What are the play-offs?
Sixteen teams have been battling it out for the four remaining UEFA EURO 2020 places in the competition's new-look play-offs. When completed, we will know all 24 finalists, and all the EURO 2020 group fixtures.
Who plays who, when and where?
Fixtures were determined by a series of draws in November 2019. Following a decision made by the UEFA Executive Committee, the European Qualifiers Play-Offs semi-finals took place on 8 October with the finals to follow on 12 November.
Play-off semi-finals
Path A: Bulgaria 1-3 Hungary, Iceland 2-1 Romania
Path B: Bosnia and Herzegovina 1-1 Northern Ireland (pens: 3-4), Slovakia 0-0 Republic of Ireland (pens: 4-2)
Path C: Norway 1-2 Serbia, Scotland 0-0 Israel (pens: 5-3)
Path D: Georgia 1-0 Belarus, North Macedonia 2-1 Kosovo
Play-off finals
Path A: Hungary vs Iceland (20:45)
Path B: Northern Ireland vs Slovakia (20:45)
Path C: Serbia vs Scotland (20:45)
Path D: Georgia vs North Macedonia (18:00)
Are the play-offs new?
There have been play-offs for five of the last six EUROs, starting with a one-off match between the Netherlands and the Republic of Ireland at Anfield for EURO '96. The UEFA EURO 2020 play-offs have a very different format, though. For the first time, teams must come through more than one round and, unlike all previous editions, sides have qualified to participate via the UEFA Nations League rather than the European Qualifiers.
How do the play-offs work?
The 16 UEFA Nations League group winners were guaranteed play-off places before the European Qualifiers. If they advanced via their qualifying groups, their spot went to the next best-ranked team in their league. Where a league did not have four teams to compete (such as League A), remaining slots were allocated to teams from another league, according to the overall UEFA Nations League rankings.
Do teams know who they will potentially play in the EURO finals?
• Path A winners go to Group F alongside Portugal, France, Germany
• Path B winners go to Group E alongside Spain, Sweden, Poland
• Path C winners go to Group D alongside England, Croatia, Czech Republic
• Path D winners go to Group C alongside Netherlands, Ukraine, Austria
Previous EURO play-off ties
1996: Republic of Ireland 0–2 Netherlands, Anfield
2000: Scotland 1–2agg England (0–2 1–0)
2000: Israel 0–8agg Denmark (0–5 0–3)
2000: Slovenia 3–2agg Ukraine (2–1 1–1)
2000: Republic of Ireland 1–1agg Turkey (1–1 0–0, Turkey win on away goals)
2004: Scotland 1–6agg Netherlands (1–0 0–6)
2004: Croatia 2–1agg Slovenia (1–1 1–0)
2004: Russia 1–0agg Wales (0–0 1–0)
2004: Latvia 3–2agg Turkey (1–0 2–2)
2004: Spain 5–1agg Norway (2–1 3–0)
2012: Turkey 0–3agg Croatia (0–3 0–0)
2012: Estonia 1–5agg Republic of Ireland (0–4 1–1)
2012: Czech Republic 3–0agg Montenegro (2–0 1–0)
2012: Bosnia and Herzegovina 2–6agg Portugal (0–0 2–6)
2016: Ukraine 3–1agg Slovenia (2–0 1–1)
2016: Sweden 4–3agg Denmark (2–1 2–2)
2016: Bosnia and Herzegovina 1–3agg Republic of Ireland (1–1 0–2)
2016: Norway 1–3agg Hungary (0–1 1–2)
Records and statistics
Most play-off goals
3 Zlatan Ibrahimović (Sweden)
3 Robbie Keane (Republic of Ireland)
3 Jon Dahl Tomasson (Denmark)
3 Ruud van Nistelrooy (Netherlands)
3 Jon Walters (Republic of Ireland)
Biggest play-off win (tie)
Denmark 8–0agg Israel, 1999
Biggest play-off win (match)
Netherlands 6–0 Scotland, 2003
Highest scoring play-off (tie)
Denmark 8–0agg Israel, 1999
Bosnia and Herzegovina 2–6agg Portugal, 2011
Highest scoring play-off (match)
Portugal 6–2 Bosnia and Herzegovina, 2011
Scoring the first goal
The side scoring first has won 19 out of 24 EURO play-off ties (two finished goalless). The exceptions:
2000: Slovenia 3–2agg Ukraine (2–1 1–1)
2000: Republic of Ireland 1–1agg Turkey (1–1 0–0, Turkey win on away goals)
2004: Scotland 1–6agg Netherlands (1–0 0–6)
2004: Spain 5–1agg Norway (2–1 3–0)
2020: Bosnia and Herzegovina 1-1 Northern Ireland (3-4 on pens)
Losing the first leg
Only one team has ever lost the first leg and advanced in the EURO play-offs: in 2003, the Netherlands overturned a 1-0 defeat in Scotland with a 6-0 win at home.
