France will attempt to become the only nation to win as hosts twice, while Spain is chasing a third consecutive title. (Getty)
Four pots of six become six groups of four today, when the EURO 2016 finally holds its draw. Anticipation is high for the summer tournament, which has expanded to from 16 to 24 teams.
Saturday’s draw is set to feature a stage full of legendary footballers, hosted by Ruud Gullit and Bixente Lizarazu. It will also feature an appearance from David Guetta, who will contribute original music to EURO 2016 festivities as well as hold a concert before the opening match in June.
France will attempt to be the first host nation to reach a EURO final on their home turf since 2004, and the first nation ever to win twice as host. France is the most recent host champion, defeating Spain in the 1984 final.
Here’s what you need to know about today’s draw:
Date: Saturday, December 12, 2015
Time: 12 p.m. ET
Location: Paris
TV Channel: ESPN
Line:
Live Stream: Watch ESPN
Draw Preview:
With the expansion from 18 to 24 teams, an extra 20 matches will be played around France this summer. That’s a big deal for countries like Iceland, Albania, and Northern Ireland, who will all be making their EURO tournament debut.
As for who can actually win this competition, Europe is as open as it’s ever been. Spain is the first-ever repeat champion of EURO, and had a strong qualifying run en route to their quest for an unheard-of three straight titles. Their global domination was stifled this summer, however, as they watched the Germans dominate in Brazil for their fourth Wold Cup title.
Based on FIFA Rankings, the current top team on the planet is Belgium. Marc Wilmots side has buckets of young talent as the Belgians make their first EURO appearance since 2000. Then there’s England, who were a perfect 10-0-0 in qualifying. The Lions could make a decent run if they avoid penalty kicks, which caused their exit in two of the previous three European Championships as well as the 2006 World Cup.
Live stream