Italy
Serbia
Switzerland
Play-off winner A: Poland/Wales/Finland/Estonia
Play-off winner B: Israel/Bosnia and Herzegovina/Ukraine/Iceland
Play-off winner C: Georgia/Greece/Kazakhstan/Luxembourg
Gareth Southgate has arrived…
(Image credit: ODD ANDERSEN/AFP via Getty Images)
This will be Southgate's fourth tournament in charge of the Three Lions, taking him beyond Sven's three as the longest-serving England manager of the 21st Century. But will this be his last?
The worst possible group of death? According to FIFA rankings, that’ll be
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France
Denmark
Netherlands
Italy
For our money, it wouldn’t be much fun drawing Croatia or Switzerland in Pots 3 or 4, respectively…
Is this the first time that the holders of a tournament have been placed into Pot 4 for a draw?
Italy made mincemeat of Euro 2020 and a dog’s dinner of qualifying this time around – as not only England fans can testify but Mykhaylo Mudryk can, too. And given that Euros pots are decided by how well you did in qualifying, Italy are only good enough to be ranked in the lowest possible pot. Oops.
Even Greece, arguably the worst team to ever win the tournament, were ranked highly as holders at Euro 2008’s draw.
The stars are arriving for the draw
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Former Germany international Gerald Asamoah is here…
(Image credit: Getty Images)
…former Euros-winning coach Rudi Voller, manager when Die Mannschaft broke English hearts in '96, alongside current boss, Julian Nagelsmann, who hopes to emulate his elder next summer…
(Image credit: Getty Images)
…and Italian boss, Luciano Spalletti.
So there are still three teams left to qualify for the Euros. This happened at the World Cup draw last year, you may remember.
There are still 12 teams left who could make it to the tournament, with a round-robin scheduled for the next international break in March. Here’s our explainer of who’s still in the mix.
Top scorer in qualifying goes to Romelu Lukaku, who has now scored a whopping 83 goals for his country.
The 30-year-old was level with Cristiano Ronaldo on 10 goals before hitting Azerbaijan for four in his final qualifier. He may have struggled for form in the last couple of years but he’ll be among the favourites for the Golden Boot next summer.
As it stands, this is the first European Championship to have no team making its first-ever appearance – unless you count Serbia, who have previously been represented by Yugoslavia.
Here’s a trivia question for you: who was the last player to net a hat-trick at the Euros?
Answer coming up in a little bit.
We're about to begin…
This is the third year that the European Championship has been a 24-team competition. The first time around, it’s safe to say that it wasn’t a massive success with a group stage of 0-0s and a team winning the whole thing despite failing to win a group game; at Euro 2020, it felt a bit more open and free.
Here’s how it works in Germany next summer, in case you’ve forgotten: six groups of four compete in the group stage, with the top two going through to the last 16… along with four of the six best third-placed sides.
That’s where it gets a bit confusing. There’s a mini table of the third-placed sides, who are ranked by points then goal difference, then goals scored, then wins, etc. Depending on which groups the third-placed sides qualify from, there’s a specific guide from UEFA on who can play who in the next round, which we won’t bore you with today.
Italy
Serbia
Switzerland
Play-off winner A: Poland/Wales/Finland/Estonia
Play-off winner B: Israel/Bosnia and Herzegovina/Ukraine/Iceland
Play-off winner C: Georgia/Greece/Kazakhstan/Luxembourg
We're currently being delayed by the draw as the mascot is introduced.
The presenter is trying to have a conversation with it.
We're about to begin Pot 1 at long, long last. Hang in there, folks.
Spain are first out. They go into Group B.
England next. Group C.
England's first game will be in Gelsenkirchen.
France out next: Group D.
Now comes Belgium. They'll be in Group E, which leaves Portugal in Group F, for a third Euros in a row.
Pot 1 is done. Let's move on…
Hungry head into Group A – they'll face Germany once again.
Next out… Albania in Group B with Spain.
In England's group… Denmark.
Tricky for England, really – they faced Denmark at Euro 2020, of course.
Austria drawn in Group D with France.
Romania in Belgium's group – Group D.
Turkey are in Group F with Portugal.
Another pot done!
