UEFA European Championship qualifying

This page is a summary of the UEFA European Championship qualifying, the process that UEFA-affiliated national association football teams go through in order to qualify for the UEFA European Championship.

UEFA European Championship qualifying
Founded1958
RegionEurope (UEFA)
Number of teams55 (currently)
56 (overall)
Related competitionsUEFA European Championship
WebsiteOfficial website
UEFA Euro 2020 qualifying
UEFA European Qualifiers
UEFA European Championship

Since 1960, European Championship final tournaments have been contested in June or July of every fourth year. The qualifying procedure for each final tournament has usually included qualifying matches held during the two years preceding that year (for example, the Euro 2016 qualifying spanned from September 2014 to November 2015). In this article, the years correspond to the final tournaments of the European Championship, and not to the actual dates when the qualification matches were played.

Format evolution
Number of teams entering qualification

1960
1964
1968
1972
1976
1980
1984
1988
1992
1996

2000
2004

2008

2012
2016
2020
2024
total entrants[lower-alpha 1] 1729313232313232344749505051535554
played at least one match[lower-alpha 1] 2833
qualified through qualification 4444477771514151414232423
qualified automatically 00000111112122101
total finalists 4444488881616161616242424
  1. Data is about qualifications only (automatic qualifiers are not counted).

The 1960 and 1964 qualifications consisted of a knock-out tournament only. The four quarter-final-winning teams qualify for the final stages, and one of them was chosen to host the tournament.

The 1968, 1972, and 1976 qualifying tournaments included a group stage of eight groups. The eight group winners advanced to a quarter-final stage, which was still part of the qualifying. The four quarter-final winners progressed to the finals. Again, the host nation was chosen among the four finalists.

From 1980 onwards, the hosting rights would be assigned in advance to one or two countries, and the host teams would be guaranteed an automatic spot in the finals and would not have to go through qualification. Also, the format was expanded to feature 8 teams. The 1980, 1984, 1988, and 1992 qualifications included seven qualifying groups, and the seven group winners progressed to the finals joining the host team.[Note 1992]

From 1996, the 16-team format was employed. The 1996 qualifying consisted of eight groups; the eight group winners and the six best runners-up qualified directly, while the two worst runners-up met in a play-off to determine the last team to earn a spot in the finals, joining the host country (England).

In 2000, the winners of the nine qualifying groups qualified for the finals and so was the best runner-up. The remaining eight runners-up entered a play-off round, where they were paired off against each other; the winners of each pairing qualified too. For the first time, there were two host countries; they both received automatic berths in the finals.

In 2004, along with the host team, the ten qualifying group winners qualified, and so does the winners of each of the five play-off ties which were contested by the ten runners-up.

In 2008, the top two teams from each of the seven qualifying groups joined the two host teams to bring the number of finalists to 16.

The 2012 qualification used a format similar to that of 2000: spots were given to nine group winners and the best runner-up, and the remaining eight runners-up entered play-offs to determine the remaining four finalists, with automatic berths being guaranteed to the two host countries.

From 2016, the finals format was expanded again, now featuring 24 teams. The 2016 qualifying included nine groups; the winners, the runners-up, and the best third-placed team qualified directly, while the remaining eight third-placed teams formed four play-off pairings to determine the last four finalists. The host nation would still qualify automatically.

For the 2020 finals, hosted by multiple cities across Europe, there would be no automatic qualifying berths. 20 of the 24 qualifying places went to the winners and runners-up of the ten groups of the 2020 qualifying, while the remaining four would be determined via play-offs. Participation in those play-offs would be determined based on the teams' performances in the newly formed UEFA Nations League and not in the qualifying itself. From each of the four divisions of the 2018–19 Nations League, the four best-placed teams not yet qualified for Euro 2020 (the group winners, unless already qualified) would advance to a four-team play-off for that division using a knock-out system of semi-finals and a final. The four final winners would qualify for the Euro main tournament.

