We have reached the business end of Euro 2024. The quarterfinal matchups are underway, and the semifinal schedule is being set.
The 24 sides who began the tournament on June 14 are being whittled down to the final four, who can now really begin to dream of lifting the famous Henri Delaunay trophy.
From the Round of 16 onwards, the tournament has become a single-elimination knockout. Win, and you are through; lose, and you are on the next plane home.
The teams who have made it this far have had to come through a pre-determined bracket, which was decided based on where they finished in their group, and then who they paired up with in the quarterfinals.
The semifinals are also predetermined, with teams slotting in based on the bracket path they were placed in at the Round of 16.
The Sporting News lays out all you need to know about the Euro 2024 semifinals.
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Euro 2024 semifinal schedule
The matchups in the semifinals are predetermined and the bracket is filled out as each team makes it through the Round of 16 and then the quarterfinals.
Schedule dates and times are listed below. These are local CEST in Germany, with ET -6hrs, BST -1hr, India +3:30hrs and AEST +8 hrs.
| Date | Time (CEST) | Match | Location |
| July 9 | 9 p.m. | SF 1: Spain vs. Portugal/France | Munich (Allianz Arena) |
| July 10 | 9 p.m. | SF 2: England/Switzerland vs. Netherlands/Turkey | Dortmund (Westfalenstadion) |
MORE: Complete results so far for Euro 2024
Teams in Euro 2024 semifinal bracket
The bracket for the Euros comes in two halves, and each will produce a finalist. The bracket shaped up as a result of the group-stage action, which concluded on June 26, and then the Round of 16, which took place from June 29-July 2.
The quarterfinals were scheduled for July 5-6.
You can check out the full group standings and results here.
These teams make up the first half of the semifinal bracket, from which one lucky finalist will emerge:
- Spain [Winner Quarterfinal 1]
- [Winner Quarterfinal 2]
The other half of the bracket will produce the other finalist and these are the teams to have qualified:
- [Winner Quarterfinal 3]
- [Winner Quarterfinal 4]
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How do semifinals work at Euro 2024?
The Round of 16 was the start of what is commonly referred to as the knockout rounds, because every match is single elimination from that point out. There are no points earned. There are no standings. There's simply a winner and a loser.
What happens if Euro 2024 knockout matches finish tied?
There has to be a winner on the day for each knockout-round match, from the Round of 16 through the final. So if teams are tied after 90 minutes of regulation, the match goes into a 30-minute period of extra time.
If the deadlock persists after those 30 minutes of extra time, then a penalty shootout will determine the team that moves on (or, in the case of the final, wins the trophy).
The semifinal pairings were set in advance, based on where teams finished in their respective groups, and who they met in the Round of 16, and then who came through each quarterfinal.
How teams advance at Euro 2024
There are 24 teams that reach the Euros, after emerging from qualifying matches in their respective regions.
Group Stage
Once they got to the tournament, the first obstacle awaiting them was the group stage. In 2024, the 24 teams were split up into six groups of four teams each.
The group stage consists of typical round-robin group play, with each team playing the other three once. Three points were awarded for every win in the group stage, one for a draw, and none for a loss. If teams were tied on points, goal difference and then goals represented the first tiebreakers.
The top two finishers in each group advanced to the knockout stage, as did the four best third-place teams. Those teams were slotted into a predetermined bracket based on their group position, which started with the Round of 16.
Knockout Rounds
Beginning with the Round of 16 through to the final, every match is single elimination. Teams advance from the Round of 16 to the quarterfinals, then to the semifinals, and lastly to the final.
If teams are tied at the end of the 90 minutes of regulation, the teams play 30 minutes of extra time followed by a penalty shootout, if necessary.
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