Euro 2024 Draw: England avoid Group of Death, Scotland kick off against hosts Germany

England will take on Denmark, Slovenia and Serbia in Euro 2024 next summer while Scotland will kick off the tournament against hosts Germany.

The draw for the European Championship was held on Saturday evening in a very snowy and chilly Hamburg – one of 10 host cities for the tournament.

Hosts Germany automatically qualified, with 20 further teams securing their spot in the draw after finishing in the top two of their European Qualifying groups.

The final three berths will be determined via Play-offs scheduled to be played in March, with 12 teams still in contention to make next summer’s tournament including Wales.

As hosts, three-time winners Germany were automatically seeded in Pot 1 and drawn first in Group A, and they will kick off the tournament with the first match next summer against Scotland on June 14 in Munich.

There are six groups in total, with Portugal, France, Spain, Belgium and England rounding off the other five seeded teams as the best-ranked group winners, while holders Italy only managed to secure a place in Pot 4.

England were pulled out in third spot and landed in Group C – in position C4 – which means the Three Lions will begin their campaign in Gelsenkirchen on June 16 against Serbia.

They will next be in action four days later in Frankfurt against Denmark on June 20, before finishing off the group against Slovenia in Cologne on June 25.

Euro 2024 group stage draw

If England win their group, they will play the best third-placed team from groups D, E or F in the last 16 and will not face another group winner until the semi-final. If they finish as runners-up, they will take on the winner of Group A instead.

It is a very favourable draw for Gareth Southgate’s side, avoiding the likes of the Netherlands and Italy as well as other home nations, and offers an advantageous route to the latter stages of the tournament.

Scotland, meanwhile, will also take on Hungary and Switzerland in a very testing draw, while Group D – which features Holland, France and Austria as well as one of the Play-off winners – feels like Euro 2024’s dreaded Group of Death.

The four possible teams who could claim the spot of Play-off Winner A are Poland and Estonia, and Wales and Finland, with the winner of each Play-off semi-final then meeting in a final on March 26.

Path B is contested by Israel, Iceland, Bosnia-Herzegovina and Ukraine, while Path C features Georgia, Luxembourg, Greece and Kazakhstan.

The tournament will follow the same format as at Euro 2020, with the top two from each of the six groups proceeding to the round of 16 alongside the four best third-placed finishers.

Berlin’s iconic Olympiastadion will host the Euro 2024 final on July 14, with England looking to go one better than last time when they were beaten on penalties by Italy in the final.

UEFA have also confirmed the prize money for next year’s tournament, with each nation receiving €9.25million (£7.9m) for participating, plus further bonuses for wins, draws and progression through the rounds.

The maximum amount the champion can achieve, if they win all three of their group matches, is €28.25m (£24.2m).

MORE : Your full guide to Euro 2024 including start date, schedule and venues

MORE : FA confident that Manchester United starlet Kobbie Mainoo will pick England over Ghana

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