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The Uefa European championship trophy on a glass podium, in front of a Uefa Euro 2020 logo.
Fans have been waiting a long time for Euro 2020 (Picture: Getty)

Football fans are looking forward to this June, as the long-awaited 2020 UEFA European Football Championship is finally set to take place.

The tournament was originally meant to be held last summer, but the coronavirus outbreak meant it had to be postponed

Euros 2020 is now set to take place this summer, with fans across the continent keen to see how their teams will fare in the competition.

Portugal are the defending champions, having won the last competition in 2016, but England fans will be hopeful their team can do well after making it to the semi-finals of the 2018 World Cup.

Here’s everything you need to know about the long awaited Euros 2020…

Euro 2020: When does the tournament start and end?

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The official ball for UEFA Euro 2020 (Picture: Getty)

The tournament will now take place between June 11 and July 11, 2021, after being postponed as a result of the pandemic.

When should the Euros have been?

The tournament was originally scheduled to take place from 12 June to 12 July, 2020.

Following the pandemic, it was postponed to reduce the pressure on public services across Europe while also allowing for domestic leagues to return to normal following their suspension.

This year’s tournament will still carry the name of UEFA Euro 2020

Euro 2020: Which countries are hosting games?

Aerial view of Wembley Stadium in London.
The final will be taking place at Wembley Stadium (Picture: Getty)

In previous years, the Euro tournament was held in one host country, but this year it will be slightly different.

To mark the tournament’s 60th anniversary, 11 host cities have been chosen – with Dublin and Bilbao dropped from the schedule in April and Seville added instead.

The final and semi-finals, two rounds of 16 games, and three group games
will be held in London’s Wembley Stadium.

The other cities hosting games are Saint Petersburg, Baku, Munich, Rome, Amsterdam, Bucharest, Budapest, Copenhagen, Glasgow, and Sevilla.

You can full the full list of cities and stadiums over on the UEFA website.

What teams are competing in Euro 2020?

The Portugal football team celebrating their UEFA Euro 2016 victory.
Portugal are the defending champions going into Euro 2020 (Picture: Getty)

In total, 24 sides have qualified for Euro 2020 and will begin the tournament in the group stages.

The groups of Euro 2020 are as follows:

  • Group A: Italy, Switzerland, Turkey, Wales
  • Group B: Belgium, Russia, Denmark, Finland
  • Group C: Ukraine, Netherlands, Austria, North Macedonia
  • Group D: England, Croatia, Czech Republic, Scotland
  • Group E: Spain, Poland, Sweden, Slovakia
  • Group F: Germany, France, Portugal, Hungary

Euro 2020 fixtures

The tournament begins with the group stages, which will be played between June 11 and June 23, with Turkey and Italy kicking off the first game.

The knock-out stages schedule currently looks like this:

Round of 16

  • June 26: 1A v 2C, London – 2A v 2B, Amsterdam
  • June 27: 1B v 3A/D/E/F, Bilbao – 1C v 3D/E/F, Budapest
  • June 28: 2D v 2E, Copenhagen – 1F v 3A/B/C, Bucharest
  • June 29: 1E v 3A/B/C/D, Glasgow – 1D v 2F, London

Quarter-finals

  • July 2: Saint Petersburg and Munich
  • July 3: Baku and Rome

Semi-finals

  • July 6 and 7: London

Final

  • July 11: London

Euro 2020: When will the England squad be announced?

England manager Gareth Southgate with his collar up on his coat, looking out across a football pitch.
Who will be a part of Southgate’s selection, and who will be left disappointed? (Picture: Getty)

England manager Gareth Southgate is set to announce his England squad for Euro 2020 at 1pm on Tuesday, May 25.

That leaves just three weeks between the announcement and England’s first fixture, which takes place at Wembley on June 13 against Croatia in a rematch of the 2018 World Cup semi-final.

Will Euro 2020 have fans?

Although the pandemic is very much ongoing, lockdown easing across the host cities does mean that some fans will be able to attend Euro 2020 matches.

All 11 host cities will welcome fans back to selected stadiums, albeit at reduced capacity.

Fans both in England and beyond have not been able to attend matches across this season.

Premier League fans have only recently been welcomed back to support their teams for the end of the season, with all teams allowed up to 10,000 fans in the stands.

Many of the stadiums for Euro 2020 will be at a reduced capacity, with Wembley allowing 25% capacity for the early games of the tournament.

The FA is hopeful that they can increase capacity to 50% come the semis and final, which would take the numbers to 45,000 for those three games.

Budapest is the only city aiming for 100% stadium capacity, while Saint Petersburg and Baku will be at 50%.

Amsterdam, Bucharest, Copenhagen, Glasgow, Rome, and Seville will be hosting 25%–33%, while Munch will be at 22%, according to UEFA.

How can I buy tickets for Euro 2020?

Tickets for England games are currently only available to members of the England Supporter Travel Club.

These tickets are on sale until May 21 and are sold on a first-come, first-served basis.

Tickets will be on sale to the general public at the end of May, but no date has been confirmed yet.

Many other countries hosting games are currently on the amber travel list, including Germany, Spain, and the Netherlands.

This means that if you do travel, you will have to self isolate upon return to the UK, and must make sure to comply with all restrictions and entry requirements for your destination.

Boris Johnson has encouraged people in the UK to avoid booking holidays to countries on the amber list, but many people are booking travel regardless.

How to watch Euro 2020 on TV

The BBC and ITV have announced they will split up coverage of the Euro 2020 matches.

BBC One is set to broadcast the opening game on June 11 at 8pm, as well as England’s first game against Croatia on June 13 at 2pm.

Across the group stages, there will be three games a day at 2pm, 5pm and 8pm.

The round of 16 games will be played between June 26 to June 29, the quarter finals take place over July 2 and 3, while the semi finals will be played on July 6 and 7.

ITV will broadcast England’s last group game against the Czech Republic at 8pm on June 22 – both channels will show the final on July 11 from 8pm.

Euro 2020 coverage begins June 11 at 8pm on BBC One

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