Participating teams

All national teams that are members of UEFA are eligible to enter the qualification for the European Championship. A total of 56 distinct entities have made attempts to qualify for the European Championship. Of those, 55 are still active in the competition. Due to political changes, a few of the entities have appeared under multiple incarnations (see the footnotes to the below table), and the East Germany team is now defunct.

Saarland, a former UEFA member, merged into West Germany in 1957 and therefore did not enter the qualifiers of any European Championships.

Year Debuting teams Successor teams Renamed teams
Teams No. CT
1960  Austria,  Bulgaria,  Czechoslovakia,[S 1]  Denmark,  East Germany,[P 1]  France,  Greece,  Hungary,  Norway,  Poland,  Portugal,  Republic of Ireland,  Romania,  Soviet Union,[S 2]  Spain,  Turkey,  Yugoslavia[S 3] 17 17
1964  Albania,  Belgium,  England,  Iceland,  Italy,  Luxembourg,  Malta,  Netherlands,  Northern Ireland,  Sweden,   Switzerland,  Wales 12 29
1968  Cyprus,  Finland,  Scotland,  West Germany[S 4] 4 33
1972 0 33
1976 0 33
1980 0 33
1984 0 33
1988 0 33
1992  Faroe Islands,  San Marino 2 35  Germany[S 4]
1996  Armenia,[P 2]  Azerbaijan,[P 2]  Belarus,[P 2]  Croatia,[P 3]  Estonia,[P 2]  Georgia,[P 2]  Israel,  Latvia,[P 2]  Liechtenstein,  Lithuania,[P 2]  Macedonia,[R 1][P 3]  Moldova,[P 2]  Slovakia,[P 4]  Slovenia,[P 3]  Ukraine[P 2] 15 50  Czech Republic,[S 1]  Russia[S 2]
2000  Andorra,  Bosnia and Herzegovina[P 3] 2 52  FR Yugoslavia[S 3][R 2]
2004 0 52  Serbia and Montenegro[R 2][S 3]
2008  Kazakhstan[P 2] 1 53  Serbia[S 3]
2012  Montenegro[P 3] 1 54
2016  Gibraltar 1 55
2020  Kosovo[P 3] 1 56  North Macedonia[R 1][P 3]
Successor teams inheriting the records of former teams (as considered by UEFA and FIFA)
  1. Czechoslovakia dissolved into the Czech Republic and Slovakia and was succeeded by the Czech Republic from the 1996 qualification onwards.
  2. After completing the 1992 qualification, the Soviet Union dissolved into multiple countries and was succeeded and replaced by the provisional Commonwealth of Independent States team for the 1992 finals, which in turn was succeeded by Russia from the 1996 qualification onwards.
  3. SFR Yugoslavia broke up into multiple countries and was succeeded from the 2000 qualification by FR Yugoslavia, later renamed as Serbia and Montenegro. It entered the 2008 qualification, but, before playing any matches, split into the independent countries of Serbia and Montenegro and was succeeded and replaced by Serbia.
  4. West Germany entered the 1992 qualification, but, before playing any matches, reunified with East Germany and was succeeded and replaced by the reunited nation of Germany.
Teams competing as parts of other teams
  1. East Germany entered the 1992 qualification, but withdrew before playing any matches, joined West Germany, and since then competes as part of the reunited nation of Germany.
  2. Armenia, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Estonia, Georgia, Kazakhstan, Latvia, Lithuania, Moldova, and Ukraine previously competed as parts of the Soviet Union (1960–1992). All of them except Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania also competed in the Euro 1992 finals as parts of the Commonwealth of Independent States.
  3. Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia, Kosovo, Macedonia (later renamed as North Macedonia), Montenegro, and Slovenia previously competed as parts of SFR Yugoslavia (1960–1992). Kosovo and Montenegro then competed as parts of FR Yugoslavia, later renamed as Serbia and Montenegro (2000–2004). Kosovo then competed as part of Serbia (2008), before unilaterally breaking off from it and eventually being admitted to UEFA.
  4. Slovakia previously competed as part of Czechoslovakia (1960–1992).
Renamed teams
  1. Macedonia was renamed as North Macedonia from the 2020 qualification onwards.
  2. FR Yugoslavia was renamed as Serbia and Montenegro during the 2004 qualification.

