When, Where, and How will EURO 2020 play out, and other information about the upcoming European soccer spectacle. Here is everything you need to know about EURO 2020.
EURO 2020 Key Dates
EURO 2020 will kick off on Friday, June 11, with a clash between Italy and Turkey at Stadio Olimpico. The group stage will run until Wednesday, June 23, followed by a two-day break before the round of 16 fixtures.
Round of 16 will begin on Saturday, June 26 and last for three days, until Tuesday, June 29, followed by another two-day break leading into the quarter-finals. The last eight teams will play out their games over July 2-3, with the top four advancing into the semi-finals, scheduled for July 6 and 7.
EURO 2020 will culminate with the grand finals at Wembley Stadium on July 11 at 20:00 BST.
Group Stage: Friday, June 11 – Wednesday, June 23
Round of 16: Saturday, June 26 – Tuesday, June 29
Quarter-Finals: Friday, July 2 – Saturday, July 3
Semi-Finals: Tuesday, July 6 and Wednesday, July 7
EURO 2020 Finals: Sunday, July 11
EURO 2020 Groups
Group A: Turkey, Italy, Wales, Switzerland
Group B: Denmark, Finland, Belgium, Russia
Group C: Netherlands, Ukraine, Austria, North Macedonia
Group D: England, Croatia, Scotland, Czech Republic
Group E: Spain, Sweden, Poland, Slovakia
Group F: Hungary, Portugal, France, Germany
Host Nations and Stadiums
The 2020 EURO will – unlike other tournaments – take place all over the continent, which has received its fair share of criticism. Initially intended to be held over 12 stadiums, Ireland lost its rights to host EURO Games for being unable to guarantee 25% crowds for their games.
That spoiled the organiser’s plans, who had to resort to scheduling additional games in Russia and England. EURO 2020 will now play out on 11 stadiums across Europe.
Azerbaijan: Baku Olympic Stadium
Denmark: Parken Stadium
England: Wembley Stadium
Germany: Allianz Arena
Hungary: Puskás Aréna
Italy: Stadio Olimpico
Netherlands: Johan Cruijff ArenA
Romania: Arena Națională
Russia: Saint Petersburg Stadium
Scotland: Hampden Park
Spain: Stadium La Cartuja
Each stadium will host at least three group games and at least one round of 16 and quarter-final match. Russian Saint Petersburg Stadium will host six group stage matches in addition to one quarter-final match as a replacement stadium for games that were supposed to be played in Dublin, Ireland.
Amsterdam, Bucharest, Budapest, Copenhagen, Glasgow, and Seville will all host three group games and one round of 16. Baku, Munich, and Rome will host group games and one quarter-finals fixture.
Wembley Stadium will host the most and most important games of EURO 2020, including three group stage games, two round of 16, one semi-final, and the grand finals.
EURO 2020 Format
The EURO 2020 was initially planned to take place in June-July 2020 but got postponed by a year due to the COVID-19 pandemic in Europe. The 16th edition of the European football championship will now take place from June 11 – July 11.
Despite being delayed by a whole year, the tournament will keep its original name to celebrate the 60th anniversary of the competition. For the first time ever, all 55 UEFA member associations took part in the qualifiers, with 24 making it through and into the main tournament.
The 24 teams will be divided into six groups of four, where they’ll face off against each other once throughout the group stage. The top two teams from each group and the four best third-place teams will then advance into the knockout stage.
The seeding for the knockout stage will depend on which third-placed teams advance out of the group stage. Teams who have already met during the group stage will not play each other until the quarter-finals at the earliest.
The EURO 2020 knockout stage will feature a single-elimination format with 16 teams. All knockout stage matches will consist of a single game.
The EURO 2020 grand final is scheduled for Sunday, July 11, at Wembley Stadium in England. The British government has said up to 10,000 spectators will be allowed at the venue from mid-May and unlimited numbers from June 21, meaning that the grand finals could see all 90,000 spots filled up.
EURO 2020 Prize Pool
The prize pool for EURO 2020 was finalised in 2018. Each participating team will receive €9.25 million, with the champions able to earn up to €34 million.
| Stage of the Tournament Reached | Prize |
|---|---|
| Final tournament | €9,25 million |
| Group Stage – performance based | €1,5 million for a win, €750,000 for a draw |
| Round of 16 | €2 million |
| Quarter-finals | €3.25 million |
| Semi-finals | €5 million |
| Runner-up | €7 million |
| UEFA 2020 Champions | €10 million |
The most a single EURO 2020 team can win is €34 million – that is, if they win all three of their group stage matches. This year’s prize pool will see a €7 million increase from 2016 when the winning team could pocket a maximum of €27 million.
In 2016, Portugal won €25.5 million for winning the title and failing to win a single group stage match (0-3-0).
Miscellaneous Facts about EURO 2020
- For the first time in history, Video Assistant Referee (VAR) will be used in the UEFA Euro Championship
- “Eleven” is the keyword of this year’s EURO; 11 cities, 11 countries will be hosting the tournament from June 11 to July 11
- Wembley will host all stages of the tournament, from the group stage up to the finals
- UEFA announced the Uniforia Adidas as the official match for EURO 2020. The name of the ball is derived from a blend of words of “unity” and “euphoria”
- EURO 2020 Mascot will be Skillzy, inspired by street football, freestyle football and Panna culture
- Martin Garrix joined forces with Bono and The Edge of Irish Rock band U2 to create the official EURO 2020 song “We Are The People“. The song got released on May 14, 2021
- Three out of the last six EURO finals (1996, 2000,2016) have gone to extra time
- Spain are the only team in history to win EURO 2020 back-to-back; Portugal could join the club this year
