Euro 2024 Playoffs: Who's Claiming the Last Spots?
The European Championship qualifiers have come to a close, leaving 21 of the 24 teams guaranteed spots. But who's fighting for the remaining three? Let's dig into the playoffs and find out!
Nations League Playoffs: Your Ticket to Euro 2024
The UEFA Nations League 2022/23 ranking comes into play for the fight to secure those last European Championship tickets! Three play-off tournaments, starting in March 2024, will determine the winners. Divided into four groups, the three leagues of Nations League A, B, and C will be hosting one tournament each. The group winners from these leagues, excluding those who have already qualified for the tournament, will participate in the play-offs.
The Play-off Format
These play-off tournaments will be decided by a semi-final and a final, both without the need for a second leg. The better-ranked team will have the pleasure of hosting the semi-finals, pitted against the weakest opponent. The second-ranked team will face the third, and the victorious teams in each semi-final will face off in the finals.
Tournaments A and B: Who's In the Race?
Poland and Wales are the two confirmed teams in Tournament A, with one spot left vacant. Challengers include Finland, Ukraine, and Iceland – all stemming from League B. The final representative will be decided by a draw on November 23, 2023.
Tournament B will welcome Bosnia-Herzegovina and Israel, with two additional slots still to be filled. Both spots will belong to a duo from Finland, Ukraine, and Iceland. They'll have to make their way through the draw, happening on November 23, 2023.
What About Tournament C?
Tournament C has already locked its teams in, including Georgia, Greece, Kazakhstan, and Luxembourg.
The Semi-finals So Far
As we eagerly await the draws, here's a glimpse at the potential pairings for the semi-finals:
Tournament A
- Poland vs. Estonia
- Wales vs. Finland/Ukraine/Iceland
Tournament B
- Israel vs. Ukraine/Iceland
- Bosnia-Herzegovina vs. Finland/Ukraine
Tournament C
- Georgia vs. Luxembourg
- Greece vs. Kazakhstan
Once the European Championship groups are drawn on December 2 in Hamburg, the empty slots will be reflected as placeholders. However, we can be certain that the playoff winners will find themselves in pot 4.
The UEFA Nations League playoffs serve as the final leg in the road to Euro 2024, with the three remaining spots up for grabs in thrilling three-way tournaments! Stay tuned as we watch the competition unfold and root for our favorite teams. The race to the European Championship is getting closer, with the fate of these three lucky nations hanging in the balance!
Enrichment Data:
- The teams that have a chance to qualify for Euro 2024 through the UEFA Nations League playoffs are based on their performance in the UEFA Nations League.
- The qualification process is centered around the group winners to the Nations League (League A, B, C, and D), which are determined by each team's UEFA coefficient.
- The UEFA Nations League is divided into 4 leagues based on the teams' UEFA coefficients. League A consists of the top 12 seeded teams.
- The UEFA Nations League playoff structure involves a series of matches in a single-elimination format to determine the final qualifying spots for the European Championship. The playoff matches will be played in a home-and-away format.
[1] UEFA Nations League. (n.d.). UEFA.
[2] European Championship Qualifiers. (n.d.). UEFA.
