It will be the first European championship with 24 national teams after at the past five Euro comepetitions 16 teams have participated. National teams are divided into six groups of four teams, top two from each group and the four best third-placed teams will reach the quarter-final. France and Romania will open Euro 2016 at
Saint Denis on June 10.
The program was led by former France international Bixente Lizarazu (45) and Dutch ace Ruud Gullit (53), and the two of them were assisted by other football stars such as David Trezeguet, Antonin Panenka, Vicente Del Bosque, Oliver Bierhoff, Angelos Charisteas. The Euro 2016 group draw was held at the Palais de Congres.
The Three Lions next will play vs Gareth Bale’s Wales summer while the “rookie” Northern Ireland is set to face world champions Germany in a tough group with Robert Lewandowski’s Poland.
Zlatan Ibrahimovic’s Sweden and The Republic of Ireland are in another tough Group E alongside Belgium and Italy. Portugal with the host France is in the easiest group while Holders Spain in Group D most likely with Group E are in toughest group alongside Croatia, Turkey and the Czech Republic.
Group A: France, Albania, Romania, Switzerland
Group B: England, Wales, Slovakia, Russia
Group C: Germany, Northern Ireland, Poland, Ukraine
Group D: Spain, Turkey, Czech Republic, CROATIA
Group E: Belgium, Ireland, Sweden, Italy
Group F: Portugal, Iceland, Hungary, Austria
Uefa provided and the new Euro 2016 system:
Knockout system:
Round of 16 (all times CET)
Match 1: Runner-up Group A v Runner-up C (15.00, 25 June, St-Etienne)
Match 2: Winner D v Third-place B/E/F (21.00, 25 June, Lens)
Match 3: Winner B v Third-place A/C/D (18.00, 25 June, Paris)
Match 4: Winner F v Runner-up E (21.00, 26 June, Toulouse)
Match 5: Winner C v Third-place A/B/F (18.00, 26 June, Lille)
Match 6: Winner E v Runner-up D (18.00, 27 June, St-Denis)
Match 7: Winner A v Third-place C/D/E (15.00, 26 June, Lyon)
Match 8: Runner-up B v Runner-up F (21.00, 27 June, Nice)
• For which third place team will play in each tie
Quarter-finals
1: Winner Match 1 v Winner Match 2 (21.00, 30 June, Marseille)
2: Winner Match 3 v Winner Match 4 (21.00, 1 July, Lille)
3: Winner Match 5 v Winner Match 6 (21.00, 2 July, Bordeaux)
4: Winner Match 7 v Winner Match 8 (21.00, 3 July, St-Denis)
Semi-finals
1: Winner QF1 v Winner QF2 (21.00, 6 July, Lyon)
2: Winner QF3 v Winner QF4 (21.00, 7 July, Marseille)
Final
Winner SF1 v Winner SF2 (21.00, 10 July, St-Denis)
PRE DRAW: Paris is gearing up to host the draw for the Euro 2016 finals on Saturday evening. The ceremony will be held in The Palais des Congres with UEFA chief Michel Platini not able to attend the due to the upholding of his 90-day ban as part of investigations into FIFA.