dams in the Europe Zone, how do they work?

Many called, few chosen. This cruel principle also applies to the European Football Zone. For the sake of innovation, it was decided in the upper echelons of UEFA that, from now on, the play-offs would no longer be made in two-way matches as we knew them and which had nevertheless earned us some great emotions (remember France -Ukraine 2013 …) No, now the play-offs will have to tear each other apart in a mini tournament whose mysteries we will try to explain to you.

They will therefore be twelve teams on the starting block on March 24 and 25. These are the ten best runners-up from the qualifying pools (Italy, Portugal, Sweden, Scotland, Russia, Poland, Wales, North Macedonia, Ukraine and Turkey) and the two best winners in their group during the last League. of nations (Austria and Czech Republic).

Concretely, this tournament, the draw of which will take place on November 26, is similar to three “final four” or, to qualify, each team will have to defeat two opponents in mini four-team tournaments, with semi-finals and knockout finals.

It is an understatement to say that this new format endangers big names like Italy and Portugal … Already absent from the World Cup in Russia, Squadra Azzurra, just like Cristiano Ronaldo’s team, will however benefit the seeded status attributed to the best ranked formations during the qualifications. The other “protected” nations will be Sweden, Wales, Scotland and Russia.

World Cup play-offs ✅

Seeded
Portugal
Scotland
Italy
Russia
Sweden
Wales

Unseeded
Poland
North Macedonia
Turkey
Ukraine
Austria
Czech Republic#WCQ pic.twitter.com/kqLszrk3df

– European Qualifiers (@ EURO2024) November 16, 2021

This status gives these teams the advantage of playing their first home game and the guarantee of not facing one of the other five seeds. But this relative protection will be shattered in the next round where the winners of the semi-finals n ° 1 and 2, those of n ° 3 and 4, as well as those of n ° 5 and 6. Potentially, the seeds could, there, find themselves …

The six winners of the semi-finals will therefore play three finals (also in a dry match) on March 28 and 29, 2022. The countries which will receive in the three finals will be decided during the draw and the three winners of the finals will go to the World Cup. . On paper, it may be a bit complicated but it’s on the ground, anyway, that it will all be decided.