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Euro 2024 play-offs: When are they, who’s involved and how many will make it through?

The play-offs are contested by 12 teams.
(Top photo: Mateusz Birecki/NurPhoto via Getty Images)

(Top photo: Mateusz Birecki/NurPhoto via Getty Images)

The Euro 2024 line-up will be complete in March next year when the final three teams qualify through the play-offs.

The nations competing in those play-offs were confirmed this week after the first phase of qualification was completed.

We know 21 of the teams who will be in December’s draw for next summer’s finals, but how will the remaining three slots be filled?

How did teams qualify for the Euro 2024 play-offs?

The play-offs, contested by 12 teams, are a route into the tournament for teams that were unable to finish in the top two places of their qualifying group.

But the sides who will fight it out for the final three places have actually made it as a result of their performances in the 2022-23 Nations League campaign, rather than their efforts in Euro 2024 qualifying.

To guarantee a play-off place, teams in League A, B and C in the Nations League had to win their group. Those teams were:

  • League A: Croatia, Italy, Netherlands, Spain
  • League B: Bosnia and Herzegovina, Israel, Scotland, Serbia
  • League C: Georgia, Greece, Kazakhstan, Turkey

Some of those nations were able to go one better and finish in the top two places of their qualification groups, meaning their play-off berths have been passed on to the next-best ranked teams. This is where it gets a little bit confusing, so stay with me…

Based on their Nations League performances, teams were ranked in League A, B and C, with group winners at the top.
 

LEAGUE A LEAGUE B LEAGUE C LEAGUE D
1. Spain 17. Israel 33. Georgia 49. Estonia
2. Croatia 18. Bosnia & Herzegovina 34. Greece 50. Latvia
3. Italy 19. Serbia 35. Turkey 51. Moldova
4. Netherlands 20. Scotland 36. Kazakhstan 52. Malta
5. Denmark 21. Finland 37. Luxembourg 53. Andorra
6. Portugal 22. Ukraine 38. Azerbaijan 54. San Marino
7. Belgium 23. Iceland 39. Kosovo 55. Leichtenstein
8. Hungary 24. Norway 40. Bulgaria  
9. Switzerland 25. Slovenia 41. Faroe Islands  
10. Germany 26. Republic of Ireland 42. North Macedonia  
11. Poland 27. Albania 43. Slovakia  
12. France 28. Montenegro 44. Northern Ireland  
13. Austria 29. Romania 45. Cyprus  
14. Czech Republic 30. Sweden 46. Belarus  
15. England 31. Armenia 47. Lithuania  
16. Wales 32. Russia 48. Gibraltar  


For example, England won just three points from their six Nations League games, so found themselves 15th in League A. The one worse team was Wales, who only managed to earn a single point, sending them to the bottom of League A.

Meanwhile, Denmark picked up 12 points — the most outside of the group winners — so were ranked fifth. That meant that if any of the group winners earned a spot at Euro 2024 through their qualifying, the Danes would effectively be the first reserve for a play-off place.
 

Denmark qualified for Euro 2024 by winning Group H (Photo: Liselotte Sabroe/Ritzau Scanpix/AFP via Getty Images)
Denmark qualified for Euro 2024 by winning Group H (Photo: Liselotte Sabroe/Ritzau Scanpix/AFP via Getty Images)

 

As they qualified directly, that berth got passed further down League A. That process continued until there was an eligible team that had not qualified directly. In this case, it was Poland, who finished beneath Albania and Czech Republic in Group E of qualifying.

The same process took place in League B and C, where the four Nations League group winners were guaranteed a play-off place. Scotland, one of those group winners, were the first team from League B to qualify for Euro 2024, which meant their play-off place was passed down.

In League C, Turkey’s qualification gave Luxembourg, ranked 87th in FIFA’s rankings, the opportunity to compete in the play-offs.

Which teams are in the play-offs?

Once some play-off berths had been passed down, these were the beneficiaries:

  • Path A: Poland, Wales, Finland, Estonia
  • Path B: Israel, Bosnia & Herzegovina, Iceland, Ukraine
  • Path C: Georgia, Greece, Kazakhstan, Luxembourg

What is the format and when are they?

Nine of the 12 teams that made it into the play-offs were given places in Paths A, B and C.

That left Finland, Ukraine and Iceland to be drawn into the last three places; one in Path A and two in Path B.

It means each of the three paths are now made up of four teams. In each path, there will be a one-legged semi-final and the winners of those will meet in the final a few days later.

In one of those semi-finals, the first-ranked team will host the fourth-ranked team and, in the other, the second-ranked team will host the third-ranked team. That leaves the following semi-finals:

Path A

  • Poland vs Estonia
  • Wales vs Finland

Path B

  • Israel vs Iceland
  • Bosnia & Herzegovina vs Ukraine

Path C

  • Georgia vs Luxembourg
  • Greece vs Kazakhstan

The winners of the three finals will secure a place at next summer’s tournament. There was another draw that decided the host nation for each of the finals.

The hosts of the final in each path will be:

  • Path A: Wales or Finland
  • Path B: Bosnia & Herzegovina or Ukraine
  • Path C: Georgia or Luxembourg

The six semi-finals will be played on Thursday, March 21, 2024. The three finals will then be played on Tuesday, March 26, 2024.

In each play-off match, a 30-minute period of extra time will be played if the scores are level at normal time and if the scores remain tied, a penalty shootout will follow.

And which teams will they be joining in Germany?

Here are the 21 teams that have already guaranteed a place at Euro 2024, separated into the pots from which they will be drawn:

  • Pot 1: Germany, Portugal, France, Spain, Belgium, England
  • Pot 2: Hungary, Turkey, Romania, Denmark, Albania, Austria
  • Pot 3: Netherlands, Scotland, Croatia, Slovenia, Slovakia, Czech Republic
  • Pot 4: Italy, Serbia, Switzerland, Play-off A winner, Play-off B winner, Play-off C winner

The main draw for next summer’s finals takes place on Saturday, December 2.

 

Author: Editors Desk

Source: N.Y Times

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