Euro 2020: how qualifying works, who plays who, and when
From the qualifying groups and the playoffs, to the fixture schedule and the stadiums used in the finals, our guide to Euro 2020 qualifying and the finals.
Thursday 21 March 2019 saw the qualification matches for the 2020 European Championships kick off in earnest. It was the start of a 16-month journey that will decide which 24 nations will be represented at the continent's showpiece tournament, culminating in a winner being crowned Portugal's successors. The final will be played at London's iconic Wembley stadium on 12 July 2020, however, the rest of the matches will be contested across 12 countries, part of a celebration of 60 years since the competition began.
How do teams qualify for Euro 2020?
Ten groups were created, each with either five or six teams from the total of 55 involved. teams were split into ten groups of five or six. Four of the five groups of five contain one team that has qualified for the UEFA Nations League finals (to be played June 2019). The top two from each group will qualify for the final tournament, determining the first 20 places.
Play-offs (4 teams qualify)
The last four places will be won through the European Qualifiers play-offs, which will be contested by the 16 UEFA Nations League group winners (i.e. the four group winners in each of the four divisions).
Each league will have a path of its own and each path will feature two single-leg semi-finals and one single-leg final, drawn on 22 November 2019, played in single venues from 26–31 March 2020. The winner of each path will win a ticket to UEFA EURO 2020.
If a UEFA Nations League group winner has already qualified via the European Qualifiers, then their spot will go to the next best-ranked team in their league. If a league does not have four teams to compete, the remaining slots are allocated to teams from another league, according to the overall UEFA Nations League rankings.
What are the qualification groups for Euro 2020?
The draw for the qualifying groups was made in Dublin, Ireland in December 2018:
Group A: England, Czech Republic, Bulgaria, Montenegro, Kosovo
Group B: Portugal, Ukraine, Serbia, Lithuania, Luxembourg
Group C: Netherlands, Germany, Northern Ireland, Estonia, Belarus
Group D: Switzerland, Denmark, Republic of Ireland, Georgia, Gibraltar
Group E: Croatia, Wales, Slovakia, Hungary, Azerbaijan
Group F: Spain, Sweden, Norway, Romania, Faroe Islands, Malta
Group G: Poland, Austria, Israel, Slovenia, FYR Macedonia, Latvia
Group H: France, Iceland, Turkey, Albania, Moldova, Andorra
Group I: Belgium, Russia, Scotland, Cyprus, Kazakhstan, San Marino
Group J: Italy, Bosnia & Herzegovina, Finland, Greece, Armenia, Liechtenstein
What are Spain's qualifying fixtures for Euro 2020?
Spain-Norway – Saturday 23 March – Mestalla (Valencia)
Malta-Spain– Tuesday 26 March – Ta' Qali (Malta)
Faroe Islands-Spain – Friday 7 June – Torshavn (Faroe Islands)
Spain-Sweden– Monday 10 June – Santiago Bernabéu (Madrid)
Romania-Spain – Thursday 5 September (tbc)
Spain-Faroe Islands – Sunday 8 September – El Molinón (Gijón)
Norway-Spain– Saturday 12 October (tbc)
Sweden-Spain– Tuesday 15 October (tbc)
Spain-Malta – Friday 15 November – Ramón de Carranza (Cádiz)
Spain-Romania – Monday 18 November – Wanda Metropolitano (Madrid)
When is the draw for the Euro 2020 finals group stage?
The teams who make it to the Euro 2020 finals will find out their group stage opponents at the draw on Saturday 30 November 2019, in Bucharest, Romania. As there is no single host country, there will be no automatic qualification for any nation.
Group A: Italy (Olimpico in Rome), Azerbaijan (Olympic Stadium, Baku)
Group B: Russia (Saint Petersburg Stadium), Denmark (Parken Stadium, Copenhagen)
Group C: Netherlands (Johan Cruijff ArenA, Amsterdam), Romania (National Arena, Bucharest)
Group D: England (Wembley Stadium, London), Scotland (Hampden Park, Glasgow)
Group E: Spain (Estadio de San Mamés, Bilbao), Republic of Ireland (Dublin Arena)
Group F: Germany (Fußball Arena München), Hungary (Ferenc Puskás Stadium, Budapest)
What are the stadiums being used for the Euro 2020 finals?
Games will be played from 12 June until 12 July 2020 in the following 12 stadium:
Three group games, one round of 16 game
Amsterdam, Netherlands: Johan Cruijff ArenA
Bilbao, Spain: Estadio de San Mamés
Bucharest, Romania: National Arena
Budapest, Hungary: Ferenc Puskás Stadium
Copenhagen, Denmark: Parken Stadium
Dublin, Republic of Ireland: Dublin Arena
Glasgow, Scotland: Hampden Park
London, England: Wembley Stadium
Three group games, one quarter-final
Baku, Azerbaijan: Olympic Stadium
Munich, Germany: Fußball Arena München
Rome, Italy: Olimpico in Rome
Saint Petersburg, Russia: Saint Petersburg Stadium
Final and semi-finals
London, England: Wembley Stadium