Key events
The full Euro 2024 qualifying draw
Group A
Spain, Scotland, Norway, Georgia, Cyprus
Group B
Netherlands, France, Republic of Ireland, Greece, Gibraltar
Group C
Italy, England, Ukraine, North Macedonia, Malta
Group D
Croatia, Wales, Armenia, Turkey, Latvia
Group E
Poland, Czech Republic, Albania, Faroe Islands, Moldova
Group F
Belgium, Austria, Sweden, Azerbaijan, Estonia
Group G
Hungary, Serbia, Montenegro, Bulgaria, Lithuania
Group H
Denmark, Finland, Slovenia, Kazakhstan, Northern Ireland, San Marino
Group I
Switzerland, Israel, Romania, Kosovo, Belarus, Andorra
Group J
Portugal, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Iceland, Luxembourg, Slovakia, Liechtenstein
Pot 5
A decent draw for Northern Ireland, who are in with Denmark, Finland, Slovenia and Kazakhstan.
Group A
Spain, Scotland, Norway, Georgia, Cyprus
Group B
Netherlands, France, Republic of Ireland, Greece, Gibraltar
Group C
Italy, England, Ukraine, North Macedonia, Malta
Group D
Croatia, Wales, Armenia, Turkey, Latvia
Group E
Poland, Czech Republic, Albania, Faroe Islands, Moldova
Group F
Belgium, Austria, Sweden, Azerbaijan, Estonia
Group G
Hungary, Serbia, Montenegro, Bulgaria, Lithuania
Group H
Denmark, Finland, Slovenia, Kazakhstan, Northern Ireland
Group I
Switzerland, Israel, Romania, Kosovo, Belarus
Group J
Portugal, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Iceland, Luxembourg, Slovakia
Pot 4
Group A
Spain, Scotland, Norway, Georgia
Group B
Netherlands, France, Republic of Ireland, Greece
Group C
Italy, England, Ukraine, North Macedonia
Group D
Croatia, Wales, Armenia, Turkey
Group E
Poland, Czech Republic, Albania, Faroe Islands
Group F
Belgium, Austria, Sweden, Azerbaijan,
Group G
Hungary, Serbia, Montenegro, Bulgaria
Group H
Denmark, Finland, Slovenia, Kazakhstan
Group I
Switzerland, Israel, Romania, Kosovo
Group J
Portugal, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Iceland, Luxembourg
Pot 3
Group A
Spain, Scotland, Norway
Group B
Netherlands, France, Republic of Ireland
Group C
Italy, England, Ukraine
Group D
Croatia, Wales, Armenia
Group E
Poland, Czech Republic, Albania
Group F
Belgium, Austria, Sweden
Group G
Hungary, Serbia, Montenegro
Group H
Denmark, Finland, Slovenia
Group I
Switzerland, Israel, Romania
Group J
Portugal, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Iceland
Ireland drawn against Netherlands and France in Euro 2024 qualifiers – horror draw
— Gavin Cooney (@gcooney93) October 9, 2022
England will play against Ukraine; Scotland have been drawn with Norway.
A nightmare draw for the Republic of Ireland. They’re in with France and the Netherlands.
Pot 2
Group A
Spain, Scotland
Group B
Netherlands, France
Group C
Italy, England
Group D
Croatia, Wales
Group E
Poland, Czech Republic
Group F
Belgium, Austria
Group G
Hungary, Serbia
Group H
Denmark, Finland
Group I
Switzerland, Israel
Group J
Portugal, Bosnia and Herzegovina
And Wales are in with Croatia.
England have been paired with Italy. Who doesn’t love a reunion?
Scotland have been drawn with Spain
Nations League Pot/Pot 1
Group A
Spain
Group B
Netherlands
Group C
Italy
Group D
Croatia
Group E
Poland
Group F
Belgium
Group G
Hungary
Group H
Denmark
Group I
Switzerland
Group J
Portugal
It’s almost time for the actual draw. Woo and indeed hoo.
“If you’ll allow me to be the negative to your positive,” says Ian Copestake, “Klinsmann’s time in the UK was a flop … because he single-handedly introduced diving into our football!”
“No list of underrated players is complete without Ian Crook,” says Phil Withall. “Already disadvantaged by playing for Norwich, he was unfortunate to play in a time when England had a plethora of world-class midfielders. The man was a bridesmaid that should have been the bride…”
“I offered to host the draw at my gaff in Frankfurt but the messages were not returned,” weeps Ian Copestake. “I think offering to be Jake the Poacher to their various pots may not have translated well.”
Jurgen Klinsmann and Karl-Heinz Riedle at next on stage, which is a good excuse to remind ourselves what a magnificent striker Klinsmann was.
Gianluca Zambrotta and Demetrio Albertini, who are helping with the draw, have just strolled onto the stage carrying the European Championship trophy. Albertini is a decent contender for The Joy of Six: underrated players.
Now it’s time for a Euro 2020/1 montage. As I type, Paul Pogba has just scored a beauty to put France 3-1 up against Switzerland. They’ll play Spain in the quarter-finals.
The German singer Lena is on stage, singing Looking for Love. I’m not sure I have anything to add to this.
Preamble
Hello and welcome to live coverage of the Euro 2024 qualifying draw in Frankfurt. You know the drill: an interminable preamble – no, not this one – and then a load of balls. Aptly enough, Euro 2024 will have 24 teams (Euro 2072 is going to be a riot), and this is how they will be decided.
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Germany qualify automatically as hosts
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There will be ten groups, seven with five teams and three with six. The top two teams in each group qualify automatically.
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The last three places will be decided through the play-offs, with entry determined by performances in the Nations League.
Uefa Nations League pot (these teams are guaranteed a five-team group)
Netherlands, Croatia, Spain, Italy
Pot 1
Denmark, Portugal, Belgium, Hungary, Switzerland, Poland
Pot 2
France, Austria, Czech Republic, England, Wales, Israel, Bosnia-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, Kosova, Bulgaria, Faroe Islands, North Macedonia
Pot 5
Slovakia, Northern Ireland, Cyprus, Belarus, Lithuania, Gibraltar, Estonia, Latvia, Moldova, Malta
Pot 6
Andorra, San Marino, Liechtenstein