Euro 2024 draw: qualified teams, pots, formats and when it is

The qualifying phase for the 2024 European Championships is over, and only the playoffs remain to complete the final list of participants for next summer’s tournament. All teams that were able to secure direct qualification have been determined following Croatia’s ticket being secured.

Euro 2024 qualified teams and pots

With the teams entering through the playoffs slated for Pot 4, the remaining pots for the 2 December draw have been configured. The pot of top seeds are Germany (host), Spain, France, Portugal, England and Belgium. These sides can breathe a sigh of relief that they’ll not have to face each other... but some potential banana skins, as always, lay beneath the top seeds.

The most obvious danger is Italy, the defending champions, who will start from Pot 4 and pose a significant threat to all. Serbia and Switzerland will also be in that pot and are expected to be serious competitors.

In Pot 2, the main risk is likely to come from Denmark, who reached the semifinals of the last Euros. Croatia and the Netherlands, meanwhile, are the major threats in Pot 3. Despite their struggles in qualification, the Croatians finished third in the last World Cup, while the Dutch, with their history and quality players, are considered formidable opponents, despite facing more challenges under Koeman than they did under Van Gaal. It’s also worth remembering that a much more solid Scottish team pushed Spain all the way during the group stage and will want to, for once, shine at a tournament finals.

Undoubtedly, the worst scenario for any of the top-seeded teams is getting a difficult opponent from each pot, you know, being dropped into the popularly named Group of Death. Therefore, a group with Denmark, the Netherlands, and Italy would be a true challenge for any of the top seeds. On the contrary, a much easier draw could include more manageable teams, potentially, Albania, Slovakia, and the weakest from the playoffs. So may permutations await us in the December draw.

How were the draw pots determined?

Germany, as the host nation, is placed in Pot 1 and automatically slotted into Group A as Team A1. As stated above, the three winners of the play-offs are designated to Pot 4.

The remaining 20 participants are assigned to pots based on their performance in the qualifying group stage. The criteria for seedings, as outlined in Article 23 of the official regulations, are determined by the following factors (with results against teams in sixth place disregarded):

a) Final position in the group b) Total points c) Goal difference d) Goals scored e) Away goals scored f) Number of wins g) Number of away wins h) Lower disciplinary points total (3 points for a red card, including a second booking; 1 point for a single yellow card for a player in a match) i) Position in the overall UEFA Nations League rankings

When are the Euro 2024 playoffs?

12 teams have qualified for the playoffs and have been split into three paths of four teams. In each path, there will be two single-leg semi-finals on Tuesday 21 March, with the winners progressing to a one-off final on Sunday 26 March. The three victorious countries will complete Pot 4 and indeed the line-up for Euro 2024.

Who is in the Euro 2024 playoffs?

The draw for the Euro 2024 playoffs took place on Thursday 23 November. The first team named will host each match.

Path A

Path B

Path C

When does Euro 2024 start?

Europe’s elite nations will be represented in the tournament that will run from 14 June to 14 July 2024. Host nation Germany will kick off the tournament at Allianz Arena in Munich

With France, England and Portugal seen by many as the strongest teams in the group stage, the Euros promise intense emotions and a title race as open as that of 2020 when Italy surprised everyone and triumphed at Wembley. Who’s your money on?