Euro ‘24 draw: France, Spain get tough groups
The draw for next summer’s Euro 2024 in Germany took place Saturday and saw France and Spain handed difficult paths to the knockout stages.
A total of 21 teams have already qualified for the tournament, with a further three places still up for grabs through a playoff tournament to be played in March.
France will play in Group D, where they will face Netherlands, Austria and the winners of Playoff A (Poland, Wales, Finland, Estonia).
Didier Deschamps’s side lifted the World Cup in 2018 and reached the final in 2022, but will hope to make amends from the last Euros, where they succumbed to a disappointing exit in the round of 16.
Spain, who won this tournament in 2008 and 2012, were drawn in Group B, but will also face a tough test after being drawn against reigning champions, Italy, and World Cup semifinalists, Croatia. Albania make up the final team in the group.
England are still seeking their first major men’s title since 1966 — they finished runners-up after a penalty shootout defeat to Italy in the tournament’s previous edition in 2021 — and Gareth Southgate’s side were drawn in Group C alongside Denmark, Slovenia and Serbia.
Germany have been in poor form this year, but were drawn out of Pot 1 into Group A as hosts of the tournament. They will kick off the tournament against Scotland, with further group matches against Hungary and Switzerland.
The tournament will begin June 14, with the final scheduled to be staged at the Olympiastadion in Berlin on July 14.
