The UEFA EURO Qualifiers is a soccer competition in a group stage format in which the top two teams from ten groups (of five or six) will advance. The host, Germany, will automatically qualify, and three teams will qualify through a playoff format. The tournament takes place every four years, with the last taking place in 2019–2020. For this year’s competition, the matches take place between March 2023 and March 2024. After this timeframe, there will be 24 teams to compete in the UEFA EUROs 2024, taking place in June and July.

The already qualified teams were determined through the EURO Qualifying Group stages. There were ten groups, with the winner and runner-up advancing. Additionally, the hosts, Germany, get an automatic qualification.

Teams Qualified:

Playoffs
Twelve teams qualified for the playoffs and were split into three paths, with the winner of each path qualifying for the EUROs. These twelve teams were selected based on their performance in the 2022–2023 UEFA Nations League.

When can you watch the Playoffs?
The playoffs begin in March 2024 right before the semifinals for all three paths (six matches) which take place on Thursday, March 21st. The finals for all three paths (three matches) will take place on Tuesday, March 26th.

Three Paths:

Predicted Teams to Reach the Group Stage:

Poland to move onto Euros for Path A

Wales and Finland had good runs in the group stage and are evenly matched. Semifinal One will take place in Cardiff, Wales, which would give Wales a home-field advantage. Estonia placed last in Group F with zero wins. Additionally, Estonia is ranked 123rd in the world, which would allow Poland to breeze through easily.

Both Poland and Wales had begun to deteriorate after their World Cup performances in 2022, with the Polish team losing their head coach Michiniewicz and veteran Jakub Błaszczykowski. Wales has had a more consistent team in recent times, even with the retirement of renowned Welsh attacker Gareth Bale. However, their performances in Group D, although promising, exhibited the fact that Wales were able to scrape in more shots on target and beat Croatia 2–1. Wales, in their ties against Turkey and Croatia, have demonstrated to have lower possession and fewer shots. Although they placed third in Group D, their team is not fully complete yet and is not ready to compete well against well-experienced teams. Welsh players include veteran Aaron Ramsey, upcoming talent Brennan Johnson, as well as many players currently playing for teams in the top five leagues across Europe.

Poland has become increasingly inconsistent, especially with their recent performances. Poland only managed to place third in Group E, despite the likes of Albania and Czechia placing higher. Poland had a record of 3–2–3, losing to Moldova, Albania, and Czechia, which all ranked lower than Poland. However, in their losses, they dominated their opponents, having a higher possession rate and shots on targets, but just failed to score when it was necessary. This was very unexpected of them, as high expectations were placed on them to win the group because of their big names, such as Robert Lewandowski and Wojciech Szczęsny. These players are still considered some of the biggest players in the game, with goalkeeper Szczęsny considered one of the best in the position in the world, and Lewandoski continues to show glimpses of his goal-scoring prowess. Wales, having mostly new and upcoming players, in addition to losing their most prominent player Gareth Bale, will not be able to compete to the same level as Poland, as Poland will win Path A in a tight game.

Ukraine to move on to Euros Path B

Ukraine, out of all of the teams in Path B, possesses the most talent as well as strength as a complete team. Ukraine is expected to beat Bosnia and Herzegovina, mainly because of its past performances along with its current talents. Ukraine possesses talents such as Mykhailo Mudryk, Oleksandr Zinchenko, Vitalii Mykolenko, Roman Yaremchuk, and Andriy Lunin, among others, who all play in the top five leagues in Europe.

Ukraine also placed third in Group C with fourteen points, only losing and drawing to European giants England and Italy, who placed higher in the group stage. They showed good form and constituency throughout the group stages, displaying not only their talent but also the team chemistry and coherence that were key to their success.

Bosnia and Herzegovina have some notable players, such as Edin Džeko and Amar Dedic, but do not have the team to compete with Ukraine, and their performances were mediocre in Group J, placing fifth with only nine points. Iceland, also in Group J, placed fourth only one point ahead of Bosnia and Herzegovina, losing six games out of ten. Israel was the only other nation to place third in their group, finishing with fifteen points in Group I. Ukraine has the most talent and skill out of all the other teams, allowing for an easy and quick path to qualification for the Euros.

Greece to move on to Euros Path C

Georgia has recently gained more popularity and recognition due to the performance of its winger, Kvara Kvaratskhelia who has been performing phenomenally for Napoli in the Serie A. However, the Georgian Football Federation (GFF) performed mediocre in Group A, finishing fourth with eight points, falling behind Norway. The rest of Georgia consists of players scattered throughout various European leagues, with no other notable players. While Kvaratskhelia may have garnered Georgia lots of hype, one man does not bolster the performance of a team entirely.

Luxembourg, in contrast, had strong performances in Group J, finishing third with seventeen points, only losing to Portugal twice, and Slovakia once. They have proved to be strong in facing teams in terms of strength and skills, despite the country’s small size. However, they too lack any form. Kazakhstan has performed well in Group D, placing fourth with eighteen points.

Although Kazakhstan has had some unexpected results, Greece, however, placed third in Group B, behind European powerhouses, France and the Netherlands. Greece only lost to the Netherlands twice, and France once, with the rest of their fixtures being either wins or ties. Greece will pull out in this finals against Luxembourg because of Greece’s performances in the Group stage along with the caliber they possess. While Luxembourg fared well in a competitive group with similar talent, the Greece national team played well against dominant teams such as France, suggesting that Greece will be able to win Path C.