Play-off hat-tricks
Ruud van Nistelrooy is the only player to score a play-off hat-trick, in the Netherlands' 6-0 second-leg win against Scotland in 2003.
Winning both legs
Only four teams have won both games of a two-leg play-off tie (out of 17):
Denmark (v Israel, 1999)
Spain (v Norway, 2003)
Czech Republic (v Montenegro, 2011)
Hungary (v Norway, 2015)
Play-off winners at EURO finals
• Semi-finals: Netherlands (2004), Portugal (2012)
• Quarter-finals: Netherlands (1996), Turkey (2000), Czech Republic (2012)
• Round of 16: Hungary (2016), Republic of Ireland (2016)
The remaining 11 play-off winners bowed out after the group stage.
EURO play-off record
Belarus*: W0 L1
Bosnia and Herzegovina*: W0 L3
Bulgaria*: W0 L1
Croatia: W2 L0
Czech Republic: W1 L0
Denmark: W1 L1
England: W1 L0
Estonia: W0 L1
Georgia*: W1 L0
Hungary*: W2 L0
Iceland*: W1 L0
Israel*: W0 L2
Kosovo*: W0 L1
Latvia: W1 L0
Montenegro: W0 L1
Netherlands: W2 L0
Northern Ireland*: W1 L0
North Macedonia*: W1 L0
Norway*: W0 L3
Portugal: W1 L0
Republic of Ireland*: W2 L3
Romania*: W0 L1
Russia: W1 L0
Scotland*: W1 L2
Serbia*: W1 L0
Slovakia*: W1 L0
Slovenia: W1 L2
Spain: W1 L0
Sweden: W1 L0
Turkey: W1 L2
Ukraine: W1 L1
Wales: W0 L1
*Including UEFA EURO 2020 play-off semi-final.
Trivia
• Two teams have scored six goals in their play-off second legs: the Netherlands in 2003 and Portugal in 2011. Both went on to reach the semi-finals at the following summer’s tournament.
• There had never been a goalless play-off tie before there were two in one night on 8 October 2020: Slovakia vs Republic of Ireland and Scotland vs Israel.
• Patrick Kluivert scored the first play-off goal: for the Netherlands against Ireland on 13 December 1995. He also scored the second!
EURO play-offs: potted history
• EURO ‘96: First play-off sees two runners-up with fewest points meet in a one-off tie at neutral Anfield.
• EURO 2000: Two-legged play-offs introduced, four ties featuring the eighth lowest-ranked qualifying group runners-up.
• EURO 2004: Two-legged play-offs involving all ten qualifying group runners-up.
• EURO 2008: No play-offs.
• EURO 2012: Return to EURO 2000 format, repeated for EURO 2016.
• EURO 2020: Once again there are four two-legged play-off ties though this time sides qualify based on performance in the 2018/19 UEFA Nations League rather than performance in the qualifying groups.
Source: UEFA