The draw has been made for the Euro 2016 qualification process to determine which 24 teams will end up playing in the Euro 2016 tournament that will be staged in France.
The qualifying matches will start in September 2014 and proceed until its conclusion in late 2015. Current champions Spain will participate as will Gibraltar, who are playing in a major international competition for the first time. Both countries have been separated into different groups.
Two important notes regarding the draw for viewers in the United States. First, FOX Sports and ESPN have agreed to split the games between them during Euro 2016 qualifying. And second, UEFA has agreed to stagger the start times of the matches so that on an international break where there are several matches to be played that day, the matches won’t all start at the same time, but they’ll be played one after another to make it more attractive for a global viewing audience.
The draw for Euro 2016 qualifying is as follows:
Group A:
Netherlands
Turkey
Iceland
Czech Republic
Latvia
Kazakhstan
Group B:
Bosnia and Herzegovina
Belgium
Wales
Israel
Cyprus
Andorra
Group C:
Spain
Slovakia
Macedonia
Ukraine
Belarus
Luxembourg
Group D:
Germany
Ireland
Poland
Scotland
Georgia
Gibraltar
Group E:
England
Switzerland
Slovenia
Estonia
Lithuania
San Marino
Group F:
Greece
Hungary
Romania
Finland
Northern Ireland
Faroe Islands
Group G:
Russia
Austria
Moldova
Sweden
Montenegro
Liechteinstein
Group H:
Italy
Norway
Azerbaijan
Croatia
Bulgaria
Malta
Group I:
Portugal
Serbia
Albania
Denmark
Armenia
What’s your opinion about the draw? Which countries have an easy route to Euro 2016, and who has the toughest group? Will England advance, and what surprises can you see in store? Let us know in the comments section below.
