At this summer’s tournament, Euro 2020 captains will exchange pennants before kick-off in all 51 matches.
This is a long-held tradition in international football, and is also seen ahead of significant matches at club level.
The pennants usually feature the crest of the national team in question, although sometimes national flags are used instead.
The exchange of pennants is intended as a symbol of friendship and mark of respect between the two captains and the countries they represent.
All 24 nations taking part at Euro 2020 will bring along at least seven pennants due to the fact they will play a maximum of seven games.
Opposition pennants are usually kept by the recipient country, with significant ones often displayed at museums.
For example, the ‘People’s Collection’ at the National Football Museum in Manchester houses pennants that were once given to the England national team and English club sides.
The exchange of pennants takes place in the centre-circle, when the captains will also shake hands with each other and with the match officials.
This is also the moment that the referee holds a coin toss to determine which team will kick-off and which end of the pitch each side will occupy in the first half.
This will happen before every game at Euro 2020, starting with the curtain-raiser between Italy and Turkey at the Stadio Olimpico in Rome on June 11.
England, France and Belgium are among the favourites to win Euro 2020, which was pushed back to this year due to the coronavirus pandemic.
Italy, Germany, Spain and Portugal will also hope to be competing in the final at Wembley on July 11.
Portugal are the holders following their Euro 2016 triumph in France, when Fernando Santos’s side overcame the host nation in the final at the Stade de France.
