They then head to Lyon to face Ukraine on June 16 before finishing their Group C campaign against world champions Germany at the Parc de Princes in Paris on June 21.
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A tough draw has seen Ireland end up in Group E with Belgium, Sweden and old foes Italy, so here’s all you need to know about the teams standing in the way of Martin O’Neill’s men and immortality.
Cristiano Ronaldo’s Portugal will take on Iceland, Austria and Hungary in Group F.
The group winners, runners up and the best third placed team among all groups advanced to the tournament automatically, while the remaining eight third placed teams played in a playoff round. Since then only a quarter-final appearance in 2004 is what they’ve had to show, alongside a handful of group stage fixtures in 2000, 2008 and 2012.
“Russia too is a team I have met in my coaching career, but they qualified well and are a threat”.
The draw ceremony for the biggest European Championship in history featured can-can dancers and applause from the delegates in the audience when images appeared on screen of banned UEFA president Michel Platini.
Wales drew 0-0 in Moscow, before falling 1-0 at home – one of their infamous qualification near misses.
Hodgson has enjoyed Wales’ development during the last two years and believes the program has established a strong unit around key players Ashley Williams, Aaron Ramsey and Gareth Bale. “As for Russian Federation, we played them a year ago, they have a good defence which has played a long time together”.
“We have a lot of respect for Wales and the others as well”.
‘It will give the Press a lot more trees to chop down but it doesn’t really change things for me or Chris Coleman. “And so we must succeed in making these Euros the best, most powerful response of global solidarity, going against everything that Daesh represents in the world today”, he said. “It will be a great game”.
“We hope we can do better, definitely than we did in 2014 (at the World Cup)”, he added, referring to England’s dismal group-stage exit when they finished with just a single point from three matches. “It’s a tough group but we expected that”, he said.
England striker Harry Kane struck a similar note, posting a picture of England’s group on Twitter and asking his followers: “Who’s looking forward to the summer already?”
And defending champions Spain have been drawn in a potentially tricky Group D with Croatia, Turkey and the Czech Republic.
France, who won Euro 1984 and the 1998 World Cup on home soil, kick off against Romania on June 10 before meeting Albania in Marseille five days later and Switzerland in Lille on June 19.
Before the draw the Football Association chairman, Greg Dyke, who made a throat-slitting gesture that ended up being prescient before a disappointing World Cup in Brazil, backed England to win the tournament.
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Note: Tournament being played in France from June 10-July 10, 2016.
