Euro 2020, Europe’s continent-wide football (soccer) championship held every four years, is now underway after a yearlong delay due to Covid. The tournament is being held across Europe from June 11 - July 11, 2021 and still goes by the name Euro 2020. Portugal is the defending champion from 2016.

The tournament’s opening game was held in Stadio Olimpico in Rome, including Turkey and Italy. The semi-finals and final game will be held at Wembley Stadium in London.

32 matches will be played in 11 countries: Azerbaijan, Denmark, England, Germany, Hungary, Italy, Netherlands, Romania, Russia, Scotland, and Spain.

The 24 teams competing hail from Turkey, Italy, Wales, Switzerland, Denmark, Finland, Belgium, Russia, Netherlands, Ukraine, Austria, North Macedonia, England, Croatia, Scotland, Czech Republic, Spain, Sweden, Poland, Slovakia, Hungary, Portugal, France, and Germany.

Rejoice with us that this beloved sporting event can now take place one year later. Also, considering taking a moment to look up each country and how many Evangelical Christians live there. Across the continent only about 2.7% of people claim Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior. As you watch each match, pray that the diverse people of each nation would become a people of God’s own possession, that they might proclaim the excellencies of him who called them out of darkness and into his marvelous light (1 Peter 2:9).

Image credit: UEFA