Euro 2020 is just around the corner. The first Group stage matches will be played on June 11th. We have collected all the interesting facts about UEFA Euro 2020 you should know before the long-awaited football championship starts.
Top-5 facts about UEFA Euro 2020
Why is the 2020 UEFA European Football Championship scheduled for the ongoing year? Who belongs to the “group of death” this time? Here are the five most interesting facts and rumors about Euro 2020 which is going to start soon.
Euro 2020 was rescheduled for 2021
The UEFA European Football Championship traditionally takes place every four years. With Portugal winning their title in 2016, the next championship was supposed to be held last year. However, it was suspended until 2021 but kept the original date. Why?
As we all know, the pandemic burst out in March 2020. As a result, all sports and entertainment events were canceled or postponed until better times. While the cancellation of Euro 2020 would have been very expensive, it was decided to be held in 2021. The football association kept the original year in order not to break the order. So, the next UEFA Euro will take place in 2024 as it should and not in 2025.
Two countries have qualified for the first time
This year, football fans are welcoming two new countries to the UEFA Euro. Following the latest online sportsbook news, they are Finland and North Macedonia. Both national teams have qualified for the main European championship for the first time ever.
Finland reached their first-ever Group stage after securing the second spot in their qualifying group. The national team has never missed a chance to reach the European Championship but never succeeded until 2020.
Another lucky team from North Macedonia is celebrating their very first entry into the major football tournament in Europe. The country has never qualified since Yugoslavia’s breakup in the 1990s.
Which teams are in the group of death?
Almost every big football competition has a so-called “group of death” – a group which is much stronger than others due to successful teams being present in it. UEFA Euro 2020 has one too, Group F contains Portugal aka defending champions, Germany and France as two of the strongest teams in Europe, and Hungary.
Benzema returns to the national team
Karim Benzema, a legendary French football player, is back to the national team after a long break. The Real Madrid forward will join the French team for the first time in six years. In 2015, Benzema was suspended from the national team due to blackmailing another French player Mathieu Valbuena.
Benzema’s return to France can significantly influence the team’s results. As of now, the footballer has 27 goals in 81 games for France and is really likely to score more this summer. Will he lead France to the UEFA Euro title? Let’s see.
Who will win?
All the facts about UEFA Euro 2020 culminate in one question – who will win? According to betting predictions, the following countries have the best odds of winning:
- France – 5.50
- England – 6.00
- Belgium – 7.00
- Germany – 8.00
- Spain – 8.50
