Euro 2025 Qualifying Draw: A Look at the Schedule and Details
European countries are eagerly awaiting the Women’s Euro 2025 qualifying draw, which is set to take place on Tuesday at 12:00 GMT in Nyon. This draw will determine the fate of 51 out of Uefa’s 55 countries, including Switzerland, who have automatically qualified as the host nation. Defending champions England are also in the draw, hoping to secure their spot and retain their crown.
The qualifying matches will be held between April and July, and the new format of the tournament will see 15 teams earning qualification. Let’s take a closer look at how the draw works and who the home nations could potentially face.
Understanding the Draw Format
The 51 teams vying for qualification have been divided into three leagues – A, B, and C. The allocation of teams to each league was based on the results of the 2023-24 Nations League campaign. Leagues A and B consist of 16 teams each, while League C has 19 teams.
Within each league, the teams have been further divided into four seeding pots. In Leagues A and B, four groups will be drawn, with each group consisting of one team from each pot. League C, on the other hand, will have five groups, with one group having only three teams.
Qualification Process and Group Matches
The top two teams from each group in League A will automatically qualify for Euro 2025. The remaining seven spots will be decided through play-offs involving the best-ranked teams that did not automatically qualify.
The qualifying matches will take place between April and July, with each team playing six games against the other teams in their group, both home and away.
Potential Group Matchups for Home Nations
While Switzerland has already secured their place as hosts, they will still enter the draw as one of the top-ranked teams in League B. As for England, they could potentially be drawn in the same group as the Republic of Ireland. Northern Ireland, on the other hand, may face Scotland or Wales in their group.
Here is a breakdown of the teams in each pot and the potential matchups for the home nations:
League A:
Pot 1: Spain, France, Germany, Netherlands
Pot 2: England, Denmark, Italy, Austria
Pot 3: Iceland, Belgium, Sweden, Norway
Pot 4: Republic of Ireland, Finland, Poland, Czech Republic
League B:
Pot 1: Portugal, Switzerland, Scotland, Wales
Pot 2: Bosnia and Herzegovina, Serbia, Croatia, Hungary
Pot 3: Slovakia, Northern Ireland, Ukraine, Turkey
Pot 4: Malta, Israel, Kosovo, Azerbaijan
League C:
Pot 1: Slovakia, Greece, Belarus, Romania, Albania
Pot 2: Latvia, Montenegro, Bulgaria, Estonia, Lithuania
Pot 3: Luxembourg, Kazakhstan, North Macedonia, Cyprus, Andorra
Pot 4: Georgia, Moldova, Faroe Islands, Armenia
The Play-offs
After the group winners and runners-up from each League A group have qualified, the remaining seven spots will be taken by the best-ranked teams from all three leagues. Third and fourth-placed teams from League A will qualify for the play-offs. Additionally, the top three teams from each League B group and the top five group winners plus three best-ranked runners-up from League C will also make it to the play-offs.
The play-offs will consist of 28 teams initially. This number will be reduced to seven through a series of matches. In the first round of play-offs, the eight sides from League A will be drawn against the eight sides from League C. Similarly, the six best teams from League B will face off against the six worst teams from League B. These matches will be played over two legs.
In the second round of play-offs, the 14 remaining teams will be divided into seedings. The top seven ranked winners will then be drawn against the other seven winners, and the victorious teams from these fixtures will secure the final seven play-off spots.
Excitement Builds for Euro 2025 Qualifying
As the Women’s Euro 2025 qualifying draw approaches, anticipation is mounting among European countries. With the new format and the potential matchups, there is much to look forward to in the upcoming qualification matches. The road to Switzerland promises to be an exciting journey for all the teams involved, and fans eagerly await the kick-off of the tournament.