The 16th edition of the world's second-biggest football tournament, the UEFA European Championship, starts on June 11 with as many as 11 cities across Europe hosting 51 matches. (More Football News)
The tournament, also known as the Euros, was originally scheduled for 2020. So the name UEFA Euro 2020. But it was postponed due to the COVID-19 pandemic and rescheduled for 11 June to 11 July 2021.
What is it?
The UEFA European Championship is like a FIFA World Cup tournament, but just for European teams and is generally considered tougher to win than the World Cup because of the higher quality of opposition.
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Between June 11 and July 11, there will be 51 games for fans to enjoy and soak up the atmosphere across the 11 host cities across Europe.
Groups:
Group A: Italy, Switzerland, Turkey, Wales
Group B: Belgium, Denmark, Finland, Russia
Group C: Austria, Netherlands, North Macedonia, Ukraine
Group D: Croatia, Czech Republic, England, Scotland
Group E: Poland, Slovakia, Spain, Sweden
Group F: France, Germany, Hungary, Portugal
Contenders:
Portugal: The current holders and inaugural UEFA Nations League winners have progressed from the EURO group stage on all seven occasions. Their group looks difficult, but coach Fernando Santos said: "We will prepare well for this EURO and look to go into it with incredible conviction, looking to defend the title."
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Jersey Colors: Red, Green
Group stage opponents: France, Germany, Hungary
France: Any fan of flair, attacking football and Gallic genius will surely look no further than reigning world champions France for this competition. History tells us there have only been four occasions when a team has won five matches at a single EURO – France have achieved that feat three times.
Jersey Colors: Blue, White, Red
Group stage opponents: Germany, Hungary, Portugal
Croatia: Croatia’s unmissable red-and-white checked kit makes them the must-support side for the style-conscious fan. The Vatreni will be appearing in their fifth consecutive EURO – a huge achievement for a nation of less than five million citizens. Losing World Cup finalists in 2018, they will be out on the field to make a statement at this year’s UEFA EURO 2020
Jersey Colors: Red, White
Group stage opponents: Czech Republic, England, Scotland
Belgium: The top scorers in qualifying with 40 goals in ten matches, Belgium have just one major tournament success in their history – can they add a second 101 years after striking gold at the 1920 Olympic Games? Striker Romelu Lukaku hopes a settled squad can help them, explaining: "If you keep getting better and the team plays together for a long time, it gets easier."
Jersey Colors: Red, Yellow
Group stage opponents: Denmark, Finland, Russia
England: If goals are your thing then England is your pick. The Three Lions are also playing in their tenth EURO, which is the most participations any country has racked up without ever winning the title. With the final scheduled to take place in London, has their time finally come?
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Jersey Colors: White, Blue
Group stage opponents: Croatia, Czech Republic, Scotland
Germany: Appearing in their 26th consecutive major tournament, the three-time winners have progressed from the EURO group stage on seven occasions – no team has advanced more times – and have the most wins (26) and most goals (72).
Jersey Colors: White, Black
Group stage opponents: France, Hungary, Portugal
Italy: The Azzurri are unbeaten in 40 EURO qualifiers, dating back to 2006, so translating that form into silverware is surely the next step for the 2012 runners-up.
Jersey Colors: White, Blue
Group stage opponents: Switzerland, Turkey, Wales
Netherlands: Having failed to make the last EURO and World Cup, it is the Netherlands' longest absence from major finals since the mid-1980s – when they marked their return by winning EURO '88. If you believe in fate then the Dutch could deliver for you.
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Jersey Colors: Orange, White
Group stage opponents: Austria, North Macedonia, Ukraine
Spain: The choice of the purist, the kings of tiki-taka have lost none of their total football philosophy after winning two of the last three EUROs. Could they claim their fourth EURO triumph?
Jersey Colors: Red, Blue, Yellow
Group stage opponents: Poland, Slovenia, Sweden
Format:
All 24 teams at the final tournament are guaranteed to play at least three games before the top performers in the group stage move on to the knockout phase – where things get even more exciting. From that point, every game is sudden death: win and teams reach the next round, lose and they are going home.
