Italy top seeds in EURO 2024 qualifying draw

Thanks to their Nations League performances, Italy are top seeds in the qualifying draw for EURO 2024 and will be in a five-team group, meaning they could face England or France.

The Azzurri won the so-called Group of Death ahead of Hungary, Germany and relegated England, so will play in the Nations League Final Four in June 2023.

The other competitors in that mini-tournament will be the Netherlands, Croatia and Spain.

Because of those fixtures in June, these teams are in a separate UNL pot and will be placed in five-team groups.

That means they will only play eight qualifiers rather than 10, so they have the days free to play the Final Four.

Although Roberto Mancini’s men failed to qualify for the 2022 World Cup, their Nations League performances and winning EURO 2020 mean they are still top seeds in the draw to qualify for EURO 2024.

The draw will be held in Frankfurt on Sunday October 9 and 53 UEFA member associations are taking part, who will be whittled down to 24 for the tournament to be staged in June and July 2024.

Germany are already qualified as hosts, while Russia are suspended following the invasion of Ukraine.

Italy are top seeds along with the Netherlands, Croatia, Spain, Denmark, Portugal, Belgium, Hungary, Switzerland and Poland.

Dropping into Pot 2 there are some tough potential opponents including France, England and Serbia.

EURO 2024

UNL Pot

ITALY, Netherlands, Croatia, Spain

Pot 1

Denmark, Portugal, Belgium, Hungary, Switzerland, Poland

Pot 2

France, Austria, Czech Republic, England, Wales, Israel, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Serbia, Scotland, Finland

Pot 3

Ukraine, Iceland, Norway, Slovenia, Republic of Ireland, Albania, Montenegro, Romania, Sweden, Armenia

Pot 4

Georgia, Greece, Turkey, Kazakhstan, Luxembourg, Azerbaijan, Kosovo, Bulgaria, Faroe Islands, North Macedonia

Pot 5

Slovakia, Northern Ireland, Cyprus, Belarus, Lithuania, Gibraltar, Estonia, Latvia, Moldova, Malta

Pot 6

Andorra, San Marino, Liechtenstein