Euro 2024 qualifying draw pots see Northern Ireland facing huge challenge

Northern Ireland's Euro 2024 quest has been made a lot tougher following their poor Nations League campaign.

Ian Baraclough's side won just one of their six fixtures, drawing twice and losing three times including Tuesday's final game against Greece in Athens.

That all means they will go into Pot 5 for the Euros draw, which takes place on Sunday, October 9.

Read more: Greece vs Northern Ireland as it happened in the Nations League

It will leave Northern Ireland with a massive challenge to reach their second European Championship finals.

England and France are set to be in Pot 2 which means they could end up alongside another European heavyweight in their group. Scotland and Wales will also be in Pot 2 for the draw.

The Republic of Ireland are in Pot 3 for the Euro qualifying draw.

One team from each pot will go into a group, creating seven groups of five nations and three groups of six.

The four UEFA Nations League A group winners - Croatia, Italy, Netherlands and Spain - will be drawn into a group of five.

Euro 2024 qualifying draw pots

POT 1

1. Netherlands
2. Croatia
3. Spain
4. Italy
5. Denmark
6. Portugal
7. Belgium
8. Hungary
9. Switzerland
10. Poland

POT 2

1. France
2. Austria
3. Czech Republic
4. England
5. Wales
6. Israel
7. Bosnia and Herzegovina
8. Serbia
9. Scotland
10. Finland

POT 3

1. Ukraine
2. Iceland
3. Norway
4. Slovenia
5. Republic of Ireland
6. Albania
7. Montenegro
8. Romania
9. Sweden
10. Armenia

POT 4

1. Georgia
2. Greece
3. Turkey
4. Kazakhstan
5. Luxembourg
6. Azerbaijan
7. Kosovo
8. Bulgaria
9. Faroe Islands
10. North Macedonia

POT 5

1. Slovakia
2. Northern Ireland
3. Cyprus
4. Belarus
5. Lithuania
6. Gibraltar
7. Estonia
8. Latvia
9. Moldova
10. Malta

POT 6

1. Andorra
2. Liechtenstein
3. San Marino

How the groups will work

The top two teams in each group will qualify for Euro 2024 alongside hosts Germany.

The final three places will be decided via playoff routes, created via the best-ranked teams from the UEFA Nations League who haven't qualified automatically. There will be one place each for League A, B and C.

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• Ian Baraclough says Conor McMenamin withdrawal was 'right thing to do'

• NI boss Baraclough hails players after ending turbulent week on a high

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