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Star players:
Fans are looking forward to some of the biggest names from across the 24 participating nations like Cristiano Ronaldo, Kylian Mbappe, Harry Kane, Paul Pogba, Luka Modric, Bruno Fernandes, Kevin Du Bruyne, Romelu Lukaku, Ciro Immobile, Federico Chiesa, Memphis Depay, Georginio Wijnaldum and Matthijs de Ligt.
Big games:
The opening round of matches from June 11 to June 23 will feature some thrilling encounters such as England vs Croatia, France vs Germany, Portugal vs Germany, Portugal vs France and many more.
Venues:
For the first time in the 60-year history of the tournament, 11 venues across Europe will host the event. They are Amsterdam, Baku, Bucharest, Budapest, Copenhagen, Glasgow, Munich, London, Rome, Seville and Saint Petersburg.
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Rome’s Stadio Olimpico will host the opening match on June 11, while only two teams will ultimately make it all the way to the July 11 final at London's Wembley Stadium.
How to watch:
TV Channels: SONY TEN 2, SONY TEN 3 (Hindi), SONY SIX, SONY TEN 4 and their respective HD channels.
Live Stream: SonyLiv
For global telecast details, click HERE.
Group stage schedule (all times in IST):
June 12
Group A: Turkey vs Italy (12:30 am, Rome)
Group A: Wales vs Switzerland (6:30 pm, Baku)
Group B: Denmark vs Finland (9:30 pm, Copenhagen)
June 13
Group B: Belgium vs Russia (12:30 am, St Petersburg)
Group D: England vs Croatia (6:30 pm, London)
Group C: Austria vs North Macedonia (9:30 pm, Bucharest)
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June 14
Group C: Netherlands vs Ukraine (12:30 am, Amsterdam)
Group D: Scotland vs Czech Republic (6:30 pm, Glasgow)
Group E: Poland vs Slovakia (9:30 pm, St Petersburg)
June 15
Group E: Spain vs Sweden (12:30 am, Seville)
Group F: Hungary vs Portugal (9:30 pm, Budapest)
June 16
Group F: France vs Germany (12:30 am, Munich)
Group B: Finland vs Russia (6:30 pm, St Petersburg)
Group A: Turkey vs Wales (9:30 pm, Baku)
June 17
Group A: Italy vs Switzerland (12:30 am, Rome)
Group C: Ukraine vs North Macedonia (6:30 pm, Bucharest)
Group B: Denmark vs Belgium (9:30 pm, Copenhagen)
June 18
Group C: Netherlands vs Austria (12:30 am, Amsterdam)
Group E: Sweden vs Slovakia (6:30 pm, St Petersburg)
Group D: Croatia vs Czech Republic (9:30 pm, Glasgow)
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June 19
Group D: England vs Scotland (12:30 am, London)
Group F: Hungary vs France (6:30 am, Budapest)
Group F: Portugal vs Germany (9:30 am, Munich)
June 20
Group E: Spain vs Poland (12:30 am, Seville)
Group A: Italy vs Wales (6:30 pm, Rome)
Group A: Switzerland vs Turkey (9:30 pm, Baku)
June 21
Group C: North Macedonia vs Netherlands (9:30 pm, Amsterdam)
Group C: Ukraine vs Austria (9:30 pm, Bucharest)
June 22
Group B: Russia vs Denmark (12:30 am, Copenhagen)
Group B: Finland vs Belgium (12:30 am, St Petersburg)
June 23
Group D: Czech Republic vs England (12:30 am, London)
