Euro 2024 key dates to watch out for
Before becoming a Sports Journalist for Free Super Tips, Aaron spent three years studying Sports Journalism at the University of Sunderland while taking in the Black Cats' 'glory years' under Martin O'Neill. Now back in Northern Ireland he turns niche stats into predictions for FST, while he's one of the few people on this island who is equally comfortable at Windsor Park and the Aviva.
The European Championships kick off in Germany later this month and the build-up to the tournament is well underway. There are warm-up friendlies and squads to be finalised before and incredible summer of football kicks off.
We’ve got you covered with all the dates to remember for the Euros, as we take you from the key events ahead of the tournament and the milestones on the way to next month’s final.
Monday, 3rd June – England vs Bosnia-Herzegovina
England face the first of two warm-up friendlies on Monday when they meet a Bosnian side which failed to make the Euros. This first fixture is expected to feature plenty of second-string players, with spots in the final 26-man squad up for grabs.
Friday, 7th June – England vs Iceland
England return from St James’ Park for a Wembley send-off against Iceland on Friday. By this point, Gareth Southgate will mostly know his final squad and the manager is likely to be working solely with the players he intends to bring to Germany.
Iceland also didn’t make the finals and the decision to face off with two sides who finished behind Slovakia and Luxembourg in qualifying in the build-up to the tournament is questionable, but at least the Wembley fans should expect a victory.
Friday, 7th June – Squad submission deadline
Managers around Europe have until midnight on Friday night to whittle their provisional squads down to 26, with UEFA making a late call to bump the number of players allowed up from 23. Expect plenty of announcements on players who have made and missed the cut over the course of the weekend.
Players will also likely be left on standby, as teams can replace any injured players ahead of the tournament’s opening game.
Saturday, 8th June – England announce final squad
As it stands, Southgate is expected to name his 26-man squad the day after the Iceland game. As was the case with the provisional squad, news will likely leak early and with a game on Friday, don’t be surprised if Southgate moves a little early in announcing his travelling group.
Tuesday, 11th June – Final warm-up games
The pre-tournament friendlies wrap up on the Tuesday before the opening game, with Ukraine taking on Moldova and Portugal hosting the Republic of Ireland.
Friday, 14th June – Germany and Scotland kick off Euro 2024
The opening game of the Euros takes place in Munich with Scotland meeting the hosts. The game is live on ITV in the UK and there will likely be plenty of pre-game festivities, alongside the usual pre-game chat about England in a game which is completely removed from the Three Lions.
Sunday, 16th June – Serbia vs England
England’s first game of the tournament is against Serbia in Gelsenkirchen at the temporarily renamed Arena AufSchalke – no points for cracking that translation. The Three Lions were eliminated from the 2006 World Cup at this very stadium, but their clash with a Serbian side that tends to underwhelm at major tournaments should be a more straightforward assignment.
Wednesday, 19th June – Scotland vs Switzerland
Scotland play their vital second game of the tournament on Wednesday night in Cologne, meeting a Swiss side which made the quarter-finals three years ago. The Swiss are knockout round regulars, but they’re also the most likely side for Scotland to pip into third place.
Thursday, 20th June – Denmark vs England
England meet Denmark in Frankfurt in a re-run of their Euro 2020 semi-final. The Three Lions won that clash at Wembley and they should be encouraged by Denmark’s struggles at the World Cup in 2022. However, the Danes have added some young talent to an experienced squad and they’re good value for a deep run at this tournament.
Sunday, 23rd June – Scotland vs Hungary
Scotland face their final game of the group stage in Stuttgart and they clash with a Hungarian side who could be dark horses this summer. Hungary have built a technically gifted side that breezed through qualifying and they’re more likely to be contending for top spot in this final game than scrapping for third.
Tuesday, 25th June – England vs Slovenia
England wrap up their group action with a clash against Slovenia in the penultimate night of group stage action. The Three Lions are in Cologne meeting a Slovenian outfit led by Arsenal target Benjamin Sesko. This is unlikely to be a nervy night for Gareth Southgate’s men, they may even have an opportunity to rotate in this clash.
Saturday, 29th June – Knockouts begin
UEFA have kindly given us two full days to recover from following the third-placed permutations, although that’s a tricky turnaround for fans hoping to follow their team in Germany. The opening game of the knockout stage will be held in Berlin, with the runners-up in Groups A and B in action. The hosts will be hoping to feature in the day’s late game as Group A winners, which pits them against the runners-up in England’s group.
Should England win Group C, they’ll return to Gelsenkirchen on Sunday, 30th June. Let’s not even try to work out what happens if they slip to third.
Friday, 5th July – Quarter-finals begin
The UK heads to the polls on Thursday during a rare off-day for the Euros and the last eight begins the following day. The four games are spread across Friday and Saturday, played in Stuttgart, Hamburg, Dusseldorf, and Berlin.
Tuesday, 9th July – Semi-finals begin
The two semis are scheduled for Tuesday and Wednesday night, at Bayern’s Allianz Arena Fussball Arena Munchen and Dortmund’s Westfalenstadion BVB Stadion Dortmund.
While finals can tend to be too cagey for their own good, semi-finals can offer some of the standout games in tournament football. Italy and Germany’s semi in 2006 in Dortmund is often cited as one of the best World Cup games ever, could we get a repeat at this summer’s Euros?
Sunday, 14th July – Euro 2024 final
The 51st and final match of the tournament takes place in Berlin’s Olympiastadion a month on from the opener. Will England go all the way? Will Germany get it together like they did in 2006? Can Italy defend their title with Luciano Spalletti stepping in for Roberto Mancini?
We’ll get answers to those questions and more in less than six weeks, along with a likely nod towards the 2028 tournament being held across the UK and Ireland.
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