Qualifying for the 2016 European Championships has begun, with 53 teams vying to book their places in the France-held tournament in two years’ time. Chief among them, of course, is a selection of the continent’s footballing elite, who would all no doubt be disappointed to drop a single point in qualifying, never mind failing to make the tournament altogether.
Euro 2016 qualifying: Format, fixture schedule, results and standings
Euro 2016 qualifying is underway and ongoing through the fall of 2015.
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Reigning tournament champions Spain have perhaps the easiest group of all of the big nations, with only Ukraine likely to cause them any problems. Germany will be eager to avoid an upset at the hands of their near neighbours Poland, but otherwise they too should cruise through their group. Barring an upset from Switzerland, England shouldn't find their group troublesome, while Croatia pose the biggest threat to Italy in their draw.
However, it’s perhaps not at these massive teams that we really ought to be taking an interest in during this qualification phase (save for an ever-entertaining England 2007-style implosion, of course), but rather the traditionally minor footballing countries. The tournament has been expanded for 2016, meaning there’s a bigger opportunity for some of the smaller teams to make it to their maiden tournaments.
Particularly in groups without any real dominant force, there's a very real chance we could see some nations qualify for a major tournament for the first time. Sides like Montenegro and Albania will be gunning to make history by making it, while teams like Scotland and Wales will look to capitalise on their recent resurgences by marking their returns to the big stage.
That’s Euro 2016 qualifying in a nutshell. Squint, and it might even look exciting ...
The format
The initial qualification stages are organised into eight groups of six teams, and one group of five teams. The top two teams in each group after everyone in said group has played each other home and away guarantee their spots in the tournament proper. The third place finishers, meanwhile, all get entered into a final playoff stage when they face off over two legs to allocate the remaining slots.
As the mathematically-inclined will notice, that means the tournament in France will be contested by 24 different teams (as hosts, France get entered automatically), which is an expansion on the 16-team format that had been used since 1996. Such an expansion will likely afford spots in the final tournament to some historically insignificant footballing nations, which means they should be fighting harder than ever in qualification.
Standings
Schedule and scores for most recent round of games (June 12-14, all times ET)
Friday, June 12
Kazakhstan 0-1 Turkey
Iceland 2-1 Czech Republic
Latvia 0-2 Netherlands
Andorra 1-3 Cyprus
Bosnia-Herzegovina 3-1 Israel
Wales 1-0 Belgium
Croatia 1-1 Italy
Malta 0-1 Bulgaria
Norway 0-0 Azerbaijan
Saturday, June 13
Poland 4-0 Georgia
Republic of Ireland 1-1 Scotland
Finland 0-1 Hungary
Armenia 2-3 Portugal
Gibraltar 0-7 Germany
Faroe Islands 2-1 Greece
Denmark 2-0 Serbia
Sunday, June 14
Ukraine 3-0 Luxembourg
Estonia 2-0 San Marino
Slovenia 2-3 England
Liechtenstein 1-1 Moldova
Russia 0-1 Austria
Belarus 0-1 Spain
Lithuania 1-2 Switzerland
Sweden 3-1 Montenegro
Results
Group A
Czech Republic 2-1 Netherlands
Iceland 3-0 Turkey
Kazakhtan 0-0 Latvia
Latvia 0-3 Iceland
Netherlands 3-1 Kazakhstan
Turkey 1-2 Czech Republic
