England to host UEFA Women’s EURO 2021

The English Football Association (FA) was announced as hosts by the UEFA Executive Committee, meeting in Dublin yesterday. England previously staged UEFA Women’s EURO 2005, the last eight-team final tournament; the 2021 event will be the second to feature 16. The final tournament will be played in July 2021, with Wembley earmarked to host the final a year after men’s UEFA EURO 2020 concludes at the same stadium.

Proposed venues

Brighton & Hove (Brighton Community Stadium)
London (Brentford Community Stadium & Wembley Stadium – final only)
Manchester (Manchester City Academy Stadium)
Milton Keynes (Stadium MK)
Nottingham (City Ground)
Rotherham (New York Stadium)
Sheffield (Bramall Lane)
Southampton (St Mary’s Stadium)

Format

The 16 sides will be drawn into four groups of four, with the top two in each section progressing to the knockout phase.

Entries and qualifying

England receive a bye to the finals while the remaining entrants will be drawn into nine groups of five or six. The nine group winners and the three runners-up with the best record against the sides first, third, fourth and fifth in their section qualify directly. The other six runners-up will play off for the remaing three finals slots.

(UEFA)