Who Scotland could get in the Euro 2024 qualifying group draw

The next major tournament for Scotland to look forward to is the Euro 2024 finals, with the qualification run to be held from the first international break in 2023. After Euro appearances in 1992 and 1996, and the 1998 World Cup, Scotland last qualified as co-hosts at Euro 2020, where they finished bottom of Group D.

Steve Clarke's side missed out on a place at the 2022 World Cup, but made up for it by earning promotion to the top tier of the UEFA Nations League and now their sights are set on the next European Championship.

So who could the Tartan Army end up facing in qualification? GOAL brings you everything you need to know.

Who could Scotland get in Euro 2024 qualifiers?

Scotland are in Pot 2 on account of their Nations League finish, which saw them earn promotion to League A.

They cannot be drawn against other Pot 2 teams, so they will avoid France, England, Wales, Austria, Czech Republic, Israel, Bosnia & Herzegovina, Serbia and Finland.

They can, however, be paired with one of Netherlands, Croatia, Spain, Italy, Portugal, Belgium, Denmark, Hungary, Switzerland or Poland from the UNL Pot or Pot 1.

From Pot 3, Scotland could potentially face one of the Republic of Ireland, Ukraine, Iceland, Norway, Slovenia, Sweden, Romania, Montenegro, Armenia or Albania.

Potential opponents from Pot 4 include Georgia, Greece, Turkey, Kazakhstan, Luxembourg, Azerbaijan, Kosovo, Bulgaria, Faroe Islands and North Macedonia. However, it should be noted that restrictions apply in the case of Kazakhstan (see exceptions below), so they could be avoided, depending on how the draw shapes up.

Pot 5 features Slovakia, Northern Ireland, Cyprus, Belarus, Lithuania, Gibraltar, Estonia, Latvia, Moldova and Malta, while Pot 6 is made up of Andorra, San Marino and Liechtenstein.

Should Scotland be drawn with Spain, they will not face Gibraltar due to UEFA's prohibited pairing rules. Similarly, should they draw Armenia, they will not face Azerbaijan. If they are paired with Ukraine from Pot 3, there is no chance of also facing Belarus from Pot 5.

There is zero chance of Scotland playing Germany, who are hosts, or Russia, who have been suspended from UEFA competition.

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Seeding pots for the Euro 2024 qualifying draw

You can see every seeding pot in full below.

When is the Euro 2024 qualifying draw?

The group draw for Euro 2024 qualifying will be held on Sunday October 9, 2022. It is set to begin at 11am BST (6am ET).

It can be watched live on UEFA's official website.

UEFA Euro 2024 qualifying draw exceptions

The following exceptions apply to the draw:

Prohibited clashes

These teams cannot be paired in the same Euro 2024 qualifying group for geo-political reasons:

• Spain and Gibraltar
• Armenia and Azerbaijan
• Belarus and Ukraine
• Kosovo and Bosnia-Herzegovina
• Kosovo and Serbia

Winter venue restrictions

A maximum of two teams whose venues are considered at risk of severe winter conditions can be in the same group. These high/medium winter risk teams are:

• Belarus
• Estonia
• Faroe Islands
• Finland
• Iceland
• Latvia
• Lithuania
• Norway

Excessive travel restrictions

A number of teams have been identified with excessive travel distance in relation to certain other teams, so a maximum of one pairing can be placed in each group:

• Azerbaijan with Gibraltar, Iceland and Portugal
• Iceland with Cyprus, Georgia and Israel
• Kazakhstan with Andorra, England, France, Gibraltar, Iceland, Malta, Northern Ireland, Portugal, Republic of Ireland, Scotland, Spain and Wales.

When does Euro 2024 qualifying start?

Qualifying for Euro 2024 begins in March 2023, with matchday one and two played between March 23 and March 28. The qualifying period will involve a total of 10 matchdays, with the last matchdays being played in November 2023.

The Euro 2024 play-offs - which could involve Scotland should they fail to secure a top-two finish in their group - will take place in March 2024, with the final tournament kicking off on June 14, 2024.