Judging by qualifying, the team to beat are Portugal. Lusos won all 10 games of qualifying, scoring 36 and conceding two, meaning that their last loss was actually that 1-0 to Morocco at the World Cup in Qatar.
Roberto Martinez is doing a fine job with a famously difficult-to-manage group of superstars. Could they be one of the outsiders for the competition?
You may hardly need reminding of this fact: England are the most successful team in European Championship history to have never won the competition. With 15 wins and 13 draws in 38 games, the Three Lions are seventh in the all-time table, behind Germany, Italy, Spain, France, Netherlands and Portugal.
Pot 3: here we go…
Scotland are in Group A with Germany and Hungary. That's tough for the Tartan Army.
They'll play in the opening fixture of the tournament.
Croatia go into Group B with Spain and Albania.
Slovenia in Group C with Denmark and England.
Netherlands in Group D with Austria and France. Oof.
Slovakia in a group with Belgium and Romania…
Czech Republic in Group F with Turkey and Portugal.
That's Pot 3 done!
Here’s another weird fact you absolutely will never need ever: over half of all own goals ever conceded at European Championships came at Euro 2020. 11/20, to be precise. You’re welcome.
Earlier we teased you by asking the last player to score a hat-trick at the Euros. Incredibly, it’ll 16 years come next summer: it was David Villa in 2008 against Russia.
The draw thus far:
Group A
Germany
Scotland
Hungary
Group B
Spain
Croatia
Albania
Group C
Slovenia
Denmark
England
Group D
Netherlands
Austria
France
Group E
Belgium
Slovakia
Romania
Group F
Turkey
Portugal
Czech Republic
Switzerland in Group A with Germany, Scotland and Hungary.
That is one difficult group.
Now out… Group B is completed with Italy.
Spain, Croatia and Albania, by the way.
England's group will have Slovenia, Denmark and… Serbia.
Group D is completed with Play-off winner A. That's potentially Wales in with Netherlands, Austria and France.
Play-off winner B: Israel/Bosnia and Herzegovina/Ukraine/Iceland are in Group E with Belgium, Slovakia and Romania.
Play-off winner C: Georgia/Greece/Kazakhstan/Luxembourg are in with Turkey, Portugal and Czech Republic.
The draw in full:
Group A
Germany
Scotland
Hungary
Switzerland
Group B
Spain
Croatia
Italy
Albania
Group C
Slovenia
Denmark
Serbia
England
Group D
Play-off winner A: Poland/Wales/Finland/Estonia
Netherlands
Austria
France
Group E
Belgium
Slovakia
Romania
Play-off winner B: Israel/Bosnia and Herzegovina/Ukraine/Iceland
Group F
Turkey
Play-off winner C: Georgia/Greece/Kazakhstan/Luxembourg
Portugal
Czech Republic
Scotland have a tough task.
Germany are not just the hosts, they’re the most successful team in the history of this competition. Euro 2020 excluded, however, no host nation has won this tournament since France in 1984.
Die Mannschaft have three Henri Delaunay trophies in their cabinet, the last secured on English soil, way back in 1996. Spain have also won three Euros but have played fewer games and managed fewer wins: Germany have been to two more finals than Spain and two more semi-finals, too.
This will be the Germans’ 15th Euros in a row, stretching back to 1972 – some 20 years longer than the next longest stretch, France, who’ve been ever-presents since ‘92. This is also the first international tournament the Germans have hosted since World Cup 2006.
Fancy a shock hot take for the Euros?
FFT senior staff writer Chris Flanagan predicted at the start of the season that Kazakhstan will qualify in the playoffs…
The main ticket lottery for the competition was actually last month, with successful applicants already knowing which games they’re going to – but there are other chances. Here’s how to get to Germany next summer.
Euro 2024 is a good eight months away – but we already know a few of the superstars who won’t be at the tournament.
In fact, three big names are confirmed to be missing out already – including arguably last season’s most impressive two Premier League performers. That’s right, Erling Haaland and Martin Odegaard will be watching from home given that Norway are set to go 26 years without a major tournament. Their last competition was in 2000, the year Haaland was born, meaning that he’ll be 26 by the time he gets to play at a World Cup (qualifying, of course, permitted).
Another big player who’ll be missing the Euros is 19-year-old Barcelona wonderkid Gavi, who’ll be absent following a ligament injury picked up on the last international break.
