european football championship 2020

The 2020 UEFA European Football Championship final tournament was the sixteenth European Championships and was be held in 11 cities across 11 different countries between 11 June and 11 July 2021.

The tournament was postponed from its original dates in 2020 due to the worldwide Covid-19 pandemic.

Host selection

Despite initial interest from Turkey, a joint bid from Scotland, the Republic of Ireland and Wales and a proposal from Georgia and Azerbaijan, UEFA announced on 6 December 2012 that it had made the unprecedented decision to host the 2020 UEFA European Football Championship in multiple cities across Europe to mark the 60th anniversary of the tournament.

The 13 original venues were selected and announced by UEFA on 19 September 2014, however the UEFA Executive Committee removed Brussels as a host city on 7 December 2017 due to delays with the building of Eurostadium.

On 23 April 2021, UEFA announced that due to a lack of guarantees regarding spectators caused by the Covid-19 pandemic, Aviva Stadium in Dublin was removed as a tournament host. Similarly, UEFA reassigned the four matches in Spain elsewhere in the country, with La Cartuja in Seville replacing San Mamés in Bilbao.


Qualifying

All 55 UEFA members entered the qualification tournament for the 2020 UEFA European Football Championship and for the first time since 1976, no country qualified automatically as hosts.

Kosovo participated in the European Championship qualifiers for the first time having participated in the 2018 FIFA World Cup qualifiers.

Wales were seeded in the second pot and were drawn into Group E alongside Croatia, Slovakia, Hungary and Azerbaijan.

Uefa qualifying group E

no.datescorescorers (wales)venue 
 21/03/2019Croatia 2-1 Azerbaijan Stadion Maksimir, ZagrebECQ
 21/03/2019Slovakia 2-0 Hungary Anton Malatinský Stadium, TrnavaECQ
65324/03/2019Wales 1-0 SlovakiaJamesCardiff City Stadium, CardiffECQ
 24/03/2019Hungary 2-1 Croatia Groupama Arena, BudapestECQ
65408/06/2019Croatia 2-1 WalesBrooksStadion Gradski Vrt, OsijekECQ
 08/06/2019Azerbaijan 1-3 Hungary Bakcell Arena, BakuECQ
 11/06/2019Azerbaijan 1-5 Slovakia Bakcell Arena, BakuECQ
65511/06/2019Hungary 1-0 Wales Groupama Arena, BudapestECQ
 06/09/2019Slovakia 0-4 Croatia Anton Malatinský Stadium, TrnavaECQ
65606/09/2019Wales 2-1 Azerbaijanog, BaleCardiff City Stadium, CardiffECQ
 09/09/2019Azerbaijan 1-1 Croatia Olympic Stadium, BakuECQ
 09/09/2019Hungary 1-2 Slovakia Groupama Arena, BudapestECQ
 10/10/2019Croatia 3-0 Hungary Stadion Poljud, SplitECQ
65810/10/2019Slovakia 1-1 WalesMooreAnton Malatinský Stadium, TrnavaECQ
 13/10/2019Hungary 1-0 Azerbaijan Groupama Arena, BudapestECQ
65913/10/2019Wales 1-1 CroatiaBaleCardiff City Stadium, CardiffECQ
66016/11/2019Azerbaijan 0-2 WalesMoore, WilsonOlympic Stadium, BakuECQ
 16/11/2019Croatia 3-1 Slovakia Stadion Rujevica, RijekaECQ
 19/11/2019Slovakia 2-0 Azerbaijan Anton Malatinský Stadium, TrnavaECQ
66119/11/2019Wales 2-0 HungaryRamsey (2)Cardiff City Stadium, CardiffECQ

Group standings

  PWDLFAPts
1.Croatia852117717
2.Wales842210614
3.Slovakia8413131113
4.Hungary840481112
5.Azerbaijan80175181

2020 UEFA European Championships


The draw for the final tournament was held on 30 November 2019 in Bucharest, Romania. The 24 teams were drawn into six groups of four. The identity of the four play-off teams were not known at the time of the draw.

Wales were seeded in the fourth pot and were drawn into Group A alongside Italy, Switzerland and Turkey playing two matches in the Olympic Stadium, Baku and one in Stadio Olimpico, Rome.

Group A

no.datescorescorers (wales)venue 
 11/06/2021Turkey 0-3 Italy Stadio Olimpico, RomeEC
67512/06/2021Wales 1-1 SwitzerlandMooreOlympic Stadium, BakuEC
67616/06/2021Turkey 0-2 WalesRamsey, C RobertsOlympic Stadium, BakuEC
 16/06/2021Italy 3-0 Switzerland Stadio Olimpico, RomeEC
67720/06/2021Italy 1-0 Wales Stadio Olimpico, RomeEC
 20/06/2021Switzerland 3-1 Turkey Olympic Stadium, BakuEC

Group standings

  PWDLFAPts
1.Italy3300709
2.Wales3111324
3.Switzerland3111454
4.Turkey3003180

Knockout stages

no.datescorescorers (wales)venue 
Last 16
67826/06/2021Wales 0-4 Denmark Johan Cruijff Arena, AmsterdamEC

Wales and the 2020 European Championship

Qualification

Wales were seeded in the second pot and were drawn into Group E alongside Croatia, Slovakia, Hungary and Azerbaijan.

The campaign got off to the perfect start as Dan James scored the only goal of the game on his competitive debut to ensure Wales won the opening game of a qualifying campaign for the third tournamnet in a row.