Group D: Croatia vs Scotland (12:30 am, Glasgow)
Group E: Slovakia vs Spain (9:30 pm, Seville)
Group E: Sweden vs Poland (9:30 pm, St Petersburg)
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June 24
Group F: Germany vs Hungary (12:30 am, Munich)
Group F: Portugal v France (12:30 am, Budapest)
Squads:
Group A
ITALY
Goalkeepers: Gianluigi Donnarumma, Alex Meret, Salvatore Sirigu
Defenders: Francesco Acerbi, Alessandro Bastoni, Leonardo Bonucci, Giorgio Chiellini, Giovanni Di Lorenzo, Emerson Palmieri, Alessandro Florenzi, Leonardo Spinazzola, Rafael Toloi
Midfielders: Nicolo Barella, Bryan Cristante, Jorginho, Manuel Locatelli, Lorenzo Pellegrini, Stefano Sensi, Marco Verratti, Federico Bernardeschi, Federico Chiesa
Forwards: Andrea Belotti, Domenico Berardi, Ciro Immobile, Lorenzo Insigne, Giacomo Raspadori
TURKEY
Goalkeepers: Altay Bayındır, Ugurcan Cakır, Mert Gunok
Defenders: Kaan Ayhan, Zeki Celik, Merih Demiral, Ozan Kabak, Umut Meras, Mert Muldur, Caglar Soyuncu, Rıdvan Yılmaz
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Midfielders: Taylan Antalyalı, Hakan Calhanoglu, Halil DerviÅÂÂÂoglu, Irfan Can Kahveci, Orkun Kokcu, Abdulkadir Omur, Dorukhan Tokoz, Ozan Tufan, Okay Yokuslu
Forwards: Kerem Akturkoglu, Kenan Karaman, Enes Unal,Cengiz Under, Yusuf Yazıcı, Burak Yılmaz
SWITZERLAND
Goalkeepers: Yvon Mvogo, Jonas Omlin, Yann Sommer
Defenders: Manuel Akanji, Loris Benito, Eray Coemert, Nico Elvedi, Jordan Lotomba, Kevin Mbabu, Becir Omeragic, Ricardo Rodriguez, Fabian Schaer, Silvan Widmer
Midfielders: Christian Fassnacht, Edimilson Fernandes, Remo Freuler, Mario Gavranovic, Admir Mehmedi, Granit Xhaka, Denis Zakaria, Djibril Sow, Ruben Vargas
Forwards: Breel Embolo, Xherdan Shaqiri, Haris Seferovic, Steven Zuber
WALES
Goalkeepers: Adam Davies, Wayne Hennessey, Danny Ward
Defenders: Ethan Ampadu, Ben Cabango, Ben Davies, Chris Gunter, Tom Lockyer, Chris Mepham, Rhys Norrington-Davies, Connor Roberts, Joe Rodon, Neco Williams
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Midfielders: Joe Allen, David Brooks, Rubin Colwill, Daniel James, Dylan Levitt, Joe Morrell, Aaron Ramsey, Matthew Smith, Jonny Williams, Harry Wilson
Forwards: Gareth Bale, Kieffer Moore, Tyler Roberts
Group B
BELGIUM
Goalkeepers: Thibaut Courtois, Simon Mignolet, Matz Sels
Defenders: Toby Alderweireld, Dedryck Boyata, Timothy Castagne, Jason Denayer, Thomas Meunier, Thomas Vermaelen, Jan Vertonghen
Midfielders: Nacer Chadli, Yannick Carrasco, Kevin De Bruyne, Leander Dendoncker, Eden Hazard, Thorgan Hazard, Dennis Praet, Youri Tielemans, Hans Vanaken, Axel Witsel
Forwards: Michy Batshuayi, Christian Benteke, Jeremy Doku, Romelu Lukaku, Dries Mertens, Leandro Trossard
RUSSIA
Goalkeepers: Yuri Dyupin, Matvei Safonov, Anton Shunin
Defenders: Igor Diveev, Georgi Dzhikiya, Mario Fernandes, Vyacheslav Karavaev, Fedor Kudryashov, Andrei Semenov
