Euro 2024 qualifying draw: All you need to know
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The draw for the qualifying phase of Euro 2024 takes place on Sunday, Oct. 9. Here’s everything you need to know ahead of the event.
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The draw will be held at the Markthalle in Frankfurt, Germany on Oct. 9 at 11 a.m. BST / 6 a.m. ET.
The technical part of the draw is expected to take 40 minutes to complete.
The teams are divided into seven pots based upon the final positions in the 2022-23 UEFA Nations League (UNL) group stage.
The four top-ranked countries are the UNL Pot, with the next six in Pot 1. The UNL Pot exists because these countries must be drawn into a group of five countries to have the June international dates free for the UEFA Nations League finals; they will be drawn into Groups A-D.
The other pots all have 10 teams, other than Pot 6 which contains the three lowest-ranked countries.
UNL POT
Netherlands
Croatia
Spain
Italy
POT 1
Denmark
Portugal
Belgium
Hungary
Switzerland
Poland
POT 2
France
Austria
Czech Republic
England
Wales
Israel
Bosnia and Herzegovina
Serbia
Scotland
Finland
POT 3
Ukraine
Iceland
Norway
Slovenia
Republic of Ireland
Albania
Montenegro
Romania
Sweden
Armenia
POT 4
Georgia
Greece
Turkey
Kazakhstan
Luxembourg
Azerbaijan
Kosovo
Bulgaria
Faroe Islands
North Macedonia
POT 5
Slovakia
Northern Ireland
Cyprus
Belarus
Lithuania
Gibraltar
Estonia
Latvia
Moldova
Malta
POT 6
Andorra
Liechtenstein
San Marino
Germany do not have to qualify as they are the host nation.
Russia are still banned from international competition by UEFA due to the invasion of Ukraine.
There will be one country from each pot (though consider the UNL Pot and Pot 1 to be one of 10 teams.)
So, you could have a group containing Spain, England, Republic of Ireland, Azerbaijan and Malta.
– The draw starts with the UNL Pot, drawing the four countries in Groups A-D. Pot 1 teams are then assigned into Groups E to J.
– The draw then continues from Pot 2 to Pot 6. Each pot is emptied entirely before proceeding to the next pot.
– Teams drawn are allocated in alphabetical order from Group A to Group J unless there is a restriction on the draw.
– The three Pot 6 teams will be allocated to Groups H, I and J to create groups of six.
Other than the UEFA Nations League finalists needing to be in Groups A through to D, there are:
– Winter venue restriction: Only two of Belarus, Estonia, Faroe Islands, Finland, Iceland, Latvia, Lithuania and Norway can be in the same group.
– Prohibited team clashes: Armenia / Azerbaijan – Belarus / Ukraine – Gibraltar / Spain – Kosovo / Bosnia-Herzegovina – Kosovo / Serbia
– Excessive travel restrictions: Kazakhstan, Iceland and Azerbaijan have a series of specific draw conditions to prevent more than two teams being in one group.
There will be 24 teams at Euro 2024.
Hosts Germany will be joined by the winners and the runners-up from each of the 10 groups.
The final three places will be decided by playoffs.
The playoffs will be created using the final positions in the UEFA Nations League group stage.
There will three playoff paths, one each for UEFA Nations Leagues A, B and C.
The group winners are guaranteed a playoff, should they not qualify automatically. They are:
League A
Netherlands
Croatia
Spain
Italy
League B
Israel
Bosnia and Herzegovina
Serbia
Scotland
League C
Georgia
Greece
Turkey
Kazakhstan
If one of the group winners qualifies automatically, the best-ranked team which requires a playoff in that league path will take the place.
If a league path cannot be filled (for instance if 13 countries qualify from League A automatically), then Estonia (best ranked in League D) will slot into that path. If more than one place has to be filled, after Estonia it reverts to overall rank in the next league.
The group stage will take place in the five international windows of March, June, September, October and November 2023. The playoffs will be held in March 2024 ahead of the finals between Friday, June 14 and Sunday, July 14, 2024.
The 31 countries in the five-team Groups A to G who are not in the UEFA Nations League finals will have two free dates for friendlies in 2023.