However, two away defeats in a double header against Croatia and Hungary left Wales in a precarious position, lying fourth in the group.

Having laboured to a 2-1 win over Azerbaijan, a 1-1 draw away in Slovakia kept Wales' hopes of qualification alive thanks in no small part to Croatia thumping Hungary 3-0 on the same evening.

A 1-1 draw at home to group leaders Croatia saw Wales' destiny no longer in their own hands relying on Slovakia to drop points in their remaining two fixtures, while also needing to claim six points from their final two games in Azerbaijan and at home to Hungary.

A 2-0 win in Azerbaijan coupled with a victory for Croatia over Slovakia set up a winner takes all clash between Wales and Hungary in the final match at the Cardiff City Stadium to secure second spot in the group and qualification for the 2020 UEFA European Football Championship.

Ryan Giggs was boosted by the return of Aaron Ramsey, playing the first minutes of the qualifying campaign as a second half substitute in the match in Baku and the Juventus midfielder netted twice in the final game against Hungary to ensure Wales' qualification.


Players used during qualifying

Wales used 26 players during the campaign with Wayne Hennessey the only player to have played every minute of every game. Gareth Bale, Ben Davies, Daniel James and Harry Wilson played some part of every game.


PlayerSVKCROHUNAZESVKCROAZEHUN
Joe Allen909090909090 90
Ethan Ampadu 23547558508840
Gareth Bale9090909090906088
David Brooks602573     
Ben Davies9090901090909090
Chris Gunter  90     
Wayne Hennessey9090909090909090
Daniel James7279909090908290
James Lawrence909090     
Tom Lawrence  79     
Tom Lockyer    90909090
Rabbi Matondo 11    8 
Chris Mepham9090 90  9090
Kieffer Moore    90869090
Joe Morrell    32409050
Aaron Ramsey      3090
Connor Roberts9090 9090909090
Tyler Roberts30    4  
Joe Rodon   909090  
Matt Smith906536     
Neil Taylor   80    
Will Vaulks366    2 
Sam Vokes  1115    
Ashley Williams18 90     
Jonathan Williams   276668  
Harry Wilson879017632322902

Wales and the 2020 European Championship

UEFA Euro 2020 Finals

The draw for the final tournament was held on 30 November 2019 in Bucharest, Romania. The 24 teams were drawn into six groups of four. The identity of the four play-off teams were not known at the time of the draw.

Wales were seeded in the fourth pot and were drawn into Group A alongside Italy, Switzerland and Turkey playing two matches in the Olympic Stadium, Baku and one in Stadio Olimpico, Rome.

Rob Page was announced as Wales' manager for the 2020 UEFA European Championships in April 2020 after previous manager, Ryan Giggs, was charged with assaulting two women.

Eight players in Wales' 26-man squad were also members of Wales' squad at the 2016 UEFA European Championships; Joe Allen, Gareth Bale, Ben Davies, Chris Gunter, Wayne Hennessey, Aaron Ramsey, Danny Ward and Jonathan Williams.

Seven players featured during the 2020 UEFA European Championship qualifying campaign did not make the squad for the final tournament; James Lawrence, Tom Lawrence, Rabbi Matondo, Neil Taylor, Will Vaulks, Sam Vokes and Ashley Williams

James Lawrence was included in the original 26-man squad announced on 30 May, however he was replaced by Tom Lockyer on 31 May after suffering an injury in training.

The opening match of Euro 2020 was also the opening match of Group A. Italy thumped Turkey 3-0 in Rome before Wales and Switzerland drew 1-1 in Baku; a Kiefer Moore header cancelling out Breel Embolo's opener for the Swiss.

Robert Page's men also had the VAR referee to thank five minutes from time for chalking off Mario Gravanovic's goal, the substitute having strayed into an offside position before firing past Danny Ward.

Italy continued their fine start to the tournament with a 3-0 win over the Swiss in their second game in the group before Wales all but secured their place in the last 16 with an impressive 2-0 win over Turkey despite Gareth Bale missing a penalty.

Despite a red card for Ethan Ampadu in Rome, 10-man Wales held Italy to just one goal meaning second place in the group was secured on goal difference from Switzerland.

Wales were well beaten in the round of 16 with Denmark winning 4-0 in the Johan Cruyff Arena, Amsterdam and to rub salt into the wounds, Harry Wilson became the 21st Welsh player to be sent off during an international match in the closing minutes of the match.

Players used during the finals

Wales used 18 players during the tournament. Danny Ward played at the 2020 Uefa European Championships despite not playing a single minute of the qualifying campaign and was one of two players to have played every minute of Wales' matches, the other being Joe Rodon .

Ethan Ampadu became the 20th Welsh player to be sent off during an international match during the 0-1 defeat to Italy in Rome and Harry Wilson became the 21st Welsh player to be sent off during an international match during the 0-4 defeat to Denmark in Amsterdam.


PlayerSUITURITADEN
Joe Allen90738590
Ethan Ampadu11755 red 
Gareth Bale90908590
David Brooks15 510
Ben Davies9090590
Chris Gunter  90 
Dan James75897480
Dylan Levitt  5 
Chris Mepham9090 90
Kieffer Moore90903078
Joe Morrell90906060
Aaron Ramsey89859090
Connor Roberts90909040
Tyler Roberts   12
Joe Rodon90909090
Danny Ward90909090
Neco Williams 18550
Harry Wilson 51630 red

Euro 2020 Squad