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Midfielders: Dmitri Barinov, Denis Cheryshev, Daniil Fomin, Aleksandr Golovin, Daler Kuzyaev, Andrei Mostovoy, Maksim Mukhin, Magomed Ozdoev, Rifat Zhemaletdinov, Yuri Zhirkov, Roman Zobnin
Forwards: Artem Dzyuba, Aleksei Ionov, Denis Makarov, Aleksei Miranchuk, Aleksandr Sobolev, Anton Zabolotny
DENMARK
Goalkeepers: Jonas Lossl, Frederik Ronnow, Kasper Schmeichel
Defenders: Joachim Andersen, Nicolai Boilesen, Andreas Christensen, Mathias Jorgensen, Simon Kjaer, Joakim Maehle, Jens Stryger Larsen, Jannik Vestergaard
Midfielders: Anders Christiansen, Thomas Delaney, Christian Eriksen, Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg, Mathias Jensen, Christian Norgaard, Robert Skov, Daniel Wass
Forwards: Martin Braithwaite, Andreas Cornelius, Mikkel Damsgaard, Kasper Dolberg, Andreas Skov Olsen, Yussuf Poulsen, Jonas Wind
FINLAND
Goalkeepers: Lukas Hradecky, Anssi Jaakkola, Jesse Joronen
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Defenders: Paulus Arajuuri, Robert Ivanov, Thomas Lam, Daniel O'Shaughnessy, Jukka Raitala, Joona Toivio, Jere Uronen, Leo Väisänen Sauli Vaisanen
Midfielders: Nikolai Alho, Fredrik Jensen, Glen Kamara, Joni Kauko, Robin Lod, Rasmus Schuller, Pyry Soiri, Tim Sparv, Robert Taylor, Onni Valakari
Forwards: Marcus Forss, Lassi Lappalainen, Joel Pohjanpalo, Teemu Pukki
Group C
NETHERLANDS
Goalkeepers: Marco Bizot, Tim Krul, Maarten Stekelenburg
Defenders: Nathan Ake, Daley Blind, Matthijs de Ligt, Stefan de Vrij, Denzel Dumfries, Patrick van Aanholt, Joel Veltman, Owen Wijndal
Midfielders: Frenkie de Jong, Marten de Roon, Ryan Gravenberch, Davy Klaassen, Teun Koopmeiners, Quincy Promes, Jurriën Timber, Donny van de Beek, Georginio Wijnaldum
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Forwards: Steven Berghuis, Luuk de Jong, Memphis Depay, Cody Gakpo, Donyell Malen, Wout Weghorst
AUSTRIA
Goalkeepers: Daniel Bachmann, Pavao Pervan, Alexander Schlager
Defenders: David Alaba, Aleksandar Dragovic, Marco Friedl, Martin Hinteregger, Stefan Lainer, Philipp Lienhart, Stefan Posch, Andreas Ulmer
Midfielders: Julian Baumgartlinger, Christoph Baumgartner, Florian Grillitsch, Stefan Ilsanker, Konrad Laimer, Valentino Lazaro, Karim Onisiwo, Marcel Sabitzer, Louis Schaub, Xaver Schlager, Alessandro Schopf, Christopher Trimmel
Forwards: Marko Arnautovic, Michael Gregoritsch, Sasa Kalajdzic
UKRAINE
Goalkeepers: Georgiy Bushchan, Andriy Pyatov, Anatolii Trubin
Defenders: Oleksandr Karavaev, Serhiy Kryvtsov, Mykola Matviyenko, Vitaliy Mykolenko, Denys Popov, Eduard Sobol, Oleksandr Tymchyk, Illia Zabarnyi, Oleksandr Zinchenko
Midfielders: Roman Bezus, Yevhen Makarenko, Ruslan Malinovskyi, Marlos, Mykola Shaparenko, Taras Stepanenko, Heorhii Sudakov, Serhiy Sydorchuk, Viktor Tsygankov
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Forwards: Artem Besedin, Artem Dovbyk, Roman Yaremchuk, Andriy Yarmolenko, Oleksandr Zubkov
NORTH MACEDONIA
Goalkeepers: Stole Dimitrievski, Risto Jankov, Damjan Siskovski
Defenders: Egzijan Alioski, Egzon Bejtulai, Visar Musliu, Kire Ristevski, Stefan Ristovski, Darko Velkovski, Gjoko Zajkov
