Women's EURO 2021 qualifying.
UEFA Women’s EURO 2021 qualifying is in progress with a record 47 teams competing for 15 places alongside hosts England in the finals.
Group A: Netherlands (holders), Russia, Slovenia, Turkey, Kosovo, Estonia
- The Netherlands have four wins
- Kosovo have six points from three games
- Estonia got a point with their 0-0 draw in Istanbul.
- Slovenia have six points but have played a game more than Russia and Kosovo.
Italy are on four wins
Group B: Italy, Denmark, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Israel, Malta, Georgia
- Denmark and Italy both have a maximum 12 points
- Bosnia and Herzegovina six behind
Group C: Norway, Wales, Belarus, Northern Ireland, Faroe Islands
- Norway have three wins out of three, and in their 13-0 victory in the Faroe Islands, Caroline Graham Hansen got three to take her qualifying tally to a competition leading eight goals while Isabell Herlovsen’s own hat-trick made her the country’s all-time top scorer on 67, ahead of Marianne Pettersen.
- Wales are two points behind after a crucial 1-0 win in Belarus, having been dramatically held by Northern Ireland in September.
Group D: Spain, Czech Republic, Poland, Moldova, Azerbaijan
- Spain opened on Friday with a 4-0 victory against Azerbaijan in front of a new record crowd of 10,444 in A Coruña and then won 5-1 in the Czech Republic to move three points clear of a side that beat Moldova 7-0 in August. Poland open against Spain on 12 November.
Group E: Scotland, Finland, Portugal, Albania, Cyprus
- Cyprus lost their debut competitive international 8-0 in Scotland.
- Finland won 3-0 in Albania last month.
- Portugal and Finland (who meet on 12 November) both defeated Albania.
Group F: Sweden, Iceland, Hungary, Slovakia, Latvia
- Sweden and Iceland both have a maximum nine points with Slovakia, who have lost to each, the only other side off the mark after a 2-1 win in Latvia.
Group G: France, Austria, Serbia, Kazakhstan, North Macedonia
- Serbia won 3-0 in Kazakhstan and 6-0 in North Macedonia but then lost 1-0 at home to Austria, who joined them on six points. France opened their campaign with a 3-0 victory in Kazakhstan.
Group H: Switzerland, Belgium, Romania, Croatia, Lithuania
- Switzerland with three wins and Belgium on two have both made perfect starts. Croatia have lost to each but have three points from an opening win in Lithuania.
Group I: Germany, Ukraine, Republic of Ireland, Greece, Montenegro
- Germany beat Montenegro 10-0 and won 8-0 away and at home against Ukraine before a 5-0 victory in Greece. The Republlic of Ireland are also perfect after two games, the second win a crucial 3-2 defeat of Ukraine in Vera Pauw’s first game in charge.
How qualifying works
- The group winners and the three runners-up with the best record against the sides first, third, fourth and fifth in their sections will join hosts England in the final tournament.
- The other six runners-up will play off in October 2020 for the remaining three berths in the 16-team finals to be held the following summer.
The lowdown
- The Netherlands are defending champions and reached their first FIFA Women’s World Cup final in 2019.
- World Cup semi-finalists Sweden and England (as Great Britain) will join the Netherlands at the 2020 Olympic tournament in Japan.
- France, Germany, Italy and Norway reached the World Cup quarter-finals, Spain went out in the last 16 and Scotland, on debut, fell in the group stage.
- Denmark were EURO 2017 runners-up while Austria and England also made the semis.
- Germany won every EURO from 1995 until 2017, when they fell to Denmark in the last eight, a run of six straight victories.
- Germany have won eight titles and Norway two, while Sweden and the Netherlands have one each.
- Cyprus are making their senior competitive debut while Kosovo are also in their first Women’s EURO.
- France and Austria were in the same group at UEFA Women’s EURO 2017 and both made it through.
- Finland coach Anna Signeul was in charge of Scotland when they made their finals debut in 2017.
- Norway qualified ahead of Wales for the 2017 finals.
- Portugal pipped Finland to the 2017 play-offs on their way to a debut finals.
- Switzerland beat Belgium on away goals in the 2019 FIFA Women’s World Cup play-offs before losing to the Netherlands.
Road to England: calendar
Qualifying group stage draw: 13:30CET, 21 February 2019, Nyon
Qualifying group stage dates:
29 August–3 September 2019, 2–8 October 2019, 6–12 November 2019, 5–11
March 2020, 9–14 April 2020, 3–9 June 2020, 16–22 September 2020
Play-off draw: 25 September 2020, Nyon
Play-offs (two legs): 19–27 October 2020
Final tournament draw: late 2020, England
Final tournament: July 2021, England