The draw for Euro 2024 takes place in the port city of Hamburg on Saturday when France, England and the other leading contenders will learn the path to potential continental glory that awaits them next summer.
The Elbe Philharmonic Hall, overlooking the river which runs through Germany’s second-largest city, will be the venue for the draw, just over six months before the start of the tournament which runs from June 14 to July 14.
WHICH TEAMS HAVE QUALIFIED FOR EURO 2024?
Germany (hosts), Portugal, France, Spain, Belgium, England, Hungary, Turkey, Romania, Denmark, Albania, Austria, Netherlands, Scotland, Croatia, Slovenia, Slovakia, Czechia, Italy, Serbia, Switzerland
EURO 2024 TOP SEEDINGS
Joining Germany in pot 1 are the five teams with the best records among the 10 group winners in qualifying: Portugal, France, Spain, Belgium and England.
Portugal had a perfect record of 10 wins, and the five teams lost just one game between them: Spain’s 2-0 loss at Scotland in March.
Those five teams are also all in the top eight of FIFA’s current world rankings. Germany is in a relative slump at No. 16 after a troubled year.
The rest of the draw has quirks and wrinkles.
SECOND-SEEDED TEAMS
This pot includes the other five group winners and the runner-up with the best record, which was Austria from the group Belgium won.
Here are some surprises, like Albania topping a group that included Poland and the Czech Republic.
Romania won its group ahead of Switzerland and Turkey edged Croatia for top spot.
Hungary and Denmark — a Euro 2020 semifinalist — complete the teams in this pot. None of the six options would likely cause sleepless nights for those ranked below them in the draw.
THIRD TIER
Croatia and the Netherlands are among six runners-up in pot 3 who dropped more points than Austria. The Dutch were beaten home and away by a dominant France.
Both Croatia and the Netherlands lost to eventual champion Argentina at last year’s World Cup, in the semifinals and quarterfinals, respectively, and look like the toughest options in a pot that also includes the Czechs, Scotland, Slovakia and Slovenia, which last reached the Euros in 2000.
ITALY AMONG FOURTH SEEDS: FROM CHAMPION TO JUST MAKING IT
Having failed to make the last two World Cups, Italy only wrapped up qualification this time by holding on nervously for a draw with Ukraine in its final game.
None of the sides in the higher pots will want to be drawn with Italy, even if the format removes some jeopardy with four of the best third-placed teams among the six groups advancing to the last 16.
“After all the difficulties we have had, we will be in Germany and we will be going there as reigning champions and going there to win,” Italy goalkeeper Gianluigi Donnarumma said after the Ukraine draw which secured qualification.
Serbia and Switzerland are also in this pot plus the three winners from the playoffs which offer a range of options from Robert Lewandowski’s Poland to Luxembourg.
The last three berths at the finals will not be known until the play-offs in March, which will feature the likes of Poland, Wales, Ukraine and Euro 2004 winners Greece.
There is also the possibility of a playoff final in March between Ukraine and Israel, two countries currently fighting wars.
WHERE TO WATCH THE EURO 2024 DRAW?
The EURO 2024 draw will be telecast live on the Sony TEN Network in India and can be live-streamed on Sony LIV.
(With inputs from AP and AFP)
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