UEFA confirms seeding pots for unusual Euro 2020 draw
UEFA has confirmed seeding pots for the 2020 European Championship, where some teams are slotted into groups ahead of the draw next week.
An unusual draw for the 24-nation tournament is made Nov. 30 — four months before four final entries are decided in a playoffs round — and with seven of the 12 host nations already allocated to groups giving them home games in the tournament.
The 20 direct qualifiers are ranked according to points gained and goal difference tiebreakers in 10 preliminary groups completed this week.
Top-ranked Belgium, which is not a host nation, has to be pooled with Russia and Denmark in Group B played in St. Petersburg and Copenhagen. Either Wales or Finland from seeding pot 4 will complete that group.
Ukraine in top-seeded pot 1 cannot be pooled with Russia for security reasons so had to be placed with the Netherlands in Group C, being played in Amsterdam and Bucharest. Romania could qualify through the playoffs in March.
UEFA holds a separate draw Friday to finalize the 16-team playoffs in four separate knockout brackets.
The playoffs lineup includes four host nations — Hungary, Ireland, Romania, Scotland — who must be given home games if they advance. Kosovo is in the fourth-tier playoffs and, because UEFA ruled the Balkan nation cannot be drawn with Russia for security reasons, the winner of that bracket could not be drawn in Group B.
The finals tournament draw is made on Nov. 30 in Bucharest.
Euro 2020 kicks off June 12 with Italy opening Group A in Rome. The final is July 12 at Wembley Stadium in London.
Pot 1:
Belgium (Group B), Italy (hosts — Group A), England (hosts — Group D), Germany (hosts — Group F), Spain (hosts — Group E), Ukraine (Group C).
Pot 2: France, Poland, Switzerland, Croatia, Netherlands (hosts — Group C), Russia (hosts — Group B).
Pot 3: Portugal, Turkey, Denmark (hosts — Group B), Austria, Sweden, Czech Republic.
Pot 4: Wales, Finland, Playoff winner Path A, Playoff winner Path B (includes Ireland — Group E), Playoff winner Path C, Playoff winner Path D.
16 teams set for Euro 2020 playoffs; draw to shape games
The 16-team lineup for the 2020 European Championship playoffs was confirmed Tuesday with a draw needed this week to decide which three nations join Iceland in the top-tier bracket.
The 16 teams will be divided into four brackets based on their placement in last year's Nations League, with the winner in each advancing to next year's tournament.
Single-game semifinals in each bracket will be played on March 26, with the four finals played five days later.
A UEFA draw on Friday will decide home advantage in the four playoff finals.
The final qualifying group games on Tuesday settled the second-tier League B playoffs: Bosnia-Herzegovina will host Northern Ireland, and Slovakia will host Ireland.
Iceland was the only team ranked high enough for the League A bracket that didn't qualify directly for the tournament, meaning three teams that would otherwise have been in League C will be placed in that pot instead.
Those three will be taken from the quartet of Bulgaria, Hungary, Israel and Romania.
The fourth team among those will face Scotland in League C, which also includes Norway and Serbia.
Scotland, Romania and Hungary are among the 12 host countries for the 24-team tournament.
Their reward for advancing would be at least two home games in the Euro 2020 group stage.
League D includes Georgia, Belarus, North Macedonia and Kosovo, four teams that have never reached a major tournament before.
Euro 2020 groups are drawn Nov. 30 in Bucharest, Romania, four months before the playoffs.
League A: Iceland vs. Bulgaria or Hungary or Israel or Romania, Bulgaria or Hungary or Israel or Romania vs Bulgaria or Hungary or Israel or Romania
League B: Bosnia-Herzegovina vs. Northern Ireland, Slovakia vs Ireland.
League C: Scotland vs. Bulgaria or Hungary or Israel or Romania, Norway vs. Serbia.
League D: Georgia vs. Belarus, North Macedonia vs. Kosovo.