Euros 2024: How can teams qualify for knockouts despite finishing 3rd in group? EXPLAINED in detail
As the Euro 2024 group stage nears ending here is an explanation on how teams can qualify into the knockouts despite finishing third in the standings
- SportFit
- 2 min read
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The group stages of Euro 2024 is nearing its conclusion as with the games between Germany and Switzerland and Scotland and Hungary, the matchday three of the UEFA Euros officially begins.
Matchday 3 of the Euros brings with itself much excitement and promises a tonne of drama as teams will look to seal qualification into the knockout stages of the tournament. Up until now only three teams have qualified for the knockout phases in Germany, Spain and Portugal.
A lot of teams still vie for qualification so as we enter the most important matchday of the group phases let us understand how the qualification into the knockouts of Euro 2024 works and why third placed teams can still qualify.
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Explaining how 3rd placed teams can still qualify for knockouts of Euro 2024
While it is still better to finish in top two of the respective groups as the teams that finish top two achieve guaranteed qualification into next round.
However, according to the new format that was introduced by UEFA back in 2016 teams that out of the six teams that finish third in every group, the four teams with the best records will advance into the knockout phase.
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That means in total 6 group winners, 6 second placed teams and 4 best third placed teams advance into the next round. The four best third placed teams qualify, the metrics are that four teams with highest points out of six and better goal difference will go ahead.
Hence this means that despite a bad start to the competition, many teams can still salvage their campaign and qualify for the knockout phase.
That means teams like Croatia, Slovenia, Netherlands, Czech Republic will be in the hunt but can lose out.
And as history suggests, Portugal qualified through this rule in 2016 as the third placed team and went on to win the tournament. So anything can still happen.