We're into the final seven matches of Euro 2020 (which by now you understand is taking place in 2021 because 2020 was quite the decade). And while single one of the four quarterfinal matches is a big one, there is perhaps none bigger than the final contest in the quartet — Ukraine vs. England.
England is considered to the birthplace of Association Football. But it's never made it to the final of the UEFA European Championship. It's made it to the semifinals twice — in 1968 and as host in 1996. But it's never played in the final match. Ukraine, meanwhile, has only played in three Euros as a sovereign nation, and it failed to get out of the group stage in 2012 and 2016. (Those of you who remember your grade-school civics will recall that it was part of the Commonwealth of Independent States in 1992, and before that as part of the Soviet Union. For what it's worth, the USSR did pretty well in the Euros, winning the whole thing in 1960, and notching three second-place finishes before the fall of Communism.)
History doesn't dictate future performance in football, but good luck telling that to England. Or any team, for that matter. Every match is huge. And that brings us back to this July 3 quarterfinal, which is scheduled for 9 p.m. local time — that's 3 p.m. U.S. time — at Stadio Olimpico in Rome.
The Three Lions hold a commanding lead in the two teams' previous seven meetings, with four victories, a pair of draws, and just a single loss. And they've outscored their Eastern European competition 9-3 in the process. England and Ukraine haven't played each other since the qualifying rounds ahead of the 2014 World Cup. Their two most recent matches (in September 2012 and again a year later) both ended in draws. England eked out a 1-0 win in the Euro 2012 group stage thanks to a goal from Wayne Rooney, and they split a pair of matches in the run-up to the 2010 World Cup.
In other words, we have no idea who's going to win this one. But the betting markets are putting their money on the Brits, with Ukraine having the worst odds. So choose wisely.
How to watch England vs. Ukraine in the United States
Saturday's match between England and Ukraine is the only quarterfinal to be broadcast on ABC in the United States. (The others all are on ESPN.)
ABC, of course, is a broadcast channel, meaning that you can get it on any cable or satellite hookup, and on most streaming services, which includes FuboTV, YouTube TV, and Hulu With Live TV.
You also can watch your local ABC affiliate for free with the help of an over-the-air antenna. You'll just want to make sure that it's placed as high as possible, and is facing the direction of that affiliate's broadcast location. And after that, it's free streaming all day, every day.
While the primary game feed isn't on ESPN+, the dedicated streaming service will have an alternate broadcast available. The two semifinal matches and the Euro 2020 final all will be streamed on ESPN+.
How to watch England vs. Ukraine in the UK
The easiest way to watch the remaining matches in Euro 2020 if you're in the UK is on BBC iPlayer or ITV Hub. And what's more is that you can watch both of those live and for free. Saturday's match between England and Ukraine is being shown live on BBC1 with coverage starting at 7pm. Kick-off is 8pm [BST].
Euro 2020 quarterfinals
Here are the dates and time for the quarterfinal matches. All times are Eastern.
- Friday, July 2: Switzerland 1, Spain 1; Spain wins on penalties
- Friday: July 2: Italy 2, Belgium 1
- Saturday, July 3: Czech Republic vs. Denmark, noon, ESPN
- Saturday: July 3: Ukraine vs. England, 3 p.m., ABC
Spain and Italy won their quarterfinals and will meet on Tuesday, July 6, in the first semifinal match. That game is scheduled for 3 p.m. on ESPN. The winners of the July 3 quarterfinals will meet on Wednesday, July 7, at 3 p.m.
The Euro 2020 final is scheduled for 3 p.m. Eastern time on Sunday, July 11.
The Euro 2020 semifinals and final match will all be shows on ESPN, and also will be available on ESPN+.
