Women's European Qualifiers league stage draw
Tuesday, March 5, 2024
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The Women's European Qualifiers league stage draw formed groups that will ultimately decide places at UEFA Women's EURO 2025 as well as play-off berths.
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The Women's European Qualifiers league stage draw made by UEFA Women's EURO 2025 ambassador Gaëlle Thalmann and UEFA managing director of women's football Nadine Kessler, who together formed the groups that will ultimately decide places at UEFA Women's EURO 2025 in Switzerland as well as the play-off berths.
Women's European Qualifiers draw
League A
Group A1: Netherlands, Italy, Norway, Finland
Group A2: Spain, Denmark, Belgium, Czechia
Group A3: France, England (holders), Sweden, Republic of Ireland
Group A4: Germany, Austria, Iceland, Poland
League B
Group B1: Switzerland (finals hosts), Hungary, Türkiye, Azerbaijan
Group B2: Scotland, Serbia, Slovakia, Israel
Group B3: Portugal, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Northern Ireland, Malta
Group B4: Wales, Croatia, Ukraine, Kosovo
League C
Group C1: Belarus, Lithuania, Cyprus, Georgia
Group C2: Slovenia, Latvia, North Macedonia, Moldova
Group C3: Greece, Montenegro, Andorra, Faroe Islands
Group C4: Romania, Bulgaria, Kazakhstan, Armenia
Group C5: Albania, Estonia, Luxembourg
In League A, from which eight teams will qualify directly to join Switzerland in the 16-team finals in July 2025, holders England have been placed in a group with France, fellow former champions Sweden and a team hoping for a EURO finals debut, the Republic of Ireland.
World champions and UEFA Women's Nations League winners Spain have Denmark, Belgium and Czechia as their opponents.
Germany, winners of a record eight Women's EUROs – and set to join Spain and France at the Olympic tournament this summer – meet Austria (whom they beat in the 2022 quarter-finals), Iceland and Poland.
The Netherlands, aiming to win back the EURO title they claimed in 2017, take on Italy, Norway and a Finland side who – like Ireland, Czechia and Poland – were promoted from League B during the UEFA Women's Nations League phase last year.
League B includes Switzerland (who take part despite their finals spot being guaranteed as hosts) and their fellow Women's EURO 2022 qualifiers Northern Ireland and Portugal, who will face off in Group B3. Scotland and Ukraine are the other past qualifiers in League B – which, like League C, carries play-off berths.
As well as competing for finals and play-off spots, teams in all three leagues are also playing for promotion and relegation ahead of the next edition of the UEFA Women's Nations League, beginning in 2025.
Road to Women's EURO 2025
Qualifying league stage matchdays 1 & 2: 3–9 April 2024
Qualifying league stage matchdays 3 & 4: 29 May–4 June 2024
Qualifying league stage matchdays 5 & 6: 10–16 July 2024
Play-off draw: 19 July 2024
Play-off round 1 (2 legs): 23–29 October 2024
Play-off round 2 (2 legs): 27 November–3 December 2024
Finals draw: 16 December 2024
Finals: 2–27 July 2025 (Switzerland)
How qualifying works
League phase
In qualifying, as per the league stage of the Nations League, teams compete in groups of four or three teams (League C) and over six matchdays between April and July, with each team playing one home match and one away match against all the other teams in their group.
For qualifying itself, the top two teams in each League A group will gain places in the July 2025 finals alongside hosts Switzerland (who will compete in League B although their automatic qualification is assured). The remaining seven spots will be decided by two rounds of play-offs in October and November/December.
Play-offs
The first round of the play-offs is split into two paths. In one path, the teams finishing third and fourth in League A will play the five group winners and three best-ranked runners-up in League C. The eight winners progress to the second round.
In the other first round path, the four group winners and two best-ranked runners-up in League B will be drawn into six ties against the remaining two runners-up and four third-placed teams in League B. The six winners progress to the second round.
In the second round, the teams from both paths come together and will be drawn into seven ties, with seeding for the seven highest-ranked teams based on the European Qualifiers overall league rankings. The seven winners progress to the final tournament.
The play-off paths will be adjusted as necessary to take into account the performance of Women's EURO hosts Switzerland, who will compete in League B but are guaranteed a slot in the final tournament.
If Switzerland finish as a League B winner, runner-up or in third place, the best-ranked fourth-placed team of League B will complete the round 1 path 2 play-off line-up and the draw seeding for the six ties will be adjusted accordingly.
Promotion and relegation
Promotion and relegation will also be at stake ahead of the next UEFA Women's Nations League, beginning the 2025–27 competition cycle:
• The winners, runners-up and third-placed teams of League A stay in League A;
• The runners-up and three best-ranked third-placed teams in League B stay in League B;
• The runners-up, third-placed and fourth-placed teams in League C stay in League C;
• The winners of Leagues B and C will be promoted to the next league;
• All fourth-placed teams in Leagues A and B, as well as the lowest-ranked third-placed team of League B, will be relegated to the next league.