Nothing is better than cheering your favorite national team in the beautiful game. The international soccer festival is about to start today with the Euro 2024 and is set to be one of its kind. Back to full crowds after a low-key 2020 edition because of the COVID-19 pandemic, a single nation Germany will host the competition.

The tournament will kick off today with the hosts taking on Scotland but not with the previous rules. Apart from changes in a few regulations in the tournament, UEFA also brought some interesting themes, making it an exquisite celebration for fans. Hence, let’s delve deeper into all the updates surrounding the competition.

2024 Euro’s unique look: All you need to know

New Rules

The tournament will feature 5 new rules this time, including updates regarding the referees. With the sport reaching more fans every year, UEFA’s idea to calibrate a few systems arrives as a rejuvenating move. Here are the fundamental rule changes.

1. Stringent Arbitration – In this Euro, UEFA will not allow players other than the captain to negotiate with the referee in case of any disagreements. If done so, the players are expected to be penalized by the officials.
2. Substitutes Rules – A team will be allowed to use 5 substitutes in the first 90 minutes of the match in this year’s edition. In addition, an extra sixth replacement will be allowed if a game goes into the Extra Time. For the five substitutions, however, only 3 stoppages will be provided unless an extra one for the sixth.
   
3. VAR – Unlike 2020’s tournament, this season will have just 3 Video Assisted Referees to speed up the decision-making. It is also reported that the video match officials will operate from the International Broadcast Center in Leipzig. In addition, important VAR decisions will be explained on screen to the crowds in the stadium.
4. Stoppage time rules – The 2024 Euro will have shorter added minutes after each half, avoiding unnecessary prolongation. Instead, the approach will be similar to last season’s UEFA Champions League, which focuses on a quick restart after interruptions.
5. Handball – This time, UEFA will use additional nanotechnology to make handball decisions better. The ball will have a chip placed inside to help the officials determine if the player touched it.

Host Cities

After playing in 11 cities in 11 different countries, Euro 2024 will be played in 10 cities across Deutschland. They are:

1. Olympiastadion, Berlin

2. Allianz Arena, Munich

3. Westfalenstadion, Dortmund

4. MHP Arena, Stuttgart

5. Arena AufSchalke, Gelsenkirchen

6. Waldstadion, Frankfurt

7. Volksparkstadion, Hamburg

8. Merkur Spiel-Arena, Dusseldorf

9. RheinEnergieStadion, Cologne

10. Red Bull Arena, Leipzig

Euro 2024 Mascot

Albärt is chosen as the official mascot of the 2024 Euros. The Teddy Bear was named after taking votes from UEFA.com users and schoolchildren across Europe, through the UEFA Football in Schools program. Other names also under consideration were Bärnardo, Bärnheart, and Herzi von Bär, not so alternate words for bear.

Euro 2024 Sponsors

These official sponsors of Euro 2024 are Adidas, AliExpress, Alipay+, Atos, Betano, Booking.com, BYD, Coca-Cola, Zero, Lidl, Engelbert, Strauss, Visit Qatar, and Vivo

Official Song

The tournament also has a special anthem this time. FIRE is a collaboration by Italian producers Meduza, American pop stars OneRepublic, and native singer Leony The Official Song. The song is released on song streaming platforms on the internet.

Broadcasting and streaming details

All the Euro games will be telecast on TV on FOX networks, including Fox and Fox Sports 1 (FS1) from June 14, 2024, to July 14, 2024. Fans can also stream it live on Fubo TV and VIX.