The Euro 2024 has seen its final participants confirmed on Tuesday (Mar 27) after the playoff finals as Poland, Ukraine, and Georgia punched their tickets for the competition. The three teams will join 20 other qualifying teams while Germany as hosts was already through. The eyes will now be on the main tournament which will start on June 14 in Germany with defending champions Italy, England and France amongst the favourites to go all the way.
Euro 2024 Teams: Poland break Wales’ hearts on penalties
After brushing aside Finland in the Path A playoff semifinal with a convincing 4-1 win, Wales needed to repeat the performance to advance to their third consecutive Euro. However, a dull night in front of the goal for both sides was settled by the lottery of penalties. Dan James’ miss in the sudden death saw Wales’s dreams of advancing to the final tournament crushed as the visitors won 5-4 in the shootout. For Poland, it was nothing special in terms of goals, but they got the job done with a perfect record in the shootout.
Poland now faces the Netherlands, Austria and France in Group D in Euro 2024 in Germany, with their opener against the Dutch in Hamburg on Sunday, June 16.
Georgia advances to Euro 2024
It was a night of history for Georgia as they reached the group stage of a major tournament for the first time in their history. Like the Wales-Poland affair, this too was a goalless affair against Grecce and needed a penalty shootout to settle. Georgia substitute Nika Kvekveskiri converted his spot kick after Greece’s Giorgos Giakoumakis put his penalty wide to send the home crowd wild. Georgia will be in Group F alongside Portugal, Turkey and the Czech Republic at the Euros in Germany which begins on June 14.
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“Some did not believe in us but now they will believe it. We are happy. I have never had such an emotion in my life,” Georgia talisman Khvicha Kvaratskhelia told 1TV Sport.
Ukraine overcome emotions to book Euro 2024 berth
Having suffered a lot during the last two years due to the war between Ukraine and Russia, the designated home side overcame the hard rock to book their place in the group stage. Second-half strikes from Mykhailo Mudryk and Viktor Tsygankov were the difference-makers. The Chelsea forward scored the winning goal in the 84th minute while Tsygankov had leveled earlier in the second half. Albert Gudmundsson had opened the scoring in the 30th minute for Iceland but was not enough to overcome the odds.
The qualification for the Euro 2024 provides some respite for Ukraine who made it to the quarterfinals of the Euro 2020. Ukraine will go into Group E at the Euro 2024 finals, alongside Belgium, Slovakia, and Romania.
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