Finalists at Euro 2020, pre-tournament favourites England will be aiming to go one better than they did three years ago, as the Three Lions begin their bid for Euro 2024 glory against Group C foes Serbia at the Veltins-Arena on Sunday night.
England enjoyed a successful run in Euro 2024 qualifying Group C and even got a chance to take revenge on Italy, who had previously defeated them on penalties in the European Championship final at Wembley.
Despite an unbeaten campaign, England produced two draws against Ukraine and North Macedonia away from home, while they also produced a lacklustre performance in the 1-0 defeat to a backs-against-the-wall Iceland heading into this tournament opener.
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Opponents Serbia are making their first Euros appearance as an independent nation, having featured as Yugoslavia and FR Yugoslavia at five previous editions, finishing as runners-up in 1960 and 1968.
Led by head coach Dragan Stojkovic, the Eagles enjoyed a mixed bag of qualifying results with just four wins from their eight games, but their 14-point tally was enough for a second-place finish behind Hungary.
Here, GOAL brings you everything you need to know about how to watch, including TV channel, streaming details and more.
Serbia vs England kick-off time
| Date: | Sunday, June 16, 2024 |
| Kick-off time: | 8:00 pm BST |
| Venue: | Veltins-Arena |
The 2024 European Championship match between Serbia and England will be played at Veltins-Arena in Gelsenkirchen, North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany.
It will kick off at 8:00 pm BST on Sunday, June 16, 2024, in the United Kingdom (UK).
How to watch Serbia vs England online - TV channels & live streams
In the UK, the European Championship match between Serbia and the England is available to watch and stream online live through BBC One, BBC iPlayer and BBC Sport Website.
Check out GOAL's Live Match Centre for updates.
How to watch anywhere with VPN
If you are abroad, you may need to use a virtual private network (VPN) in order to watch games using your usual streaming service. A VPN, such as NordVPN, allows you to establish a secure connection online when streaming. If you are not sure which VPN to use, check out GOAL's guide to the best VPNs for streaming sport.
Team news & squads
Serbia team news
Serbia have a wealth of experience, boasting nine players in their squad boasting over 40 international caps. They are brimming with recognisable names in the final third, including Juventus hitman Dusan Vlahovic, Ajax cult hero Dusan Tadic and Al-Hilal pairing Sergej Milinkovic-Savic and Aleksandar Mitrovic, while Luka Jovic has regained his form after a few difficult years. The current number-one goalkeeper is Torino's Vanja Milinkovic-Savic, who faces competition from Djorde Petrovic, especially following standout performances when slotting in for Robert Sanchez at Chelsea.
Serbia possible XI: V. Milinkovic-Savic; Veljkovic, Milenkovic, Pavlovic; Zivkovic, Maksimovic, Lukic, Kostic; S. Milinkovic-Savic, Tadic; Mitrovic.
| Position | Players |
|---|---|
| Goalkeepers: | Milinkovic-Savic, Petrovic, Rajkovic |
| Defenders: | Pavlovic, Milenkovic, Babic, Veljkovic, Spajic, Stojic |
| Midfielders: | Lukic, Gudelj, Maksimovic, Ilic, Mijailovic, Milinkovic-Savic, Tadic, Samardzic, Birmancevic, Kostic, Zivkovic, Mladenovic, Gacinovic |
| Forwards: | Mitrovic, Vlahovic, Jovic, Ratkov |
England team news
If they are to break the curse and lift the trophy, England will certainly need Harry Kane to produce the goods in his new adopted surroundings after he saw a 44-goal debut season with Bayern Munich go unrewarded in terms of silverware.
Kane is among the tournament's most reliable goalscorers and will fancy his chances of a Golden Boot push, particularly with supply coming from the likes of Jude Bellingham, Phil Foden and Bukayo Saka.
However, head coach Gareth Southgate has a few issues to address elsewhere. Although key defender John Stones appears to have avoided an illness scare, Harry Maguire was dropped from the squad due to a calf injury, and with Luke Shaw still recovering from a hamstring issue, Southgate will be forced to field an unfamiliar face in Crystal Palace's Marc Guehi in central defence on Sunday.
The second major question mark concerns Declan Rice’s midfield partner. Kobbie Mainoo looked to be the frontrunner at the end of the season, but reports now suggest Liverpool's Trent Alexander-Arnold – who will don the number eight shirt – is poised to start as first choice.
England possible XI: Pickford; Walker, Stones, Guehi, Trippier; Alexander-Arnold, Rice; Saka, Bellingham, Foden; Kane.
| Position | Players |
|---|---|
| Goalkeepers: | Henderson, Pickford, Ramsdale |
| Defenders: | Dunk, Gomez, Guehi, Konsa, Shaw, Stones, Trippier, Walker |
| Midfielders: | Alexander-Arnold, Gallagher, Mainoo, Rice, Wharton |
| Forwards: | Bellingham, Bowen, Eze, Foden, Gordon, Kane, Palmer, Saka, Toney, Watkins |
Head-to-Head Record
This will be the first encounter between these two nations in all competitions. England are heavy favourites to rise to the occasion and put three points in the bag in their Euro 2024 opener against Serbia.