Euro 2024 draw: Italy gets Spain and Croatia, tricky group for France

The path to Euro 2024 glory has been outlined.

The group stage draw for next summer’s tournament was conducted Saturday in Hamburg, Germany, offering up some enticing matchups involving the continent’s perennial titans.

Reigning European champion Italy, which barely avoided another qualifying disaster just to reach the competition, was rewarded with a place in arguably the most difficult of the six groups. The Azzurri will have to navigate a quartet that includes Spain and Croatia as they bid to retain their crown. Italy beat Spain in a penalty shootout in the semifinals en route to its Euro 2020 triumph.

France, always among the favorites at any international tournament, was handed a tricky test in Group D alongside the Netherlands and Austria.

Meanwhile, England and Denmark will meet in Group C in a rematch of the Euro 2020 semifinals, a game the Three Lions won in extra time.

Euro 2024 begins with host nation Germany taking on Scotland on June 14. The Germans, who lost six of their 11 friendly matches and changed their coach this year, won’t play another competitive game until the tournament opener in Munich.

The tournament final is slated for July 14 at the Olympiastadion in Berlin.

Here are the groups in full:

Group A

Match schedule (kickoffs in ET)

• June 14: Germany vs. Scotland – 3 p.m.
• June 15: Hungary vs. Switzerland – 9 a.m.
• June 19: Germany vs. Hungary – 12 p.m.
• June 19: Scotland vs. Switzerland – 3 p.m.
• June 23: Switzerland vs. Germany – 3 p.m.
• June 23: Scotland vs. Hungary – 3 p.m.

Group B

Match schedule (kickoffs in ET)

• June 15: Spain vs. Croatia – 12 p.m.
• June 15: Italy vs. Albania – 3 p.m.
• June 19: Croatia vs. Albania – 9 a.m.
• June 20: Spain vs. Italy – 3 p.m.
• June 24: Albania vs. Spain – 3 p.m.
• June 24: Croatia vs. Italy – 3 p.m.

Group C

Match schedule (kickoffs in ET)

• June 16: Slovenia vs. Denmark – 12 p.m.
• June 16: Serbia vs. England – 3 p.m.
• June 20: Slovenia vs. Serbia – 9 a.m.
• June 20: Denmark vs. England – 12 p.m.
• June 25: England vs. Slovenia – 3 p.m.
• June 25: Denmark vs. Serbia – 3 p.m.

Group D

Match schedule (kickoffs in ET)

• June 16: Playoff winner A vs. Netherlands – 9 a.m.
• June 17: Austria vs. France – 3 p.m.
• June 21: Playoff winner A vs. Austria – 12 p.m.
• June 21: Netherlands vs. France 3 p.m.
• June 25: Netherlands vs. Austria – 12 p.m.
• June 25: France vs. Playoff winner A – 12 p.m.

Group E

Match schedule (kickoffs in ET)

• June 17: Romania vs. Playoff winner B – 9 a.m.
• June 17: Belgium vs. Slovakia – 12 p.m.
• June 21: Slovakia vs. Playoff winner B – 9 a.m.
• June 22: Belgium vs. Romania – 3 p.m.
• June 26: Slovakia vs. Romania – 12 p.m.
• June 26: Playoff winner B vs. Belgium – 12 p.m.

Group F

Match schedule (kickoffs in ET)

• June 18: Turkey vs. Playoff winner C – 12 p.m.
• June 18: Portugal vs. Czechia – 3 p.m.
• June 22: Playoff winner C vs. Czechia – 9 a.m.
• June 22: Turkey vs. Portugal – 12 p.m.
• June 26: Playoff winner C vs. Portugal – 3 p.m.
• June 26: Czechia vs. Turkey – 3 p.m.

The top two nations in each group, along with the four best third-placed finishers, advance to the knockout stages of the competition, which opens on June 29. Kickoff times for the group matches will be finalized at a later date.

Why isn’t the entire field confirmed?

The three outstanding tournament berths will be determined by the qualification playoffs.

The 12 teams that reached the playoffs have been split into three sections – Paths A, B, and C – and will compete in four-team tournaments. The single-elimination semifinals are scheduled for March 21, 2024, with the decisive finals in each path taking place on March 26.

As outlined above, the eventual winners from each path will already know their allocated tournament group upon qualifying.

The playoff matchups are as follows:

Path A: Poland vs. Estonia, Wales vs. Finland
Path B: Israel vs. Iceland, Bosnia and Herzegovina vs. Ukraine
Path C: Georgia vs. Luxembourg, Greece vs. Kazakhstan