(Football news) Only the top four teams in each group will advance to the knockout stage, with the winners and runners-up of each group assured a position in the round of 16. Currently, the following countries will be represented: Austria, Germany, Switzerland, Spain, Italy, England, France, Netherlands, Portugal, Denmark, and Slovenia.
The teams in the remaining groups, as well as nations like Hungary, who must anxiously wait to find out who the last six third-place teams are, have a lot more to play for.
This section will provide an overview of the current Euro 2024 rankings, highlight the teams who have already advanced to the round of 16, and analyze the prospects of the third-place teams that are still in contention for the next round.
Which teams have already qualified for the last 16 at Euro 2024?
Germany (Group A winners)
Switzerland (Group A runners-up)
Spain (Group B winners)
Italy (Group B runners-up)
England (Group C winners)
Denmark (Group C runners-up)
Slovenia (best third-placed team)
Austria (Group D winners)
France (Group C runners-up)
Netherlands (best third-placed team)
Portugal (Group F winners)
Who has qualified from Group A?
Germany, Switzerland
The host nation Germany became the first side to book their spot in the last 16 of Euro 2024 as they topped Group A with seven points. They secured a thumping 5-1 win against Scotland in the opening match of the tournament and followed up with a 2-0 victory over Hungary on June 19.
Die Mannschaft needed only a point from their final group-stage fixture against Switzerland to qualify for the last 16 as group winners and managed to get over the line thanks to a second-half stoppage-time goal from Niclas Fullkrug that cancelled out Dan Ndoye’s match-opener.
That result saw Switzerland finish second in the group with five points and unbeaten, while Hungary kept their qualification hopes alive with a late 1-0 win over Scotland in their final group-stage match that took them to three points and set them in third place.
Scotland bowed out of the competition following that defeat, while the Magyars are one of the sides who will be hoping to earn qualification for the next round as a best third-placed side.
Who has qualified from Group B?
Spain, Italy
Spain became the first side to qualify for the last 16 with a perfect record of three wins from three games, posting a 3-0 win over Croatia in their opening match followed by back-to-back 1-0 victories over Italy and Albania.
After beating Albania 2-1 in their first match and losing 1-0 to Spain in their second, the defending champions Italy earned their place in the last 16 in their final fixture of the group, but required a dramatic 98th-minute equaliser to salvage a point against Croatia, leaving them five points behind Spain and two ahead of their vanquished opponents.
Croatia finished in third place and needed England to do them a massive favour by beating Slovenia by at least three clear goals in Group C to stand a chance of securing one of the four best third-placed spots, but a goalless draw between the Three Lions and the Dragons means their Euro 2024 campaign has come to an end.
Albania ended bottom of the group with one point and will also play no further part in the competition.
Who has qualified from Group C?
England, Denmark, Slovenia
After playing out a tame 0-0 draw against Slovenia in their final group-stage match, England will head for the last 16 as winners of Group C, but will have to wait to find out who they will face in the next round, as their opponent will be a third-place team from either Group D, E or F.
Denmark end the group in second place after a slow-burning encounter with Serbia, which means they have a date with the hosts Germany in Dortmund in the round of 16, while Serbia will be heading home.
While England players looked somewhat dejected after their final group-stage match, Slovenia enjoyed their evening, having qualified as one of the best third-placed finishers after the final whistle.
Who has qualified from Group D?
Austria, France, Netherlands
The final placement in Group D was decided on Tuesday evening, and in a remarkable match, Austria managed to overcome the Netherlands 3-2 thanks to an 80th-minute goal from Borussia Dortmund’s Marcel Sabitzer, which saw Das Team claim the top spot in the final standings.
Kylian Mbappe got his first goal of the tournament in France’s final match against Poland and Les Bleus looked to be on their way to winning the group, but a Robert Lewandowski penalty in the 79th minute saw Didier Deschamps’s side forced to settle for a share of the spoils, leaving them on five points and heading to the next round as Group D runners-up.
The Netherlands’ defeat saw them drop from the summit of the group to third place with four points, but they will progress to the knockout round as a best third-placed side, where they will face a group winner, though they will still have to wait to see who that will be. Poland exit the tournament with one point in their three matches.
Who has qualified from Group E?
No-one yet
Romania entered Euro 2024 as a dark horse after going unbeaten during qualifying and got their campaign off to the perfect start by claiming a commanding 3-0 win over Ukraine in their opening match on June 17.
However, in their second match of the group, Edward Iordanescu’s side suffered a 2-0 defeat to Belgium, who needed a response after a shocking 1-0 loss to Slovakia in their first match of the competition.
Ukraine, meanwhile bounced back from their opening-match defeat with a 2-1 comeback victory over the Falcons in their second match, meaning that as it stands, all four sides in Group E are level on three points heading into the final matchday.
Who has qualified from Group F?
Portugal
Cristiano Ronaldo’s Portugal kicked off their tournament with a scrappy 2-1 win over the Czech Republic but put in a much better performance in their second match as they ran out 3-0 winners over Turkey, a result that booked their spot in the last 16.
Turkey currently sit in second place with three points thanks to an opening-round victory against Georgia, and they will progress to the next round as the second-placed team if they beat the Czech Republic in the last match, while a draw could also be enough for second place, provided Georgia do not beat Portugal.
For Georgia and the Czech Republic, only victory in their final match will give them a shot at qualifying, either in second place or as a best third-placed team.
How are the best third-placed teams decided?
Only four of the six third-placed teams from the group stage will be granted entry to the last 16. The teams to join the group winners and runners-up in the next round will be determined by:
1. Higher number of points in the group stage
2. Better goal difference in the group stage
3. Higher number of goals scored
4. Higher number of wins in the competition
5. Fewer disciplinary points (based on yellow and red cards)
6. European Qualifiers Rankings
Also read: Belgium will play Ukraine in their last match of the Euro 2024
