonia, Malta
Group D: Croatia, Wales, Armenia, Turkey, Latvia
Group E: Poland, Czech Republic, Albania, Faroe Islands, Moldova
Group F: Belgium, Austria, Sweden, Azerbaijan, Estonia
Group G: Hungary, Serbia, Montenegro, Bulgaria, Lithuania
Group H: Denmark, Finland, Slovenia, Kazakhstan, Northern Ireland, San Marino
Group I: Switzerland, Israel, Romania, Kosovo, Belarus, Andorra
Group J: Portugal, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Iceland, Luxembourg, Slovakia, Liechtenstein
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England were heartbroken after Euro 2020 but face champions Italy in qualifying
Euro 2024: qualified teams
Germany are the only team to qualify as hosts, with another 23 places up for grabs.
MORE SOON
Euro 2024: How did Germany win the tournament?
Germany won this edition of the Euro in 2018 after 17 members of the UEFA executive committee voted for the triple winner against Turkey.
The voting took place at UEFA’s headquarters in Nyon, Switzerland, and it will be the first time they have hosted the event since 1988.
Germany has a state-of-the-art infrastructure and minimal work will be needed before the tournament, which was the main reason why Turkey lost.
But Turkey’s poor human rights record was also taken into account.
Thus, Germany have emerged as the obvious choice for UEFA’s flagship international competition.
Getty
Germany have a strong footballing heritage and seem like the perfect host
Euro 2024: Weather and kick-off times
The weather in Germany in June and July is very similar to that of the UK, with Berlin’s average summer temperature between 16°C and 22°C.
Therefore, weather shouldn’t be a problem for players or fans.
Kick-off times for the majority of matches have yet to be decided, but we know when the group opener will start.
Kick-off at the Allianz Arena is scheduled for 21:00 CEST, which is 20:00 UK time.
The semi-finals and final are also scheduled to start at 8 p.m. in the UK.
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