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FourFourTwo
Sport
Sarah Rendell

How do the Euro 2025 qualifying play-offs work?

Caroline Weir of Scotland in action during the Women's International Friendly between Scotland and Costa Rica at Hampden Park on April 11, 2023 in Glasgow, Scotland.

The Euro 2025 qualifying play-offs begin Friday evening with teams like Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland all competing.

There will be home and away ties for each of the play-offs and the winner, on aggregate, after both of those games will progress to a second round of play-offs.

But how were teams matched together? And how do they qualify for the Women's Euros next year? Here is all you need to know.

Euro 2025 qualifying play-offs: How do they work?

Katie McCabe will be hoping to aid her team to the tournament next year (Image credit: Tim Clayton/Corbis via Getty Images )

Teams in the first round of play-offs were drawn together. Teams who played in League A for the initial qualifiers but did not secure automatic qualification were seeded and drawn into ties against teams who competed in League C.

The top six teams in League B were drawn against the bottom six teams in League B.

Jess Fishlock is Wales' all-time goal scorer (Image credit: Jan Kruger/Getty Images )

The first round draw, which took place in July, formed these fixtures:

  • Romania v Poland
  • Greece v Belgium
  • Montenegro v Finland
  • Georgia v Republic of Ireland
  • Slovenia v Austria
  • Luxembourg v Sweden
  • Belarus v Czech Republic
  • Albania v Norway
  • Turkey v Ukraine
  • Croatia v Northern Ireland
  • Bosnia and Herzegovina v Serbia
  • Azerbaijan v Portugal
  • Hungary v Scotland
  • Slovakia v Wales

The first leg of the ties will be played on 25 October and the second leg will take place on 29 October.

The second round of play-offs were also drawn in July.

The first round ties which included the top seven ranked teams were drawn against the bottom seven.

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The second round will take place in November and December with specific game days to be confirmed. In FourFourTwo's view the second round ties will be close battles with some interesting ties.

They will also be played across two legs and the winners of those ties will qualify for next year's tournament being held in Switzerland.

Here is how the second round ties were drawn:

  • Azerbaijan or Portugal v Belarus or Czech Republic
  • Hungary or Scotland v Montenegro or Finland
  • Turkey or Ukraine v Greece or Belgium
  • Slovakia or Wales v Georgia or Republic of Ireland
  • Romania or Poland v Slovenia or Austria
  • Croatia or Northern Ireland v Albania or Norway
  • Bosnia and Herzegovina or Serbia v Luxembourg or Sweden

Who has already qualified for Euro 2025?

Defending champions England were drawn in a tricky qualifying group as they were against Sweden, France and Republic of Ireland. But impressive performances, including a win over France, secured their automatic qualification.

France also made it through the difficult group to seal their spot and Switzerland were handed their ticket as they are hosts.

Nine teams have qualified so far, which are:

  • England
  • France
  • Denmark
  • Spain
  • Iceland
  • Germany
  • Italy
  • Netherlands
  • Switzerland

The Euros will take place from 2-27 July 2025.

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