Before the international sports world turns its focus to the Tokyo Olympics, Europe’s top competitors will duke it out for continental pride in the globe’s most popular sport.

After being postponed last summer due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the 2020 UEFA European Football Championship will finally take place beginning on Friday. Twenty-four nations will play throughout Europe for a shot at one of soccer’s top prizes.

Will Portugal defend its 2016 title? Could France, England or Belgium cement themselves as Europe’s best team? Or could a dark horse emerge and shock the world?

Here is everything you need to know for Euro 2020:

What is the host country for Euro 2020?

While the European Championship is typically held in one location, Euro 2020 will be played across 11 different countries to celebrate the 60th anniversary of the tournament. The idea was conceived nearly a decade ago, so it was not a measure that came from the coronavirus pandemic.

The 11 host cities and venues, as well as how many games will be played at each stadium, are as follows:

Amsterdam, Netherlands: Johan Cruijff Arena, four matches

Baku, Azerbaijan: Baku Olympic Stadium, four matches

Bucharest, Romania: National Arena, four matches

Budapest, Hungary: Puskás Aréna, four matches

Copenhagen, Denmark: Parken Stadium, four matches

Glasgow, Scotland: Hampden Park, four matches

London, England: Wembley Stadium, eight matches

Munich, Germany: Football Arena Munich, four matches

Rome, Italy: Olimpico, four matches

Saint Petersburg, Russia: Saint Petersburg Stadium, seven matches

Seville, Spain: Stadium La Cartuja, four matches

Belgium and the Republic of Ireland were initially slated to host matches as well, but construction issues and COVID-19 regulations, respectively, forced them out. The revised venues were approved by the UEFA Executive Committee in April.

What is the Euro 2020 schedule?

The tournament kicks off with a group stage match between Turkey and Italy in Rome at 3 p.m. ET on Friday, June 11. The tournament concludes exactly a month later with the final at 3 p.m. ET on Sunday, July 11, in London.

Here are the dates for each stage of the tournament:

Group play: June 11-23

Knockout phase: June 26-29

Quarterfinals: July 2-3

Semifinals: July 6-7

Final: July 11

What channel is Euro 2020 on?

All Euro 2020 games will be on ESPN and ESPN+. Live updates and stats can be found online at NBCSports.com.

What are the groups for Euro 2020?

The 24 teams are broken down into six groups.

The top two teams in each group, along with the four best third-place teams, advance to the knockout phase. Teams earn three points for a win, one for a draw and zero for a loss in their three round-robin group play contests.

This year’s notorious “group of death” is Group F, which features the two teams that battled in the 2016 final, reigning champions Portugal and runners-up France. Three-time champions Germany are also in the mix while Hungary is outmatched.

Here is the full breakdown of this year’s groups as well as the host cities for the respective groups:

Group A (Rome/Baku): Turkey, Italy, Wales, Switzerland

Group B (Copenhagen/St Petersburg): Denmark, Finland, Belgium, Russia

Group C (Amsterdam/Bucharest): Netherlands, Ukraine, Austria, North Macedonia

Group D (London/Glasgow): England, Croatia, Scotland, Czech Republic

Group E (Seville/St Petersburg): Spain, Sweden, Poland, Slovakia

Group F (Munich/Budapest): Hungary, Portugal, France, Germany

Who are the top players at Euro 2020?

Kylian Mbappé, France: The 22-year-old phenom already has a World Cup title to his name with the French national team. He is the favorite to win the Best Player of the Tournament honor this summer with +800 odds, per our partner, PointsBet. Mbappe, Antoine Griezmann and Karim Benzema are poised to headline one of the most potent attacks in the entire tournament.

Kevin De Bruyne, Belgium: De Bruyne knows all about winning at the club level, leading Manchester City to three Premier League titles in the last four seasons. Now, he is looking to reach the pinnacle of international play. Belgium reached the semifinals of the 2018 World Cup but fell short to Mbappe’s France squad and settled for third place with a win over England. 

Harry Kane, England: Kane is one of the top goal scorers in all of Europe. He led the Premier League in goals three times and has been in the top six every season since 2014-15. The Tottenham striker won the Golden Boot at the 2018 World Cup and helped England reach the semifinals. The Three Lions will likely go as far as Kane takes them.

Cristiano Ronaldo, Portugal: Portugal won Euro 2016 despite Ronaldo exiting the final against France with an injury. Fast forward to this year, and Ronaldo will be front and center for the defending champions. He’s taken his talents throughout Europe during his illustrious club career, and another Euro win would solidify his place in the pantheon of all-time great soccer players.

Robert Lewandowski, Poland: Poland may be a long shot to win the whole tournament, but Lewandowski could help the team surprise some people. The Best FIFA Men's Player 2020 was on a scoring tear for Poland leading into the 2018 World Cup before getting shut out in three group stage games and getting bounced from the competition. If Lewandowski can find the back of the net like he has for Bayern Munich, Poland can make some serious noise.

Manuel Neuer, Germany: Neuer has been playing on the brightest stage for a decade now, playing part in some signature victories and brutal defeats as Germany’s top goalkeeper and captain. If he can reach his peak play, he can help Germany reclaim the Euro title for the first time since 1996.

Who is the favorite to win Euro 2020?

France is the betting favorite to win the trophy this summer with +450 odds, per PointsBet. England comes in second with +500 odds while Belgium stands in third with +600.

Here are the full odds heading into the tournament:

France: +450

England: +500

Belgium: +600

Germany: +800

Portugal: +800

Spain: +800

Italy: +800

Netherlands: +1400

Denmark: +2500

Croatia: +3300

Turkey: +5000

Switzerland: +6000

Ukraine: +8000

Poland: +8000

Russia: +9000

Sweden: +9000

Austria: +9000

Czech Republic: +12500

Wales: +15000

Scotland: +20000

Slovakia: +25000

Hungary: +30000

Finland: +30000

North Macedonia: +30000

Editor's note: All odds are provided by our partner, PointsBet. PointsBet is our Official Sports Betting Partner and we may receive compensation if you place a bet on PointsBet for the first time after clicking our links.