Euro 2016: All you need to know about the France showpiece

Image: England will be aiming for Euro 2016 glory in France next summer

With the qualifying group phase for Euro 2016 over, here's all you need to know about the tournament in France next summer...

Who has automatically qualified?

Hosts France were assured of their place without needing to qualify. They'll be joined by the nine winners and nine runners-up of the qualifying groups: Iceland, Czech Republic, Belgium, Wales, Spain, Slovakia, Germany, Poland, England, Switzerland, Northern Ireland, Romania, Austria, Russia, Italy, Croatia, Portugal and Albania. Turkey have also automatically qualified as the best third-placed team with 18 points.

Image: Turkey have qualified automatically as the best third-placed team

Who is in the play-offs?

The other eight teams to finish third in their groups have progressed to the play-off stage, including Republic of Ireland. They'll be joined in the two-leg knockout phase by Bosnia and Herzegovina, Ukraine, Sweden, Norway, Slovenia, Hungary and Denmark.

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You can see a full explainer of who Republic of Ireland could face in the play-off draw here. The draw takes place on October 18 in Nyon, Switzerland at 10.15am.

When are the play-offs?

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The first legs will be played on November 12, 13 and 14, with the return fixtures coming on November 15, 16 and 17.

The winner will be decided on the aggregate score across the two legs, with away goals and then penalties separating the sides if they are tied at the end of the second leg.

Image: Republic of Ireland are in the play-offs

When is the draw for the finals?

England and the other 23 teams that have reached France 2016 will find out who they will be grouped with next summer on Saturday, December 12, in Paris at 5pm.

Teams will be seeded into four pots and then drawn into six groups of four, with hosts France being joined by holders Spain, Germany, England, Portugal and Belgium as the six top-seeded nations.

The top two in each group plus the four best third-placed countries will then advance to the knockout phase.

When does Euro 2016 take place?

Next summer's showpiece kicks off on June 10, 2016. The group stage will run until June 22, with the round of 16 games between June 25 and 27, quarter-finals between June 30 and July 3, semi-finals July 6-7 and final on July 10.

Image: The Stade de France will host next summer's final

Where will the games take place?

Matches at Euro 2016 will be split across 10 venues in France, with the final being held at the Stade de France.

The other nine venues being used are: Parc des Princes (Paris), Stade Vélodrome (Marseille), Stade des Lumières (Lyon), Stade Pierre-Mauroy (Lille), Matmut Atlantique (Bordeaux), Stadium Municipal (Toulouse), Stade Bollaert-Delelis (Lens), Allianz Riviera (Nice), Stade Geoffroy-Guichard (Saint-Étienne). 

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