Overview
Team 1960 1964 1968 1972 1976 1980 1984 1988 1992 1996 2000 2004 2008 2012 2016 2020 2024
 Albania DNEr163/34/4DNEDNE5/54/45/56/65/64/55/75/62/54/6
 Andorra 6/65/57/76/66/65/6
 Armenia 6/65/64/57/83/65/55/6
 Austria QFr163/42/43/42/53/53/44/54/63/53/5Qhost 4/61/62/6
 Azerbaijan 6/65/65/58/85/65/65/5
 Belarus 4/65/55/54/74/64/64/5+p
 Belgium DNEpr2/41/4+QW1/4+QF1/51/43/53/43/6Qhost3/55/83/61/61/6
 Bosnia and Herzegovina 3/64/54/72/6+p3/6+p4/6+p
 Bulgaria r16r161/4+QF2/43/44/53/42/54/52/64/51/53/75/54/64/5+p
 Croatia 1/63/52/5+p1/72/6+p2/61/5
 Cyprus DNE4/44/44/44/45/55/55/55/64/54/56/75/55/64/6
 Czech Republic (1996—)
 Czechoslovakia (1960–1992)		 QWpr2/42/41/4+QW1/43/52/42/51/61/61/51/72/5+p1/62/5
 Denmark r16QW4/44/44/45/51/51/42/5
(inv)		2/62/5+p1/54/71/53/5+p2/5
 East Germany r16r162/43/42/43/53/42/5wdr
 England DNEpr1/4+QW1/4+QF2/41/52/51/41/4Qhost2/5+p1/53/71/51/61/5
 Estonia 6/65/64/56/72/6+p4/65/5
 Faroe Islands 5/55/66/65/57/76/65/65/6
 Finland DNEDNE4/44/44/43/44/44/44/54/63/54/54/84/64/62/6
 France QWQF1/4+QF3/43/42/4Qhost3/51/52/61/61/52/71/6Qhost1/6
 Georgia 3/66/65/56/75/65/64/5+p
 Germany (1992—)
 West Germany (1968–1988)		 DNEDNE2/31/4+QW1/4+QW1/41/5Qhost1/41/61/51/52/71/61/61/5Qhost
 Gibraltar 6/65/5
 Greece r16wdr2/43/42/41/43/52/53/53/63/61/51/71/66/63/6
 Hungary r16QW1/4+QF1/4+QW2/42/44/53/54/54/54/64/56/73/63/6+p4/5+p
 Iceland DNEprDNEDNE4/45/54/54/54/55/54/63/56/74/52/63/6+p
 Israel 5/62/5+p3/54/73/64/65/6+p
 Italy DNEr161/4+QW1/4+QF3/4Qhost 4/51/52/52/61/51/51/71/61/61/6
 Kazakhstan 6/86/65/65/6
 Kosovo 3/5+p
 Latvia 5/64/62/5+p5/74/66/66/6
 Liechtenstein DNEDNEDNEDNE6/66/65/57/75/55/66/6
 Lithuania 3/64/64/55/74/55/65/5
 Luxembourg DNEQF4/44/44/44/45/55/54/45/65/55/57/76/65/64/5
 Malta prDNE4/44/44/45/55/55/56/65/55/57/76/66/66/6
 Moldova 4/65/54/55/75/66/66/6
 Montenegro 2/5+p4/65/5
 Netherlands DNEr163/42/41/4+QW1/52/51/51/52/6+pQhost2/5+p2/71/64/62/5
 North Macedonia (2020—)
 Macedonia (1996–2016)		 4/64/54/55/75/66/63/6+p
 Northern Ireland DNEr164/43/42/42/52/53/43/53/64/55/53/75/61/63/5+p
 Norway r16pr4/44/44/45/54/45/53/53/61/62/5+p3/73/53/6+p3/6+p
 Poland r16pr3/42/42/42/53/44/53/44/63/53/51/8Qhost2/61/6
 Portugal QFpr2/42/43/43/51/43/52/51/62/6Qhost 2/82/5+p1/52/5
 Republic of Ireland prQF3/44/42/43/53/51/52/42/6+p2/5+p3/53/72/6+p3/6+p3/5+p
 Romania QFpr2/41/4+QF2/43/41/52/43/51/61/63/51/73/62/64/6+p
 Russia (1996—)
 Soviet Union (1960–1992)		 QWQW1/4+QW1/4+QW1/4+QF4/42/41/51/51/63/62/5+p2/71/62/62/6
 San Marino 5/56/65/55/57/76/66/66/6
 Scotland DNEDNE2/43/43/44/54/44/51/52/62/6+p2/5+p3/73/54/63/6+p
 Serbia (2008—)
 Serbia and Montenegro (2004)
 FR Yugoslavia (2000–2004)
 Yugoslavia (1960–1992)		 QWr161/3+QW1/4+QF1/4+QW2/41/42/41/5
(dsq)		susp1/53/53/83/64/53/5+p
 Slovakia 3/63/63/54/74/62/63/5+p
 Slovenia 5/62/6+p2/5+p6/74/63/6+p4/6
 Spain QFQW1/4+QF2/41/4+QF1/41/51/43/51/61/52/5+p1/71/51/61/6
 Sweden DNEQF3/43/43/43/42/52/5Qhost3/51/51/52/72/63/6+p2/6
  Switzerland DNEpr3/42/44/44/52/44/52/51/53/51/5Qhost3/52/61/5
 Turkey r16pr4/43/43/42/44/54/44/42/52/5+p2/5+p2/72/6+p3/62/6
 Ukraine 4/62/6+p3/54/7Qhost 3/6+p1/5
 Wales DNEpr3/43/41/4+QF3/42/43/42/45/64/52/5+p5/74/52/62/5
Team 1960 1964 1968 1972 1976 1980 1984 1988 1992 1996 2000 2004 2008 2012 2016 2020 2024

