September 20, 2022, 1:57 PM UTC
[AP] -- The 13 European national teams going to this year’s World Cup will play their last competitive soccer games in the Nations League this week, two months before the tournament starts in Qatar.
For the rest of continent’s teams — with the exception of Russia, which has been suspended because of the war in Ukraine — next week’s final Nations League standings will decide the playoff path some will need to qualify for the 2024 European Championship.
Luke Brown
October 9, 2022 at 7:31 AM EDT
England have been drawn in the same group as Italy in qualifying for Euro 2024 in Germany, while Scotland will take on Spain.
Follow all the reaction below.
- 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, Lichtenstein
[Photo: Getty Images]
October 9, 2022 at 6:51 AM EDT
The games
Teams will begin the Euro 2024 qualifying campaign just three months after the 2022 World Cup final.
Qualifying runs from March to November 2023, before the line-up is completed after the play-offs in March 2024.
Matchday 1: March 23-25, 2023
Matchday 2: March 26-28, 2023
Matchday 3: June 16-17, 2023
Matchday 4: June 19-20, 2023
Matchday 5: September 7-9, 2023
Matchday 6: September 10-12, 2023
Matchday 7: October 12-14, 2023
Matchday 8: October 15-17, 2023
Matchday 9: November 16-18, 2023
Matchday 10: November 19-21
Luke Brown·
Managing Editor, News
October 9, 2022 at 6:50 AM EDT
Standout groups
Three immediately jump out to me: Groups A, B and C.
It's not an especially easy draw for England, particularly given their recent struggles in the Nations League.
Luke Brown·
Managing Editor, News
October 9, 2022 at 6:47 AM EDT
And that's that!
The draw ceremony comes to a close.
Stick with us as we bring you some live reaction to today's Euro 2024 qualification draw.
Luke Brown·
Managing Editor, News
October 9, 2022 at 6:45 AM EDT
Pot 6
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, Lichtenstein
Luke Brown·
Managing Editor, News
October 9, 2022 at 6:44 AM EDT
Pot 5
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
Luke Brown·
Managing Editor, News
October 9, 2022 at 6:41 AM EDT
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
Luke Brown·
Managing Editor, News
October 9, 2022 at 6:36 AM EDT
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
Luke Brown·
Managing Editor, News
October 9, 2022 at 6:32 AM EDT
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
Luke Brown·
Managing Editor, News
October 9, 2022 at 6:28 AM EDT
Pot 1
Group E: Poland
Group F: Belgium
Group G: Hungary
Group H: Denmark
Group I: Switzerland
Group J: Portugal
Luke Brown·
Managing Editor, News
October 9, 2022 at 6:27 AM EDT
UNL pot
Group A: Spain
Group B: Netherlands
Group C: Italy
Group D: Croatia
Luke Brown·
Managing Editor, News
October 9, 2022 at 6:25 AM EDT
We start with the big boys
Teams from pot one and the Nations League pot will be drawn first.
Luke Brown·
Managing Editor, News
October 9, 2022 at 6:24 AM EDT
There are some restrictions, too
This is a UEFA draw so of course it’s not as simple as drawing a series of numbered balls out of a big hat…
For political reasons, Armenia and Azerbaijan will be kept apart in the draw today, as will Belarus and Ukraine and Gibraltar and Spain.
Also: Kosovo cannot be in a group with Bosnia-Herzegovina or Serbia.
Only two Nordic or Baltic countries can be drawn together because of potentially treacherous winter weather conditions, meanwhile.
Luke Brown·
Managing Editor, News
October 9, 2022 at 6:23 AM EDT
UEFA is currently running through the draw rules
Teams will begin the Euro 2024 qualifying campaign just three months after the 2022 World Cup final.
Qualifying runs from March to November 2023, before the line-up is completed after the play-offs in March 2024.
- Matchday 1: March 23-25, 2023
- Matchday 2: March 26-28, 2023
- Matchday 3: June 16-17, 2023
- Matchday 4: June 19-20, 2023
- Matchday 5: September 7-9, 2023
- Matchday 6: September 10-12, 2023
- Matchday 7: October 12-14, 2023
- Matchday 8: October 15-17, 2023
- Matchday 9: November 16-18, 2023
- Matchday 10: November 19-21
Luke Brown·
Managing Editor, News
October 9, 2022 at 6:20 AM EDT
This is taking an age, as expected
So a quick reminder of the pots before we get underway.
Nations League pot [top seeds that have to go in smaller groups]: Netherlands, Croatia, Spain, Italy.
Pot 1 [the other top seeds]: 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, Kosovo, Bulgaria, Faroe Islands, North Macedonia.
Pot 5: Slovakia, Northern Ireland, Cyprus, Belarus, Lithuania, Gibraltar, Estonia, Latvia, Moldova, Malta.
Pot 6: Andorra, San Marino, Liechtenstein.
Luke Brown·
Managing Editor, News
October 9, 2022 at 6:19 AM EDT
The legends on stage
A number of European football legends are up on stage to conduct the draw.
Former Italy stars Gianluca Zambrotta and Demetrio Albertini are joined by home favourites Jurgen Klinsmann and Karl-Heinz Riedle.
Luke Brown·
Managing Editor, News
October 9, 2022 at 6:14 AM EDT
Look who it is
Gareth Southgate has arrived.
Luke Brown·
Managing Editor, News
October 9, 2022 at 6:07 AM EDT
And now some highlights from Euro 2020...
... no sight of the below so far, however.
Luke Brown·
Managing Editor, News
October 9, 2022 at 6:06 AM EDT
The show starts
So apparently that was Lena performing Looking for Love.
Hansi Flick looks as though he enjoyed it at least.
Luke Brown·
Managing Editor, News
October 9, 2022 at 6:04 AM EDT
Here we go
Pedro Pinto welcomes everybody to today's draw and we go straight to a performance from the checks notes German winner of the 2010 Eurovision Song Contest.
Excellent.
Luke Brown·
Managing Editor, News
October 9, 2022 at 5:57 AM EDT
Your 5 minute warning
A reminder: get in touch with us by tweeting @TheAthleticUK or emailing [email protected]
Luke Brown·
Managing Editor, News