2016 Euro Cup, France

www.uefa.com

Affair: 2016 Euro Cup (UEFA)

When: Friday, June 10 - Sunday, July 10, 2016

Hot Spot: Matches will be held in 10 different French cities. The official UEFA EURO 2016 stadiums include: Stade de Bordeaux in Bordeaux; Stade Bollaert-Delelis in Lens Agglomération; Stade Pierre Mauroy in Lille Métropole; Stade de Lyon in Lyon; Stade Vélodrome in Marseille; Stade de Nice in Nice; Parc des Princes in Paris; Stade de France in Saint-Denis; Stade Geoffroy Guichard in Saint-Etienne; Stadium de Toulouse in Toulouse

Deets: For the first time, the European Championship final tournament will be contested by 24 teams, having been expanded from the 16-team format that had been used since 1996. Under this new format, the finalists will contest a group stage consisting of six groups of four teams, followed by a knockout stage including three rounds and the final. As hosts, France have automatically qualified for the final tournament, while the other 53 national teams will compete in a qualifying competition, running from September 2014 to November 2015, to secure the remaining 23 places. Among these teams are back-to-back defending champions Spain, and for the first time since their affiliation with UEFA, Gibraltar.

The winners will earn the right to participate in the 2017 FIFA Confederations Cup hosted by Russia. If Germany or Russia win, however, the runner-up will qualify as Germany have already qualified due to winning the 2014 FIFA World Cup, and Russia have qualified as hosts. If both Germany and Russia reach the final, the qualifier will be drawn from the losing semi-finalists.

Who You May Spot: Athletes, fans

Hint For The Average Socialite: Ticket sales for supporters of national teams that have qualified for UEFA EURO 2016 start after the final draw in December.

- Win a trip for two to the UEFA Super Cup in Norway from Xperia Lounge! (Ends May 28, 2016)
- Win a trip to the UEFA Euro Cup 2016 Final! (Ends June 20, 2016)

What's Trending: @UEFAcom #Euro2016 #EuroCup