England’s performances in their two matches so far at Euro 2024 have been less than inspiring, but as has been the case in all major tournaments under the management of Gareth Southgate, they have almost certainly progressed to the knockout stages following their 1-1 draw with Denmark on Thursday evening.
Victory against Slovenia in their third and final group stage match on Tuesday will mean England finish top of Group C. But what does that mean for their potential route throughout the knockout stages, and which teams could they face should England reach the final?
Euro 2024 Groups |
Group A | Germany, Scotland, Hungary, Switzerland |
Group B | Spain, Croatia, Italy, Albania |
Group C | Slovenia, Denmark, Serbia, England |
Group D | Poland, Netherlands, Austria, France |
Group E | Belgium, Slovakia, Romania, Ukraine |
Group F | Turkey, Georgia, Portugal, Czech Republic |
England’s Group Stage Fixtures
| P | W | D | L | GD | PTS |
England | 2 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 4 |
Denmark | 2 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 2 |
Slovenia | 2 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 2 |
Serbia | 2 | 0 | 1 | 1 | -1 | 1 |
Match 1: Serbia vs England
Date: Sunday, 16 June
Location: Arena AufSchalke, Gelsenkirchen
Kick-off: 8pm UK time
Result: Serbia 0-1 England
England got their Euro 2024 campaign off to a good start with a narrow yet crucial victory over Serbia. Their performance for the majority of the game wasn’t convincing, but nevertheless, they took away maximum points thanks to an impressive goal from Jude Bellingham.
Match 2: Denmark vs England
Date: Thursday, 20 June
Location: Waldstadion, Frankfurt
Kick-off: 5pm UK time
Result: Denmark 1-1 England
A hard-fought draw against Denmark ensured that England maintained their unbeaten record in the group. Again, fans were left frustrated by the lack of goalscoring opportunities created by Gareth Southgate’s side, but the point does all but see them through to the knockout stages.
Match 3: England vs Slovenia
Date: Tuesday, 25 June
Location: RheinEnergieStadion, Cologne
Kick-off: 8pm UK time
England will conclude their group stage matches against Slovenia on Tuesday evening. A win here would guarantee their progression as group winners, and provide a potentially easier route in the knockout rounds. We have shared our England vs Slovenia predictions, along with a preview of the game.
England’s Knockout Stage Scenarios
According to UEFA rules, the top two teams from each group and the four best third-placed teams advance to the knockout stages. The criteria for ranking teams level on points are as follows:
- Higher number of points obtained in matches among the tied teams
- Greater goal difference from matches among the tied teams
- Most goals scored in matches among the tied teams
The four best third-placed teams are decided using the following criteria:
- Higher number of points
- Greater goal difference
- Most goals scored
- Most wins
- Fewest disciplinary points
- Position in Euro Qualifiers rankings
Scenario 1: England Finish First in Group C
Date: Sunday, 30 June
Opponent: Third-placed team from Group D/E/F
Location: Arena AufSchalke, Gelsenkirchen
Kick-off: 5pm UK time
Scenario 2: England Finish Second in Group C
Date: Saturday, 29 June
Opponent: Group A winners
Location: Westfalenstadion, Dortmund
Kick-off: 8pm UK time
Scenario 3: England as One of the Four Best Third-Place Teams
Option 1:
Date: Monday, 1 July
Opponent: Group F winners
Location: Waldstadion, Frankfurt
Option 2:
Date: Tuesday, 2 July
Opponent: Group E winners
Location: Allianz Arena, Munich
England’s Possible Quarter-Final Fixtures
England’s opponents in the quarter-finals of Euro 2024, should they make it that far, will depend on their route to that stage of the tournament.
If England Win Group C & Their Round of 16 Match
Date: Saturday, 6 July
Opponent: Winner of 2nd in Group A vs 2nd in Group B
Location: Merkur Spiel-Arena, Dusseldorf
Kick-off: 5pm UK time
If England Finish Second in Group C & Win Their Round of 16 Match
Date: Friday, 5 July
Opponent: Winner of 1st on Group B vs 3rd in Groups A/D/E/F
Location: MHPArena, Stuttgart
Kick-off: 5pm UK time
If England Finish as One of the Four Best Third-Place Teams & Win Round of 16 Match
Option 1:
Date: Friday, 5 July
Opponent: Winner of 2nd in Group D vs 2nd in Group E
Location: Volksparkstadion, Hamburg
Kick-off: 8pm UK time
Option 2:
Date: Saturday, 6 July
Opponent: Winner of 1st in Group D vs 2nd in Group F
Location: Olympiastadion, Berlin
Kick-off: 8pm UK time
England’s Possible Semi-Final Fixtures
If England Win Group C, Round of 16, & Quarter-Final
Date: Wednesday, 10 July
Opponent: Winner of the quarter-final played in Berlin on July 6th
Location: Westfalenstadion, Dortmund
Kick-off: 8pm UK time
If England Finish Second in Group C, Win Round of 16, & Quarter-Final
Date: Tuesday, 9 July
Opponent: Winner of the quarter-final played in Hamburg on July 5th
Location: Allianz Arena, Munich
Kick-off: 8pm UK time
If England Finish as One of the Four Best Third-Place Teams, Win Round of 16, & Quarter-Final
Option 1:
Date: Tuesday, 9 July
Opponent: Winner of the quarter-final played in Stuttgart on July 5th
Location: Allianz Arena, Munich
Kick-off: 8pm UK time
Option 2:
Date: Wednesday, 10 July
Opponent: Winner of the quarter-final played in Dusseldorf on July 6th
Location: Westfalenstadion, Dortmund
Kick-off: 8pm UK time
Euro 2024 Final Date
Date: Sunday, 14 July
Location: Olympiastadion, Berlin
Kick-off: 8pm UK time
Who Could England Play In The Knockout Stages Of Euro 2024?
England Finish As Group Winners
Should England win their group, they would face a third-placed team from Groups D, E or F in the Round of 16.
As there is still one round of group fixtures to play, we do not know for certain which teams will qualifying for the knockout stages. The potential opponents listed below are based on the final round of group fixtures, and knockout stage games, being won by teams with the higher world ranking in their matches.
- Round of 16: Austria/Romania/Turkey
- Quarter-final: Italy
- Semi-final: France
- Final: Spain
England Finish As Group Runners-Up
If England finish second in their group, their route could be more challenging, potentially facing stronger opponents earlier in the knockout stages:
- Round of 16: Germany
- Quarter-final: Spain
- Semi-final: Netherlands
- Final: France