Who can seal a place in the UEFA EURO 2024 round of 16: Qualifying rules, tiebreakers and what each team needs.
Spain will be through to the round of 16 as group winners if they beat Italy
The second set of UEFA EURO 2024 group games are now under way, meaning the round of 16 could soon begin to take shape.
We keep you up to date with the permutations, rules and tiebreakers as the tournament progresses.
The top two in each group plus the four best third-placed teams advance to the round of 16.
The permutations below are for information only; the official calculations will be made by UEFA after all group games finish according to articles 20 and 21 of the Regulations of the UEFA European Championship. These examples may not cover all potential situations.
Group A
23 June: Switzerland (4) vs Germany (6), Scotland (1) vs Hungary (0)
Full Group A permutations to follow.
Group B
20 June: Spain (3) vs Italy (3)
24 June: Albania (1) vs Spain, Croatia (1) vs Italy
Spain will be through to the round of 16 (as group winners) if they beat Italy.
Italy will be through to the round of 16 (as group winners) if they beat Spain.
Full Group B permutations to follow.
Group C
20 June: Slovenia (1) vs Serbia (0), Denmark (1) vs England (3)
25 June: England vs Slovenia, Denmark vs Serbia
England will be through to the round of 16 if they beat Denmark. England will be confirmed as group winners if they win and Slovenia do not beat Serbia.
Denmark and Slovenia cannot go through or be eliminated on Thursday.
Serbia will be unable to finish in the top two if they lose to Slovenia. Serbia will be unable to reach the round of 16 if they lose and Denmark beat England.
Group D
21 June: Poland (0) vs Austria (0), Netherlands (3) vs France (3)
25 June: Netherlands vs Austria, France vs Poland
Netherlands will be through to the round of 16 (as group winners) if they beat France and Austria do not beat Poland.
France will be through to the round of 16 (as group winners) if they beat Netherlands and Poland do not beat Austria.
Poland will be unable to finish in the top two if they lose to Austria and France do not lose to Netherlands.
Austria will be unable to finish in the top two if they lose to Poland and Netherlands do not lose to France.
Group E
21 June: Slovakia (3) vs Ukraine (0)
22 June: Belgium (0) vs Romania (3)
26 June: Slovakia vs Romania, Ukraine vs Belgium
Romania will be through to the round of 16, at least as a best third-place team, if they beat Belgium. Romania will be confirmed in the top two if they win and Ukraine do not beat Slovakia.
Slovakia will be through to the round of 16, at least as a best third-place team, if they beat Ukraine. Slovakia will be confirmed in the top two if they win and Belgium to not beat Romania.
Belgium will be unable to finish in the top two if they lose to Romania and Ukraine do not beat Slovakia.
Ukraine will be unable to finish in the top two if they lose to Slovakia and Belgium do not beat Romania.
Group F
22 June: Georgia (0) vs Czech Republic (0), Turkey (3) vs Portugal (3)
26 June: Georgia vs Portugal, Czech Republic vs Turkey
Turkey will be through to the round of 16 (as group winners) if they beat Portugal and Czech Republic do not beat Georgia.
Portugal will be through to the round of 16 (as group winners) if they beat Turkey and Georgia do not beat Czech Republic.
Czech Republic will be unable to reach the round of 16 if they lose to Georgia and Turkey do not lose to Portugal.
Georgia will be unable to reach the round of 16 if they lose to Czech Republic and Portugal do not lose to Turkey.
How ties are broken within groups
If two or more teams in the same group are equal on points on completion of the final tournament group stage, the following criteria are applied, in the order given, to determine their rankings:
a. higher number of points obtained in the matches played among the teams in question
b. superior goal difference resulting from the matches played among the teams in question
c. higher number of goals scored in the matches played among the teams in question
d. if, after having applied criteria a) to c), teams still have an equal ranking, criteria a) to c) are reapplied exclusively to the matches between the remaining teams to determine their final rankings. If this procedure does not lead to a decision, criteria e) to i) apply in the order given to the two or more teams still equal
e. superior goal difference in all group matches
f. higher number of goals scored in all group matches
g. lower disciplinary points total based only on yellow and red cards received by players and team officials in all group matches (red card = 3 points, yellow card = 1 point, expulsion for two yellow cards in one match = 3 points)
h. position in the overall European Qualifiers rankings, or if Germany, the host association team, is involved in the comparison, drawing of lots
If two teams which have the same number of points and the same number of goals scored and conceded play their last group match against each other and are still equal at the end of that match, their final rankings are determined by kicks from the penalty mark, provided that no other teams within the group have the same number of points on completion of all group matches. Should more than two teams have the same number of points, the criteria listed under Paragraph 20.01 apply.
How the four best third-placed teams are decided
With reference to article 21.03, the results of the third-placed teams are compared based on their three group stage matches, according to the following criteria:
a. higher number of points
b. superior goal difference
c. higher number of goals scored
d. higher number of wins
e. lower disciplinary points total based only on yellow and red cards received in all group matches (red card = 3 points, yellow card = 1 point, expulsion for two yellow cards in one match = 3 points)
f. position in the overall European Qualifiers rankings, or if Germany, the host association team, is involved in the comparison, drawing of lots