No. 1 The VIP Lounge includes three hours of unlimited food and drink for Dhs399…

What was 24, is now a group of 16 European national teams duking it out to take home one of world football’s most fiercely fought-for trophies.

It means we say a sad goodbye to some teams though – the brave squads of Poland, Scotland, Albania, Serbia, Croatia, Ukraine, Czechia and Hungry will all be making their way home, presumably to cheer on anyone that isn’t England.

Let’s not be sad about what we’ve lost, we should be celebrating what we have gained. We’ve been treated to some incredible footballing moments so far – group-topping Albania scoring the fastest goal in Euros history (23 seconds against Italy); the queue of pitch invaders lining up for Ronaldo selfies; Arda Guler AKA the Turkish Messi’s wonder strike against Georgia; Harry Kane exploring a career change to defensive midfielder; the deadlock of Group E – Romania, Slovakia, Belgium and Ukraine all finishing on equal points; an insane quantity of stoppage goals; and the Golden Boot looking destined for the feet of the talented young net-predator, Own Goal.

As we enter the thrilling knockout stages, a frontrunner for tournament glory still feels impossible to pick out, a clear winner of where to watch the games though, has already emerged.

Fan service

The Coca-Cola Fanzone by McGettigan’s at the Agenda in Media City is the shiny sticker in the pack, the city’s top scorer with what is probably Dubai’s biggest football-dedicated screen; a main bar that is so impossibly long, you can score your drinks in less time than it takes Lewandowski to take a penalty; and yes, there is an entry charge (from Dhs100) but you get the full amount back to spend on the reasonably priced, varied selection of drinks; or if you opt for the VIP Lounge option you get three hours of food and drink for Dhs399 (Last 16 and Quarter Final rate).

Snack support comes off the bench strong with solid performances from Bonbird, Pickl and Freedom Pizza; there’s a raised VIP picnic table section (Dhs1,500 for six, fully redeemable); big match Fanzone atmosphere you won’t find anywhere else in Dubai; there’s a 5pm to 8pm happy hour in ‘The Boot Room’ with drinks from Dhs35; and then there are the activations, offering fans the opportunity to meet real football legends.

It’s a knock out

But what are those round of 16 clashes and when are they taking place?

The next few matches will line up like this…

Switzerland vs Italy (8pm June 29)
Germany vs Denmark (11pm June 29)
England vs Slovakia (8pm June 30)
Spain vs Georgia (11pm June 30)
France vs Belgium (8pm July 1)
Portugal vs Slovenia (11pm July 1)
Romania vs Netherlands (8pm July 2)
Austria vs Türkiye (11pm July 2)

If your team is in, make sure you get behind them. If your team is out, pick a new one – and come along to cheer them on.

On The Agenda for today

Tickets for the Last 16 and Quarter Finals are Dhs100 fully redeemable
The Deck picnic tables for six are Dhs1,500 fully redeemable
The Deck barrel tables for four are Dhs1,000 fully redeemable
VIP Lounge package is Dhs399 including three hours of unlimited food and drinks

Coca-Cola Fanzone by McGettigan’s, The Agenda, Media City, from 5pm on match days. mcgettigans.com/fanzone

Images: Provided