Scotland have been drawn alongside Spain as they discovered the route they need to navigate to reach the Euro 2024 finals in Germany.
Steve Clarke's men landed a second pot seeding for the draw and after being paired with Luis Enrique's men from Pot 1, they have now discovered the remaining opponents who stand in their way of reaching a second European Championship finals in a row. They are Norway, Georgia and Cyprus.
The qualifying route takes place over five different international breaks beginning in March next year with the final games played in November 2023. Should Scotland require their Nations League play-off spot that semi-final and potential final will take place in March 2024. The top two teams in each section directly reach the competition proper with the national team holding a play-off spot already should they fail to automatically qualify. That promotion and top place finish has ensured the Scots of a back up route should it be required.
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Speaking previously after securing the play-off spot, Clarke said: “I don’t think, with this group of players, that we will need it.
“That’s my honest opinion. It’s nice to have the safety net of the playoffs but I feel we can qualify outright. I would expect this team to qualify directly.
“I haven’t looked at who is there yet or who we can get. I want to enjoy this week. I want the Scottish public to enjoy this week. I want the players to go away feeling absolutely brilliant about themselves. But let’s not just think that’s enough. Let’s push for more. That’s the message I want to get across. Yes, it’s fantastic, but let’s see if we can get even better.”
Qualifying dates in full
23–25 March 2023: group stage, Matchday 1
26–28 March 2023: group stage, Matchday 2
16–17 June 2023: group stage, Matchday 3
19–20 June 2023: group stage, Matchday 4
7–9 September 2023: group stage, Matchday 5
10–12 September 2023: group stage, Matchday 6
12–14 October 2023: group stage, Matchday 7
15–17 October 2023: group stage, Matchday 8
16–18 November 2023: group stage, Matchday 9
19–21 November 2023: group stage, Matchday 10
21 March 2024: play-off semi-finals
26 March 2024: play-off finals
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