Kazakhstan 2-4 Czech Republic
Iceland 2-0 Netherlands
Latvia 1-1 Turkey
Netherlands 6-0 Latvia
Czech Republic 2-1 Iceland
Turkey 3-1 Kazakhstan
Czech Republic 1-1 Latvia
Netherlands 1-1 Turkey
Kazakhstan 0-3 Iceland
Kazakhstan 0-1 Turkey
Iceland 2-1 Czech Republic
Latvia 2-0 Netherlands
Group B
Bosnia-Herzegovina 1-2 Cyprus
Andorra 1-2 Wales
Belgium 6-0 Andorra
Cyprus 1-2 Israel
Wales 0-0 Bosnia-Herzegovina
Andorra 1-4 Israel
Bosnia-Herzegovina 1-1 Belgium
Wales 2-1 Cyprus
Belgium 0-0 Wales
Cyprus 5-0 Andorra
Israel 3-0 Bosnia-Herzegovina
Israel 0-3 Wales
Andorra 0-3 Bosnia-Herzegovina
Belgium 5-0 Cyprus
Andorra 1-3 Cyprus
Bosnia-Herzegovina 3-1 Israel
Wales 1-0 Belgium
Group C
Ukraine 0-1 Slovakia
Spain 5-1 FYR Macedonia
Luxembourg 1-1 Belarus
Belarus 0-2 Ukraine
Macedonia 3-2 Luxembourg
Slovakia 2-1 Spain
Ukraine 1-0 Macedonia
Belarus 1-3 Slovakia
Luxembourg 0-4 Spain
Luxembourg 0-3 Ukraine
Macedonia 0-2 Slovakia
Spain 3-0 Belarus
Macedonia 1-2 Belarus
Spain 1-0 Ukraine
Ukraine 3-0 Luxembourg
Belarus 0-1 Spain
Slovakia 2-1 Macedonia
Group D
Germany 2-1 Scotland
Gibraltar 0-7 Poland
Georgia 1-2 Republic of Ireland
Republic of Ireland 7-0 Gibraltar
Scotland 1-0 Georgia
Poland 2-0 Germany
Germany 1-1 Republic of Ireland
Gibraltar 0-3 Georgia
Poland 2-2 Scotland
Georgia 0-4 Poland
Scotland 1-0 Republic of Ireland
Germany 4-0 Gibraltar
Georgia 0-2 Germany
Scotland 6-1 Gibraltar
Republic of Ireland 1-1 Poland
Republic of Ireland 1-1 Scotland
Poland 4-0 Georgia
Gibraltar 0-7 Germany
Group E
Switzerland 0-2 England
Estonia 1-0 Slovenia
San Marino 0-2 Lithuania
England 5-0 San Marino
Lithuania 1-0 Estonia
Slovenia 1-0 Switzerland
Estonia 0-1 England
Lithuania 0-2 Slovenia
San Marino 0-4 Switzerland
England 3-1 Slovenia
San Marino 0-0 Estonia
Switzerland 4-0 Lithuania
England 4-0 Lithuania
Switzerland 3-0 Estonia
Slovenia 6-0 San Marino
Estonia 2-0 San Marino
Slovenia 2-3 England
Lithuania 1-2 Switzerland
Group F
Faroe Islands 1-3 Finland
Hungary 1-2 Northern Ireland
Greece 0-1 Romania
Romania 1-1 Hungary
Finland 1-1 Greece
Northern Ireland 2-0 Faroe Islands
Faroe Islands 0-1 Hungary
Finland 0-2 Romania
Greece 0-2 Northern Ireland
Greece 0-1 Faroe Islands
Hungary 1-0 Finland
Romania 2-0 Northern Ireland
Northern Ireland 2-1 Finland
Romania 1-0 Faroe Islands
Hungary 0-0 Greece
Finland 0-1 Hungary
Faroe Islands 2-1 Greece
Northern Ireland 0-0 Romania
Group G
Montenegro 2-0 Moldova
Russia 4-0 Liechtenstein
Austria 1-1 Sweden
Liechtenstein 0-0 Montenegro
Moldova 1-2 Austria
Sweden 1-1 Russia
Austria 1-0 Montenegro
Russia 1-1 Moldova
Sweden 2-0 Liechtenstein
Austria 1-0 Russia
Moldova 0-1 Liechtenstein
Montenegro 1-1 Sweden
Moldova 0-2 Sweden
Liechtenstein 0-5 Austria
Montenegro 0-3 Russia, awarded due to crowd trouble
Liechtenstein 1-1 Moldova
Russia 0-1 Austria
Sweden 3-1 Montenegro
Group H
Azerbaijan 1-2 Bulgaria
Croatia 2-0 Malta
Norway 0-2 Italy
Bulgaria 0-1 Croatia
Italy 2-1 Azerbaijan
Malta 0-3 Norway
Croatia 6-0 Azerbaijan
Malta 0-1 Italy
Norway 2-1 Bulgaria
Azerbaijan 0-1 Norway
Bulgaria 1-1 Malta
Italy 1-1 Croatia
Azerbaijan 2-0 Malta
Croatia 5-1 Norway
Bulgaria 2-2 Italy
Croatia 1-1 Italy
Malta 0-1 Bulgaria
Norway 0-0 Azerbaijan
Group I
Portugal 0-1 Albania
Denmark 2-1 Armenia
Albania 1-1 Denmark
Armenia 1-1 Serbia
Denmark 0-1 Portugal
Serbia 3-0 Albania - Albania forfeits, but Serbia deducted 3 points for crowd trouble
Portugal 1-0 Armenia
Serbia 1-3 Denmark
Albania 2-1 Armenia
Portugal 2-1 Serbia
Armenia 2-3 Portugal
Denmark 2-0 Serbia
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