EURO2020: Portugal and France to play in Budapest

With only 20 of the 24 teams participating in the UEFA 2020 European Championship known so far and the remaining four places only to be claimed in March 2020, the draw was slightly more complicated than in previous years. Several teams already knew much of their fate ahead of the draw with only two host countries possible per group and UEFA also deciding in advance which groups those qualifiers who are hosts would be placed in.

Even before the draw, it was certain that if the Hungarian national team successfully negotiates its final qualifying hurdles in springtime against Bulgaria on 26th March and then five days later in the Puskás Arena against the winner of Iceland and Romania. it would be playing in Group F. It was also clear that Germany would be in the same group and they would play all three of their matches in Munich.

The Puskás Arena in Budapest will also host three matches in Group F, two of which will be a match involving the Hungarian national team if they reach the tournament (the Germany-Hungary fixture would take place in Munich as mentioned above).

In the draw in Bucharest, Group F became the 'group of death' with reigning world champions French pulled out of the pot of second seeds and current European Chmpionship title-holders Portugal emerging from the group of third seeds. Therefore, if Hungary make it through the play-offs, they'll play in Budapest against Portugal and France, with those latter two teams also facing each other in the third group-stage match to be played in the Puskás Arena.

If Hungary, Iceland or Bulgaria become the team to advance from Path A of the play-offs, they will be in Group F, but if Romania prevail, they will move to Group C, and the winner of Path D (one of Georgia-Belarus and Northern Macedonia-Kosovo) will come to Budapest!

UEFA EURO 2020 starts on 12th June with the opening match in Rome and concludes with the final on July 12 at Wembley in London. Three group matches and one 2nd-round match will be played in Budapest. The next round of ticket sales for European Championship matches begins on 4th December.

The EURO 2020 groups:

GROUP A (Rome, Baku)

Seed 1: Italy
Seed 2: Switzerland
Seed 3: Turkey
Seed 4: Wales

GROUP B (St Petersburg, Copenhagen)

1. Belgium
2. Russia
3. Denmark
4. Finland

GROUP C (Amsterdam, Bucharest)

1. Ukraine
2. The Netherlands
3. Austria
4. Winner of Path A or D playoffs

GROUP D (London, Glasgow)

1. England
2. Croatia
3. The Czech Republic
4. Winner of Path C playoffs

GROUP E (Bilbao, Dublin)

1. Spain
2. Poland
3. Sweden
4. Winner of Path B playoffs

GROUP F (Budapest, Munich)

1. Germany
2. France
3. Portugal
4. Winner of Path A or D playoffs

EURO 2020 Play-offs (following conclusion of the Nations League and the EURO 2020 group-stage qualifiers)

Path A
Bulgaria v HUNGARY
Iceland v Romania

Path B
Bosnia & Herzegovina v Northern Ireland
Slovakia v Ireland

Path C
Norway v Serbia
Scotland v Israel

Path D
Georgia v Belarus
North Macedonia v Kosovo

The semi-finals will be held on March 26th and the finals on 31st March, the winners of each of the four playoff paths qualifying for the European Championship.