Midfielders: Arijan Ademi, Enis Bardi, Darko Churlinov, Eljif Elmas, Feran Hasani, Tihomir Kostadinov, Boban Nikolov, Milan Ristovski, Stefan Spirovski
Forwards: Daniel Avramovski, Goran Pandev, Marjan Radeski, Vlatko Stojanovski, Aleksandar Trajkovski, Ivan TriÄÂÂÂkovski, Krste Velkovski
Group D
ENGLAND
Goalkeepers: Dean Henderson, Sam Johnstone, Jordan Pickford
Defenders: Ben Chilwell, Conor Coady, Reece James, Harry Maguire, Tyrone Mings, Luke Shaw, John Stones, Kieran Trippier, Kyle Walker
Midfielders: Jude Bellingham, Jordan Henderson, Mason Mount, Kalvin Phillips, Declan Rice
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Forwards: Dominic Calvert-Lewin, Harry Kane, Marcus Rashford, Raheem Sterling, Bukayo Saka, Jadon Sancho, Phil Foden, Jack Grealish,
CROATIA
Goalkeepers: Dominik Livakovic, Lovre Kalinic, Simon Sluga
Defenders: Borna Barisic, Domagoj Bradaric, Duje Caleta-Car, Josko Gvardiol, Josip Juranovic, Dejan Lovren, Mile Skoric, Domagoj Vida, Sime Vrsaljko
Midfielders: Mateo Kovacic, Luka Modric, Marcelo Brozovic, Milan Badelj, Nikola Vlasic, Mario Pasalic, Ivan Perisic, Mislav Orsic, Luka Ivanusec
Forwards: Josip Brekalo, Ante Budimir, Andrej Kramaric, Bruno Petkovic, Ante Rebic
SCOTLAND
Goalkeepers: Craig Gordon, David Marshall, Jon McLaughlin
Defenders: Liam Cooper, Declan Gallagher, Grant Hanley, Jack Hendry, Scott McKenna, Stephen O'Donnell, Nathan Patterson, Andy Robertson, Greg Taylor, Kieran Tierney
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Midfielders: Stuart Armstrong, Ryan Christie, John Fleck, James Forrest, Ryan Fraser, Billy Gilmour, John McGinn, Callum McGregor, Scott McTominay, David Turnbull
Forwards: Che Adams, Lyndon Dykes, Kevin Nisbet
CZECH REPUBLIC
Goalkeepers: Ales Mandous, Jiri Pavlenka Tomas Vaclik
Defenders: Jan Boril, Jakub Brabec, Ondrej Celustka, Vladimir Coufal, Pavel Kaderabek, Tomas Kalas, Tomas Holes, Ales Mateju, David Zima
Midfielders: Antonin Barak Vladimir Darida, Jakub Jankto, Alex Kral, Lukas Masopust, Jakub Pesek, Michal Sadilek, Petr Sevcik, Tomas Soucek
Forwards: Adam Hlozek, Michael Krmencik, Tomas Pekhart, Patrik Schick, Matej Vydra
Group E
SPAIN
Goalkeepers: David de Gea, Unai Simon, Robert Sanchez
Defenders: Jose Gaya, Jordi Alba, Pau Torres, Aymeric Laporte (Manchester City), Eric Garcia, Diego Llorente, Cesar Azpilicueta
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Midfielders: Thiago Alcantara, Sergio Busquets, Koke, Marcos Llorente, Dani Olmo, Rodri, Fabian Ruiz, Pablo Sarabia, Ferran Torres, Adama Traore
Forwards: Alvaro Morata, Gerard Moreno, Mikel Oyarzabal, Pedri
SWEDEN
Goalkeepers: Karl-Johan Johnsson, Kristoffer Nordfeldt, Robin Olsen (Everton)
Defenders: Ludwig Augustinsson, Pierre Bengtsson, Marcus Danielson, Andreas Granqvist, Filip Helander, Pontus Jansson, Emil Krafth, Victor Lindelof, Mikael Lustig
Midfielders: Jens-Lys Cajuste, Viktor Claesson, Albin Ekdal, Emil Forsberg, Dejan Kulusevski, Sebastian Larsson, Kristoffer Olsson, Robin Quaison, Ken Sema, Mattias Svanberg, Gustav Svensson
