England at Euro 2024: next match, last 16 opponents and route to final

Because England won Group C, they will play one of the four best third-placed teams in their next match.

• June 30 (Round of 16): vs third-place team, 5pm
• July 6 (Quarter-final): vs Switzerland or Italy, 5pm
• July 10 (Semi-final): 8pm
• July 14 (Final): 8pm

After winning European Championship Group C, albeit unconvincingly, England are closer to knowing their last-16 opponents.

They will play one of the teams that finish in third place in Group D or E in Gelsenkirchen on Sunday, with only four of the six sides who end up in that position across all groups qualifying for the next round.

Here are the possible scenarios:

If Croatia and the team who finish third in either Group E or F are eliminated
England will play the Netherlands after Austria’s shock victory over the Dutch consigned the latter to third place in Group D. This is the most likely scenario given Croatia are already out after ending Group B on two points, and Czech Republic and Georgia both only have one point in Group F after two matches, while Turkey have three. In Group E, all four countries – Romania, Belgium, Slovakia and Ukraine – are locked together on three points after winning one and losing one of their first two games.

If Croatia and Hungary are eliminated
England will play the third-placed team in Group E, which could be any one of Romania, Belgium, Slovakia and Ukraine. Hungary finished third on three points in Group A and could technically still be overhauled. Before Tuesday night’s games, there was a chance England could have played the third-placed team in Group F, one of Turkey, Czech Republic and Georgia. But their draw against Slovenia, and Denmark’s against Serbia, eliminated that scenario.

Looking ahead – if England win their first knockout game
If England win their last-16 tie, they will face the winner of Switzerland v Italy, which is being played on Saturday in Berlin. The quarter final takes place the following Saturday (July 6) in Dusseldorf. They cannot now play France in the semi-finals after Austria won Group D to secure a spot in England’s half of the draw. The other side of the draw also includes Germany, Spain and Portugal, who won their respective groups.

Full Euro 2024 fixtures and results