Everything You Need to Know About Euro 2016

Even though it’s still a number of months away, excitement is building towards a fever pitch for the 2016 UEFA European Championship (or simply “Euro 2016”), which is currently trending at a pace that will put it amongst one of the most popular European Championships in history. Not ready for the tournament to kick off? Get up to speed with our quick guide on everything you need to know about the 2016 Euro.

Vive La France
The entire tournament will take place in France, who won the right to host Euro 2016 back in 2010 after a bidding process that saw them beat out Italy and Turkey for the honors. The matches will take place in a total of 10 cities throughout France including Saint-Etienne, Bordeaux, Toulouse, Lille, Paris, Nice, Lyon, Lens, Saint-Denis and Marseille. This will be the third time France has hosted the tournament, having previously managed the 1960 and 1984 finals.

The Biggest Euro in History
For the first time ever, the European Championship will feature a record-breaking 24 teams, a huge increase over the 16-team format that has been used since 1996. A total of 53 teams vied for the 23 available spots (France was automatically awarded the 24^th position as part of the hosting deal).

Match Groups
In preparation for the opening matches, the 24 teams were broken down into six groups of four, here’s how those groups look:

Save the Date

Here is a breakdown of some of the more important tournament dates:

June 10^th – Euro 2016 kicks off with France’s match in the Stade de France.
June 22^nd – The last of the group matches concludes.
June 25^th-27^th – The round of 16 begins on the 25^th and finishes by the 27^th.
June 30^th – July 3^rd – The quarter-finals take place over these four days.
July 6^th-7^th – The semifinals take the center stage.
July 10^th – The finals are played.

The Good
The vast majority of Euro tournament experts have Germany, France, Spain, Belgium and England as the top five competitors. England was the first team (other than host country France) to qualify for the 2016 tournament, while Spain won nine of their ten qualifying matches. Without teams like Argentina and Brazil in the tournament, England is being pinpointed as a top contender to triumph at the Euro. They haven’t managed to win a major trophy since the 1966 World Cup, and if they manage to avoid Spain, Germany and France until the final they may have a chance to win for the first time in 50 years. For further insights into England’s chances of taking home the cup, you can explore the 888sport blog, whose analysis is always on target.

The Bad
Ranked in the middle of the road or lower currently is the Czech Republic, Turkey, Republic of Ireland, Iceland, and Switzerland. All five of these teams are expected to either not make it out of their initial rounds, or to finish near the bottom of the pack in the round of 16, if they do manage to survive immediate elimination.

The Ugly
You can essentially pack an exit bag for these teams when it comes to advancing far in the tournament. Hungary, Albania, Slovakia, Northern Ireland and Romania currently do not appear on any mainstream “favorites” list, a result of either low qualifying scores, weak rosters, or a combination of both.

Place your Bets
Interested in making a wager? Oddsmakers are currently in favor of reigning world champion Germany, who lead the percentages at 3/1. England is also getting great odds at 11/1, with Wales at 50/1 and the Republic of Ireland at 80/1. If you’re rooting for the long shot, Northern Ireland holds the underdog position with 200/1 odds.