All eyes on Euro 2020
The stage is set in the world of football as the much anticipated Euros 2020 begins today. The biggest European competition will run for a month, with the final taking place on Sunday, July 11.
The Competition which was forced to be postponed last year due to the Coronavirus pandemic will now take place in different cities like Rome, Munich, Baku, London and the likes to mark the 60th anniversary of the competition, which should have been hosted by multiple cities in a single host country.
The Euro 2020 opening match between Italy and Turkey will kickstart at 8 p.m at Stadio Olimpico in Rome following the opening ceremony that will see Andrea Bocelli singing the Giacomo Puccini aria “Nessun Dorma”. The ceremony will also feature a virtual performance by U2 stars Bono and The Edge with the DJ Martin Garrix.
The venue with the most games is Wembley. The north London stadium that is home to the England national team will stage the semifinals and final after five earlier games starting on Sunday with England against Croatia.
England and Scotland will meet in the second round of Group D matches, and the two neighbours will also be pitted against Croatia and Czech Republic. Wales face Switzerland and Turkey in Baku before heading to Rome to take on Italy.
Many football fans will be on the lookout for Group F which is easily the toughest of the six first-round groups, as it features France (the reigning World Cup champions), Germany (four-time World Cup winners), Portugal (the defending European champions) and Hungary (a nation that is enjoying a bit of a renaissance).
With all of the Group F games taking place in Munich and Budapest, Hungary can not be underestimated while Germany will be have a distinct advantage, but it might not be enough of an edge to push them past a strong France side that has welcomed Real Madrid’s Karim Benzema back into the fold following a five-year exile, and a Portugal team featuring Cristiano Ronaldo, who despite his age (he turned 36 this year) continues to shine in big occasions.
The competition would give football fans across the globe something to be excited about before the beginning of next season club competitions.
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