EURO 2024: Football Fest in the Heart of Europe

The domestic leagues are over and now it is time for the biggest sporting event of the year: Euro 2024. Ten German venues will make this summer a special one for all football supporters and beyond. The tournament will start on June 14th with its conclusion one month later in Berlin. What can we expect in Germany? Who are the favourites? And what will be so unique about travelling up and down the country? Join us on a journey full of anticipation ahead of this big event.

Major football tournaments always provide special emotions. So many great memories have been created since the first Euros in 1960. A lot of great goals, tense rivalries, and huge surprises make the European Championships one of the great sporting events. Every four years the European continent comes together to celebrate a football fest full of unity, triumphs, and drama.

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In 2024, Germany will be hosting the Euros for the second time ever and for the first time as a united nation. Already in 2006, when the country hosted the World Cup, it was a nationwide party with football supporters from Europe and the rest of the world visiting the “Heart of Europe”. Ten host cities can’t wait for the tournament start on June 14th with the thrilling opener between Germany and Scotland in Munich. The Bavarian capital will be excited to welcome the “Tartan Army”, the famous supporters club of the Scottish Football National Team. Lots of other mouthwatering fixtures will be played in Hamburg, Berlin, Gelsenkirchen, Dortmund, Dusseldorf, Cologne, Leipzig, Stuttgart, and Munich, respectively. Surely, Spain versus Italy, France against the Netherlands, or England facing Denmark are some of the highlights of the group stages. After that, the knockout stages will commence on June 29th. The final will take place on July 14th at the Olympic Stadium in Berlin which means a full month of world-class football is just around the corner.

Stadium in Berlin. Photo: Daniel Barthold

Travelling inside Germany has always been very popular amongst travellers due to fast trains being available, domestic flights that are never longer than one hour flight time, and the Autobahn with easy access between cities. Another special offer is that the match ticket will be valid for using local trains within the transport association, the so-called “Verkehrsverbund”, of each host venue. You can then enjoy all the different specialities of each region, whether it is a fish sandwich in Hamburg, the famous Currywurst in Berlin, a cold “Kölsch”, the renowned beer in Cologne, or a “Schweinshaxe” in Munich. Get ready for a wonderful journey beyond football!

Photo: Jannes Glas via Unsplash

And when it comes to the action on the pitch, who are the actual favourites? In fact, England have a very good chance of crowning themselves European Champions for the first time. Last time round, in 2021, the Three Lions were very close to winning it all but eventually lost to Italy on penalties at Wembley. The chances are not bad that manager Gareth Southgate and his team will go one step further to lift the Henri Delaunay Trophy. France is also among the nations highly rated to win Euro 2024. The last time “Les Bleus” finished top was in 2000 and they fancy their chances this year. And the Germans? Well, the host nation has had some difficult five years on an international level, but with new coach Julian Nagelsmann, things seem to be improving.

The three-time winner beat France and the Netherlands in two friendlies, respectively, and with the return of World Champion Toni Kroos, the German squad looks strong enough to have a say, including a home advantage. The Swiss are in one group with the German national team and the clash in Frankfurt is highly anticipated. Austria has an interesting but tough group facing France, the Dutch, and Poland. The border nations are expected to flock to Germany in high numbers. Georgia will make their debut on the big stage with a thrilling first match against Turkey in Dortmund. Football fans worldwide are preparing to arrive in continental Europe for the biggest party of the year. Will you join in

Photo: Peter Glaser via Unsplash

More information on UEFA Euro 2024 you can find here: www.uefa.com/euro2024