How do qualifying play-offs for Euro 2024 work? Format, pairings, fixtures

21 of the 24 participants in the summer tournament are already known, but Barcelona’s Robert Lewandowski is among those who could yet qualify for Germany.

UEFA Euro 2024 is less than three months away, with Germany gearing up to host European soccer’s biggest International soccer tournament between 14 June and 14 July. 21 of the 24 participants have already qualified and the draw has already been made, but there are still three places up for grabs in the Euro 2024 qualifying play-offs in the March international window.

The 21 qualifiers have been drawn into six groups of four, with the three play-off winners already factored in. At the tournament, the top two teams from each group will qualify for the round of 16, as well as the four best third-placed teams.

Three spots at the final tournament in Germany have yet to be decided, which 12 countries will complete for. The play-offs participants were selected based on the 2022/23 UEFA Nations League, with the best performing teams in that competition who didn’t qualify for Euro 2024 via the qualification group phase getting a second chance.

The 12 participants were split into three paths (A, B and C) of four teams according to their final position in the UEFA Nations League. In short, the four “strongest” teams compete in path A, the next four in path B and the “weakest” in path C.

Each of the three paths is separate from the other two. The four teams in each path have been drawn to play in a one-legged semi-final, with the winners progressing to play in a one-legged final, the winners of which will qualify for Euro 2024.

One of the two competing nations will host each game in the play-offs, which was determined by a random draw in November last year.

The tournament proper will