Forwards: Marcus Berg, Alexander Isak, Jordan Larsson
POLAND
Goalkeepers: ÅÂÂÂukasz Fabianski, Lukasz Skorupski, Wojciech Szczesny
Defenders: Jan Bednarek, Bartosz Bereszynski, Kamil Glik, MichaÅÂÂÂ Helik, Tomasz KÄÂÂÂdziora, Kamil PiÄÂÂÂ tkowski, Tymoteusz Puchacz, Maciej Rybus
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Midfielders: PaweÅÂÂÂ Dawidowicz, PrzemysÅÂÂÂaw Frankowski, Kamil Jozwiak, Mateusz Klich, Kacper KozÅÂÂÂowski, Grzegorz Krychowiak, Karol Linetty, Jakub Moder, PrzemysÅÂÂÂaw PÅÂÂÂacheta, Piotr ZieliÅÂÂÂski
Forwards: Dawid Kownacki, Robert Lewandowski, Arkadiusz Milik, Karol ÅÂÂÂwiderski, Jakub ÅÂÂÂwierczok
SLOVAKIA
Goalkeepers: Martin Dubravka, Dusan Kuciak, Marek Rodak
Defenders: David Hancko, Tomas Hubocan, Martin Koscelnik, Peter Pekarik, Lubomir Satka, Milan Skriniar, Martin Valjent, Denis Vavro
Midfielders: Laszlo Benes, Ondrej Duda, Jan Gregus, Marek Hamsik, Lukas Haraslin, Jakub Hromada, Patrik Hrosovsky, Juraj Kucka, Stanislav Lobotka, Tomas Suslov, Vladimir Weiss
Forwards: Robert Bozenik, Michal Duris, Robert Mak, Ivan Schranz
Group F
FRANCE
Goalkeepers: Hugo Lloris, Mike Maignan, Steve Mandanda
Defenders: Lucas Digne, Leo Dubois, Lucas Hernandez, Presnel Kimpembe, Jules Kounde, Clement Lenglet, Benjamin Pavard, Raphael Varane, Kurt Zouma
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Midfielders: Kingsley Coman, N'Golo Kante, Thomas Lemar, Paul Pogba , Adrien Rabiot, Moussa Sissoko, Corentin Tolisso
Forwards: Wissam Ben Yedder, Karim Benzema, Ousmane Dembele, Olivier Giroud, Antoine Griezmann, Kylian Mbappe, Marcus Thuram
PORTUGAL
Goalkeepers: Anthony Lopes, Rui Patricio, Rui Silva
Defenders: Joao Cancelo, Ruben Dias, Jose Fonte, Raphael Guerreiro, Nuno Mendes, Pepe, Nelson Semedo
Midfielders: William Carvalho, Danilo, Bruno Fernandes, Goncalo Guedes, Joao Moutinho, Ruben Neves, Sergio Oliveira, Joao Palhinha, Pote, Renato Sanches, Bernardo Silva
Forwards: Joao Felix, Diogo Jota, Cristiano Ronaldo, Andre Silva, Rafa Silva
GERMANY
Goalkeepers: Manuel Neuer, Bernd Leno, Kevin Trapp
Defenders: Emre Can, Matthias Ginter, Robin Gosens, Christian Gunter, Marcel Halstenberg, Mats Hummels, Lukas Klostermann, Robin Koch, Antonio Rudiger, Niklas Sule
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Midfielders: Serge Gnabry, Leon Goretzka, Ilkay Gundogan, Jonas Hofmann, Joshua Kimmich, Toni Kroos, Jamal Musiala, Florian Neuhaus, Leroy Sane
Forwards: Kai Havertz, Thomas Muller, Kevin Volland, Timo Werner
HUNGARY
Goalkeepers: Adam Bogdan, Denes Dibusz, Peter Gulacsi
Defenders: Bendeguz Bolla, Endre Botka, Attila Fiola, Akos Kecskes, Adam Lang, Gergo Lovrencsics, Loic Négo, Willi Orban, Attila Szalai
Midfielders: Tamas Cseri, Daniel Gazdag, Laszlo Kleinheisler, Adam Nagy, Andras Schafer, David Siger, Kevin Varga, Roland Varga
Forwards: Janos Hahn, Filip Holender, Nemanja Nikolic, Roland Sallai, Szabolcs Schon, Adam Szalai
