The UEFA Euro 2020 logo was unveiled on 21 September 2016 at London City Hall by newly elected UEFA President Aleksander Čeferin, alongside Football Association chairman Greg Clarke and Mayor of London Sadiq Khan. The tournament marked the 60th anniversary of the European Championship and was staged across 13 host cities in 13 countries, a format reflected directly in the visual identity. [1]
Design and History
The bridge, described by UEFA as a universal symbol of connection and unity, inspired the logo for the UEFA Euro 2020 brand. The mark features the Henri Delaunay Cup at the centre, surrounded by celebrating fans. The tournament logo connects the bridges of all 13 host cities, with the iconic Tower Bridge taking centre stage in the London host city logo. [1]
UEFA selected Young & Rubicam (Y&R) as the creative agency following an international pitch to develop the brand for UEFA Euro 2020. [2] The logo design focuses on a bridge motif, selected to represent the unity between the 13 host cities in what was described as the first “Euro for Europe”. [3]
Hélder Pombinho, Y&R creative director, explained the concept: “Where bridges become the common denominator that brings host cities together as one.” [3] Pedro Gonzalez, managing director of the branding team at Young & Rubicam, added: “United Citizens of Football was a strong insight that led our creative team to an inspired idea: an inclusive bridge that crosses all of Europe, taking football to the fans.” [2]
Each of the 13 host city logos featured a single iconic bridge from that city, incorporated alongside imagery with monuments, historic buildings and the stadium where matches would take place. [2] The London logo, unveiled first, incorporated Tower Bridge. [3]
Meaning and Symbolism
The logo shows multicoloured fan silhouettes standing either side of the competition’s Henri Delaunay Trophy on a green bridge, representative of the links between the 13 host countries. [4] French media described the mark as representing the stylised Henri-Delaunay trophy surrounded by silhouettes of supporters in multiple colours (blue, turquoise, orange, red, violet), on a curved pitch in the form of a bridge, symbolising the link “between east and west like football”. [5]
UEFA’s marketing director Guy-Laurent Epstein said: “This is a truly festive brand for UEFA EURO 2020 that is based on the power of football to unite and that celebrates the cultural diversity of the host cities.” [2]
Typography and Design
Y&R developed two visual identity systems for the brand: a 2D horizontal bridge system that connects every city landmark to the logo, and an isometric city landscape. These systems were used to build all the elements of the tournament’s visual universe. [6]
The Euro 2020 logo featured the Henri Delaunay Trophy as its centrepiece above the bridge motif. [3] The trophy is named in honour of Henri Delaunay, the first General Secretary of UEFA, who first came up with the idea of a European championship but died before the first competition in 1960. [3]
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