Thursday, November 21, 2024

There’s no 2pm game at Euro 2024 as UEFA tournament scheduling explained

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Euro 2024 is in full swing and fans have got used to seeing three matches per day at the beginning of the group stages, but that is all set to change on Tuesday, the fifth day of the tournament

There are only two games at the Euros this Tuesday(UEFA via Getty Images)

Your boss is less likely to catch you watching football at your desk on Tuesday because there isn’t a Euro 2024 game scheduled for 2pm GMT.

Fans have quickly got used to being able to catch three fixtures a day during the opening of the tournament in Germany, with early games taking place on Saturday (Hungary vs Switzerland), Sunday (Slovenia vs Denmark) and Monday (Romania vs Ukraine).




But Tuesday will only have two fixtures from the group stages played, as the matches between Turkey and Georgia and Portugal and the Czech Republic kick off at 5pm GMT and 8pm GMT respectively.

Fear not though, because the schedule will soon go back to three games a day for the matches on Wednesday, Thursday, Friday and Saturday.

Then from Sunday we get to the final group stage matches which have to be played simultaneously for reasons of fair play. Both Group A matches are played on Sunday night, both of Group B’s are on Monday, and then Groups C and D are next Tuesday and E and F are next Wednesday.

But why only two games this Tuesday then?

France beat Germany 1-0 on the first Tuesday of Euro 2020(LUKAS BARTH-TUTTAS/EPA-EFE/REX/Shutterstock)

Lessons from history

Well the fact is, this is nothing new. Each of the last two Euros have only had two matches on the first Tuesday of the tournament. At Euro 2020 Portugal beat Hungary 3-0 in Budapest, and France beat Germany 1-0 in Munich.

Then back at Euro 2016, the first Tuesday saw Hungary beat Austria 2-0 in Bordeaux, while eventual winners Portugal were held to a 1-1 draw by Iceland in Saint-Etienne.

Buy England’s Euro 2024 kit

The Three Lions are among the favourites to win this summer’s Euro 2024 tournament and you can get your hands on the brand new Nike home and away kits before the first whistle.

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