Tournament

For the first time, 24 sides will contest the UEFA European Championship when it takes place between between 10 June and 10 July 2016.

©Agence Roger Taillibert

Parc des Princes hosted the finals in 1960 and 1984

The inaugural final tournament in France in 1960 was a four-team affair, involving four matches played over five days at two venues. For UEFA EURO 2016, France's third finals having won on home turf in 1984, 24 sides will contest 51 games over 32 days at ten venues – in Bordeaux, Lens, Lille, Lyon, Marseille, Nice, Paris, Saint-Denis, Saint-Etienne and Toulouse.

As hosts, France have an automatic spot and they will be joined by 23 qualifiers. The teams will be drawn into groups of four, with the six group winners, six group runners-up and the four best third-placed teams advancing to the round of 16 when it becomes a knockout competition with the potential routes to the final mapped out here (see p16).