UEFA Euro 2012 in October 2011, the nine group winners qualified automatically, along with the highest ranked second placed team. The remaining eight-second placed teams contested two-legged play-offs, and the four winners qualified for the finals. Twelve of the sixteen finalists participated at the previous tournament in 2008. England and Denmark made their return to the Euro, having last participated in 2004, while Republic of Ireland returned after a twenty-four-year absence to make their second appearance at a European Championship. One of the co-hosts, Ukraine, made their debut as an independent nation (before 1992 Ukraine participated as part of the Soviet Union). With
UEFA Euro 2012 knockout phase since UEFA Euro 1984, there was no third place play-off. The top two placed teams from each of the four groups qualified for the knockout stage. <section begin=bracket /><section end=bracket /> <section begin=qf1 /><section end=qf1 /> <section begin=qf2 /><section end=qf2 /> <section begin=qf3 /><section end=qf3 /> <section begin=qf4 /><section end=qf4 /> <section begin=sf1 /><section end=sf1 /> <section begin=sf2 /><section end=sf2 /> UEFA Euro 2012 knockout phase The knockout phase of UEFA Euro 2012 began with the quarter-finals on 21 June 2012, and was completed on 1 July 2012 with the final at the Olympic Stadium in Kiev, won by Spain