Key

  • golden background = Team completed a successful qualifying campaign. Excludes automatic qualifiers; includes Yugoslavia in 1992; excludes Denmark in 1992[Note 1992]
  • red font colour = Team participated in the final tournament. Includes automatic qualifiers; includes Denmark in 1992; excludes Yugoslavia in 1992[Note 1992]
  • Qhost = Team qualified automatically as host
  • QW = Team qualified for the final tournament as quarter-finals winner
  • QF = Team was eliminated in the quarter-finals
  • r16 = Team was eliminated in the round of 16
  • pr = Team was eliminated in the preliminary round
  • X/Y = Team came Xth in a qualifying group of Y teams
  • X/Y+QW = Team came Xth in a qualifying group of Y teams and then qualified for the final tournament as winner of a subsequent quarter-final
  • X/Y+QF = Team came Xth in a qualifying group of Y teams and then was eliminated in a subsequent quarter-final
  • X/Y+p = Team came Xth in a qualifying group of Y teams and then entered a play-off round
  • dsq = Team qualified for the finals but was disqualified from participating there (Yugoslavia in 1992)[Note 1992]
  • inv = Team was invited to participate in the finals after having originally failed to qualify (Denmark in 1992)[Note 1992]
  • grey background = Team did not take part in qualifying
    • (no caption) = Association was not a UEFA member
    • DNE = Team did not enter despite association being a UEFA member
    • wdr = Team entered but withdrew before playing any matches
    • susp = Team was suspended from taking part in qualifying (Yugoslavia in 1996)[Note 1992]

Team records
Legend
Team has won the European Championship
Team has qualified for the main tournament
Team hasn't qualified for the main tournament
Team is defunct (and never qualified for the main tournament)

Up to and including the Euro 2020 qualifying matches played in November 2019. Teams in bold continue their participation in the qualifying, in the play-offs.

