Can Ukraine still qualify for EURO 2024?

The Blue and Yellow still have hope to qualify for the Euro 2024 after qualifying for the playoffs in March

The result of Ukraine's most recent match against Italy puts their chances of qualifying for EURO 2024 at stake. Their persistent performance against the European champions resulted in a goalless draw, which resulted in their chances of qualifying in peril. After a tough match against Italy, both teams finished Group C qualifiers equally at 14 points. Due to their superior head-to-head record, Italy took second place, with Ukraine in contention but not quite out of it.

Ukraine's hopes are focused on the playoffs in March. They are not giving up. They never succeeded in defeating Italy, but their determination and grit despite difficulty were clear. Attention turns to the playoff draw in Nyon, which presents an additional chance for Ukraine to guarantee a spot in the highly anticipated EURO 2024 tournament in Germany.

Throughout the qualifiers, Ukraine's campaign has shown highs and lows. Their victories over Malta and North Macedonia demonstrated their potential, and their valiant draws with England and Italy proved their strength. Even though Italy defeated them by a narrow margin, their performance showed that they are a team that is developing and stretching.

Now that Ukraine has narrowly missed out on a Euro 2024 Cup spot, the playoffs offer them an opportunity to make amends. As they get ready to secure a spot at the championship, their steady performances have encouraged optimism. The team's difficult yet inspiring journey prepares them to be an effective unit ready to compete well.

How do the UEFA Euro play-offs work?

Three teams have one more opportunity to qualify for the tournament: the UEFA EURO 2024 play-offs. These matches are scheduled for March 21 and 26 and are the last chance. The draw is scheduled for November 23 in Nyon, Switzerland and it will feature 12 teams, most of whom are the Nations League 2022–2023 group winners. If fewer than four teams from a single league qualify, then Estonia, who finished first in League D will advance.

To prevent teams from lower leagues from playing teams from higher leagues during the playoffs, the remaining spots are decided by the overall Nations League rankings. To determine the final grouping of the eagerly awaited EURO 2024 tournament, the criteria offer an organised yet flexible approach to the play-off system.

History of Ukraine in the UEFA European Championship

With its independence in the 90s, Ukraine has participated in the UEFA European Championship. The national team's path through this prestigious competition has been a combination of competitiveness and a quest for glory. In 2012, they participated in their first EURO tournament, which was jointly organised by Poland and Ukraine. Despite their best efforts, Ukraine was unable to advance past the group stage as co-hosts. They made a great effort, but they were unable to gain enough points to move ahead.

Ukraine persisted in trying to qualify for the next edition of the tournament. They finished behind Slovakia and Spain in the qualification group, almost missing out on a position in the playoffs for the EURO 2016 in France. But they were disappointed when they lost to Slovenia in the playoffs and couldn't get a spot in the tournament.

Ukraine made a significant impact at EURO 2020, which was hosted in several European cities. The team qualified for the knockout round by putting on excellent performances in the group stage. Their journey came to an end in the quarterfinals when they lost to England and were headed for elimination.

During their participation in the UEFA European Championship, Ukraine's team has proven to be resilient and determined. In addition to trying to leave a lasting impression on the competition, they are still working to earn a spot in the EURO 2024 which is to be held in Germany.