England have qualified for the Euro 2024 Round of 16 without kicking a ball after Spain’s win over Albania confirmed the Three Lions would progress beyond the group stage. Gareth Southgate’s men have been underwhelming in their performances so far, but currently sit top of Group C with four points and have already guaranteed their spot in the knockout stages before playing their final group match against Slovenia.
England face their final group opponents on Tuesday evening, and while they already know they will be playing in the next stage of Euro 2024, the result against Slovenia will be integral to deciding who they will play in the last 16. A win, a draw or a loss could all lead to very different paths throughout the remainder of the tournament, so there is still plenty to play for.
If England Win Group C
They’ll face a third-placed team
The most likely conclusion to Group C would see England finishing first. They currently occupy top spot heading into the final match and would need a couple of results to go against them to prevent them from winning the group. If they do finish first, they’ll play on Sunday, 30 June at 17:00 BST.
There they would face the team that finishes in third place in one of Group D, Group E or Group F. As things stand, that could be Austria from Group D; any one of Romania, Belgium, Slovakia or Ukraine from Group E, or Czechia or Georgia from Group F. Winning the group is clearly the best possible scenario for the Three Lions, as finishing either second or third opens up the possibility of some huge showdowns.
If England Finish Second
They risk facing one of Euro 2024’s favourites early
To win a major tournament such as Euro 2024, you’d typically have to overcome some impressive sides, but England won’t want to do that as early as the last 16. If they face second in Group C, though, they run the risk of doing just that. A draw with Slovenia, paired with Denmark beating Serbia would see Southgate’s side finish as runners-up in the group and move into the next round already well aware of who their opponents would be.
If England finish second, their last 16 match will already be confirmed. The contest would take place on Saturday, June 29 at 20:00 BST, and they would take on one of Euro 2024’s favourites and hosts Germany. Considering their performances so far, Julian Nagelsmann’s side are expected to go far in the tournament, so the Three Lions will want to avoid coming up against them so early. Things wouldn’t be any easier if they finish third, either.
If England Finish Third
They could face another potential favourite
Finishing second would be less than ideal for England, but coming third wouldn’t be much better as the Three Lions would potential take on another side that has been tipped to do well this summer. In order to drop down to third, Southgate’s side would have to lose to Slovenia, while Denmark beat Serbia.
If that was the case, depending on how results shape up in Groups A, B and D, they would either play on Monday, 1 July at 20:00 BST or Tuesday, 2 July at 17:00 BST. The showdown on Monday would see them face off against Cristiano Ronaldo and Portugal, while Tuesday’s contest would see them take on the winner of Group E, which could still be any one of Slovakia, Romania, Belgium or Ukraine.
All in all, England’s result against Slovenia will have massive implications on the rest of the nation’s run in Euro 2024 and could be the difference between going all the way and an early exit.