Nations League: How do competing teams qualify for Euro 2024?

The 2022/23 season of the Nations League may be a distant memory for many, Boris Johnson was still UK prime minister when England started the campaign, but it plays a crucial role in qualification for the 2024 European Championships.

A familiar qualifying tournament, consisting of all the European nations getting split into ten groups, was conducted between March and November 2023. That traditional process provided 20 teams - the winners and runners-up of each group - for Euro 2024. Germany automatically qualified as hosts of next summer's finals but that still leaves three vacant spots.

Here is where the Nations League comes back into play. Much like Johnson, the ramifications of that distant tournament are still being felt.

How do Nations League teams make Euro 2024 qualifying?

Seeding for the Euro 2024 qualifying groups was based on performance in the Nations League, with the overall rankings used to divide the teams into seven pots.

For England, that meant getting drawn into the same group as Italy after Gareth Southgate's side were relegated from the Nations League top tier.

The four nations that made the finals of the Nations League - Spain, Croatia, Italy and the Netherlands - were placed into qualifying groups of only five teams to clear their schedules for the tournament in June 2023, which Spain won. Seven groups containing five teams were drawn, with the remaining three groups containing six sides.

53 teams participated in the qualification process, with Russia not included and hosts Germany left to cycle through a raft of friendlies.

How does the Nations League link to Euro 2024 play-offs?

The teams that failed to qualify for Euro 2024 via the group stages will have a final chance to make it to Germany through a play-off phase.

The 12 group winners from Leagues A, B and C were guaranteed a place in the play-offs if they stumbled through the traditional qualifying process. Israel, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Georgia and Greece were duly snatched up by the play-off safety net.

The first three tiers of the Nations League - A, B and C - are each entitled to four play-off spots. Those countries that failed to win their Nations League group or directly qualify were able to sneak into the play-offs by being the next best-ranked team within their league.

In League C, for example, Turkey belatedly lived up to the dark horse tag to win their Nations League group and their Euro 2024 qualifying group. This opened up a slot for Luxembourg, the highest-ranked non-group winner from League C to slide into the play-offs.

As only two nations League A failed to automatically qualify, one of their four play-off berths was handed to the highest-ranked group winner from League D - the lowest tier of the Nations League. Estonia, courtesy of a perfect record against Malta and San Marino, gleefully strolled through that backdoor.

Confirmed nations in Euro 2024 qualifying play-offs

When are the Euro 2024 qualifying play-offs?

The final hurdle in the qualification process for Euro 2024 takes place in March 2024. The 12 teams are split into three 'paths', with each bracket made up of a pair of semi-finals before a final. All matches are played over just one leg.

The six semis will take place on 21 March 2024 before the trio of finals are held on 26 March 2024. Finally, almost two years on from the first 2022/23 Nations League match, all 24 participants at Euro 2024 will have been finalised.

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