The 2024 European Championship in Germany is now heading firmly towards the knockout stages.
The groups, which were drawn back in December of 2023, saw each team play one game against the other three in their pool. This is where they could collect points for wins and draws.
The top two teams from each group qualify automatically for the Round of 16, with the best four third-placed teams also making the first knockout phase. That means there was plenty to play for in these opening couple of weeks, even for nations who failed to win either of their opening matches.
So, who will go through as one of these top four third-place sides? What tie-breakers are used if these teams have the same points? The Sporting News explains how it is decided which "best" third-place nations will reach the knockout stage.
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Euro 2024 best third-place teams in group phase: How many go through to knockouts?
At the 2024 European Championship, there are six groups consisting of four teams in each. These were drawn back in December 2023.
The top two teams from each group automatically advance to the Round of 16. That leaves four spots, which are filled by the best third-placed teams, giving us the 16 nations for the first phase of the knockouts.
But how are those best third-place teams decided?
Euro 2024 best third-place teams in group phase: Updated standings
This is the final table for the best third-place teams at the tournament.
Correct as of June 26
| Pos | Team | GP | Pts | W-D-L | GD |
| 1. | Netherlands | 3 | 4 | 1-1-1 | 0 |
| 2. | Georgia | 3 | 4 | 1-1-1 | 0 |
| 3. | Slovakia | 3 | 4 | 1-1-1 | 0 |
| 4. | Slovenia | 3 | 3 | 0-3-0 | 0 |
It is also worth stating that, due to results on June 24, it was confirmed that England, France, and the Netherlands were through to the next round. That's because those three teams each had four points, meaning that, regardless of their own results on Matchday 3, they will all be one of the four best third-place teams.
France have since qualified for the Round of 16 as runners-up from Group D, while England finished top of Group C.
Ukraine earned four points in Group E, but they finished bottom of that pool based on goal difference, so they missed out on the chance of claiming a best third-place spot despite earning more points than Slovenia and Hungary. They are the first side in European Championship history to finish bottom of a group after earning as many points.
How many points did teams need to qualify for Euro 2024 Round of 16 from third place in their group?
UEFA introduced this format for Euro 2016 and retained it for the last Euros three years ago.
At each of those tournaments, four points was enough to send teams through to the knockouts if they missed out on a top-two spot in their group. That was the same in 2024 for the Netherlands, Georgia, and Slovakia.
Sometimes, even less is enough. At Euro 2020, Ukraine scraped through with three points; at Euro 2016, Northern Ireland and Portugal — who went on to win the trophy — also progressed after collecting just three points from three group games. This year, Slovenia went through despite only earning three points.
Tie-breakers for third-place teams at Euro 2024: How are nations ranked?
The third-placed teams from the six groups were organized into a separate table to determine which four teams would advance to the knockout stage. Since these teams hadn't played against each other, their rankings were decided based on the following criteria:
- Points
- Goal difference
- Goals scored
- Wins
- Disciplinary points
- European Qualifiers ranking
When does the Euro 2024 knockout phase start?
The Round of 16 at Euro 2024 begins on Saturday, June 29. The tournament then progresses in a single-elimination format through to the final on July 14.
| Stage | Date | Time (Local, CEST) | Match |
|---|---|---|---|
| R16 #1 | Saturday, June 29, 2024 | 6 p.m. | Switzerland vs. Italy |
| R16 #2 | Saturday, June 29, 2024 | 9 p.m. | Germany vs. Germany |
| R16 #3 | Sunday, June 30, 2024 | 6 p.m. | England vs. Slovakia |
| R16 #4 | Sunday, June 30, 2024 | 9 p.m. | Spain vs. Georgia |
| R16 #5 | Monday, July 1, 2024 | 6 p.m. | France vs. Belgium |
| R16 #6 | Monday, July 1, 2024 | 9 p.m. | Portugal vs. Slovenia |
| R16 #7 | Tuesday, July 2, 2024 | 6 p.m. | Romania vs. Netherlands |
| R16 #8 | Tuesday, July 2, 2024 | 9 p.m. | Austria vs. Turkey |
Quarterfinals
| Stage | Date | Time (Local, CEST) | Match |
|---|---|---|---|
| QF #1 | Friday, July 5, 2024 | 6 p.m. | Winner of Match 39 vs. Winner of Match 37 |
| QF #2 | Friday, July 5, 2024 | 9 p.m. | Winner of Match 41 vs. Winner of Match 42 |
| QF #3 | Saturday, July 6, 2024 | 6 p.m. | Winner of Match 40 vs. Winner of Match 38 |
| QF #4 | Saturday, July 6, 2024 | 9 p.m. | Winner of Match 43 vs. Winner of Match 44 |
Semifinals
| Stage | Date | Time (Local, CEST) | Match |
|---|---|---|---|
| SF #1 | Tuesday, July 9, 2024 | 9 p.m. | Winner of Match 45 vs. Winner of Match 46 |
| SF #2 | Wednesday, July 10, 2024 | 9 p.m. | Winner of Match 47 vs. Winner of Match 48 |
Final
| Date | Time (Local, CEST) | Match |
|---|---|---|
| Sunday, July 14, 2024 | 9 p.m. | Winner of Match 49 vs. Winner of Match 50 |
