Estonia didn’t have to do too much to reach the Euro 2024 play-offs – all it took was victories over Malta and San Marino.
Ranked 123rd in the world, the mysteries of the Nations League decreed that they should get a play-off spot over the likes of Norway, the Republic of Ireland and Sweden – when only two League A teams failed to qualify for the Euros automatically, the regulations gave one of the spare spots to the best minnow from League D.
Step forward Estonia, who topped their three-team Nations League group, against not-particularly-auspicious opponents. Malta were twice defeated 2-1, while San Marino were beaten 2-0 and 4-0, ensuring that the Blueshirts were League D’s best group winners – in the other group, which was a little stronger, Latvia and Moldova took points off each other.
GEORGIA vs LUXEMBOURG How Luxembourg, Europe's whipping boys, are genuine contenders to reach Euro 2024
BOSNIA vs UKRAINE Why Ukraine are still favourites to reach the Euros, despite being unable to play at home since 2021
ISRAEL vs ICELAND Has Israel's best chance of reaching the Euros come at the most awkward time possible?
GREECE vs KAZAKHSTAN Greece boss Gus Poyet tells FFT why it's imperative his side make the tournament
WALES vs FINLAND Without Gareth Bale to finish, can Wales beat the Finnish?
Estonia followed up their Nations League success by finishing bottom of their Euro 2024 qualifying group behind Azerbaijan – picking up one point from eight games and losing 5-0 at home to Sweden, who in turn lost twice in the Nations League to Erling Haaland's Norway, who didn’t do enough to earn a spot in this week’s play-offs. Er, at what stage do the play-offs rules start to look a bit silly?
Poland will be licking their lips for Thursday’s semi-final at the Stadion Narodowy in Warsaw, despite a miserable Euros qualifying campaign that saw them win just three times in eight matches, scoring only 10 goals. They lost away to Czech Republic, Moldova and Albania, drawing at home to Moldova too, prompting the sacking of Portugal’s Euro 2016 winning manager Fernando Santos.
Even Robert Lewandowski, a perennial contender for top scorer in qualifying over the years, found the net just three times. Given that the Barcelona man is now 35 years old, are they too reliant on their ageing star?
More Euro 2024 stories
Every Euro 2024 squad: All the teams previewed
Euro 2024: Everything you need to know about the little car
The England Euro 2024 home kit is out and Nike have experimented with a fresh new colour scheme
