The 2024 UEFA European Football Championship (Euro 2024) is the 17th edition of the quadrennial international men's football championship of Europe organized by UEFA. Hosted by Germany, the tournament is taking place from June 14 to July 14, 2024, featuring 24 teams, including first-time participant Georgia. The champion will compete against the 2024 Copa América winner in the 2025 CONMEBOL–UEFA Cup of Champions.
Panini's long-standing association with UEFA, which began in 1976, has ended. Topps, another Fanatics-owned company, will now serve as the tournament's official sticker and trading card partner.
Georgia qualified for their first-ever major tournament since gaining independence from the Soviet Union in 1991 after winning against Greece in the playoffs.
The official logo for UEFA Euro 2024 was unveiled in October 2021 at Berlin's Olympiastadion. The design showcases the Henri Delaunay Trophy encircled by 24 colorful slices representing the participating nations, with the encompassing ellipse mirroring the stadium's shape. Each host city also received a unique logo highlighting local landmarks.
In May 2022, UEFA released the tournament schedule, initially revealing only the kick-off times for the opening match, semi-finals, and the final.
Sweden did not qualify for the 2022 World Cup, marking their second consecutive absence from a major tournament.
During the Germany vs. Colombia friendly match in June 2023, the official mascot, a teddy bear sporting shorts, was introduced. The public was invited to vote on the mascot's name from four choices: "Albärt," "Bärnardo," "Bärnheart," and "Herzi von Bär.
UEFA and Adidas revealed the "Fussballliebe" match ball on November 15, 2023. The ball embodies the spirit of the tournament with black wing designs accentuated by red, blue, orange, and green edges. For the first time in UEFA Euro history, the ball incorporates "Connected Ball Technology." This technology utilizes internal sensors to track the ball's movement, aiding match officials in making decisions.
The initial lineup of official music artists for the tournament was announced in December 2023, featuring Italian DJ group Meduza, American pop rock band OneRepublic, and German singer Kim Petras.
Following the tournament draw in December 2023, UEFA announced the kick-off times for all remaining matches.
The final tournament draw for UEFA Euro 2024 took place on December 2, 2023, at the Elbphilharmonie in Hamburg. Teams were seeded based on the overall European Qualifiers rankings. The draw experienced a disruption due to inappropriate noises caused by a prankster.
Kim Petras withdrew from her role as an official music artist in March 2024 due to scheduling conflicts. German singer Leony was selected as her replacement.
As of June 14, 2024, there have been 6 goals scored in 1 match played, resulting in an average of 6 goals per match.
Out of the ten venues chosen for UEFA Euro 2024, nine were previously used for the 2006 FIFA World Cup: Berlin, Dortmund, Munich, Cologne, Stuttgart, Hamburg, Leipzig, Frankfurt, and Gelsenkirchen. Düsseldorf, which hosted matches during the 1974 FIFA World Cup and UEFA Euro 1988, will serve as the tenth venue.
The results of the mascot naming contest were revealed on July 5th, with "Albärt" emerging as the winner, securing 32% of the votes.
The chosen venues for UEFA Euro 2024 are distributed across all major regions of Germany. The Rhine-Ruhr metropolitan region in North Rhine-Westphalia has the highest concentration of venues, with Dortmund, Düsseldorf, Gelsenkirchen, and Cologne hosting matches.
EA Sports is set to launch the Euro 2024 update for their football gaming platforms - EA Sports FC 24, EA Sports FC Mobile, and EA Sports FC Online - in the summer of 2024.