Notes on the below table:

No.[n 1] Team Qualifying attempts[n 2] Appearances
in the finals[n 3]		 Overall qualification record Points[n 4]
Total Successful[n 5] Pld W D L GF GA GD Total Avg
1  Spain 16111112589181831491+2232852.280
2  Russia
 Soviet Union		 16121213081292026894+1742722.092
3  Czech Republic
 Czechoslovakia		 161010124812122251102+1492642.129
4  Italy 1491011874301422476+1482522.136
5  Germany
 West Germany		 13121310676201026768+1992482.340
6  Netherlands 1491011777162427492+1822472.111
7  England 1491010873241125864+1942432.250
8  France 1481011267271823191+1402282.036
9  Romania 1655125633725225116+1092261.808
10  Portugal 1578115662623216107+1092241.948
11  Sweden 1467114612627197111+862091.833
12  Belgium 1456114592629210115+952031.781
13  Serbia
 Serbia and Montenegro
 FR Yugoslavia
 Yugoslavia		 1565112592726203126+772011.795
14  Denmark 1689123573036208145+632011.634
15  Republic of Ireland 1633129534036190141+491991.543
16  Scotland 1422120572637182138+441971.642
17  Hungary 1633129562647205172+331941.504
18  Greece 1544119562439170136+341921.613
19  Poland 1534110522830182115+671841.673
20  Turkey 165512051294015215201821.517
21  Bulgaria 1622121502942163137+261791.479
22  Austria 1523109511741202155+471701.560
23  Norway 1611124472552166169−31661.339
24  Wales 1522112452344135139−41581.411
25  Northern Ireland 1511118442648129151−221581.339
26   Switzerland 1445100442432172122+501561.560
27  Croatia 766704516913546+891502.143
28  Finland 1411114332457125172−471231.079
29  Iceland 131110630185895157−621081.019
30  Slovakia 7116832112510788+191071.574
31  Ukraine 623622917169057+331041.677
32  Slovenia 711762916319991+81031.355
33  Israel 7007028132911296+16971.386
34  Bosnia and Herzegovina 600642611279493+1891.391
35  Albania 131110120235888173−85830.822
36  Latvia 7117221133870116−46761.056
37  East Germany 800462012147657+19721.565
38  Cyprus 140011419158098288−190720.632
39  Lithuania 700662093755108−53691.045
40  Georgia 7006818104070100−30640.941
41  North Macedonia
 Macedonia		 7006815163771103−32610.897
42  Armenia 7006815134065110−45580.853
43  Belarus 7006615133853103−50580.879
44  Estonia 700701594649129−80540.771
45  Moldova 700681294755140−85450.662
46  Luxembourg 15001178119851319−268350.299
47  Kazakhstan 4004478293780−43290.659
48  Azerbaijan 700686105241165−124280.412
49  Faroe Islands 80078766544212−168270.346
50  Montenegro 3002868142045−25260.929
51  Malta 14001124149452315−263260.232
52  Liechtenstein 70068595421207−186240.353
53  Kosovo 10083231316−3111.375
54  Andorra 60060115814169−15540.067
55  San Marino 8007601758340−33210.013
56  Gibraltar 200180018587−8200.000

Footnotes

  1. Teams are ranked by total points, then by goal difference, then by goals scored. Note that this column does not represent any official rankings.
  2. Only qualifying campaigns are counted where the team played at least one match.
  3. Including automatic qualifiers. Including teams that have qualified for Euro 2020.
  4. The three points for a win system is used.
  5. Including teams that have qualified for Euro 2020.

Notes
  1. Note 1992: Yugoslavia won their 1992 qualifying group and were due to compete at UEFA Euro 1992, but were banned from participating as the country was under international sanctions by the United Nations Security Council Resolution 757 because of the Yugoslav Wars.[2] The sanctions also resulted in the team being banned from entering the 1996 qualification. Denmark, who had originally failed to qualify for the 1992 finals finishing second in Yugoslavia's qualifying group, were invited to replace Yugoslavia in the finals. In the tables in this article, the 1992 qualifying campaign is treated as successful for Yugoslavia and unsuccessful for Denmark.

References
  1. "European Championship 1968". RSSSF. Retrieved 26 May 2016.
  2. "United Nations Security Council Resolution 757 (Implementing Trade Embargo on Yugoslavia)". University of Minnesota Human Rights Center. Retrieved 27 July 2014.

See also
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