New Delhi: Sweden and Ukraine joined other 22 teams as the final line-up for Euro 2016 was confirmed early Wednesday morning.


COMMERCIAL BREAK
SCROLL TO CONTINUE READING

In the return legs of last two play-off matches, Sweden played out an away 2-2 draw in Denmark, for a 3-2 aggregate win. A double from Paris Saint-Germain superstar Zlatan Ibrahimovic all but killed Denmark's chances in in Copenhagen after losing the first leg 1-2 in Solna. Yussuf Poulsen and Jannik Vestergaard scored late in the game after trailing their visitors for most part of the first 80 minutes at Telia Park. Sweden have previously took part in the European Championships in 1992, 2000, 2004, 2008 and 2012.


Elsewhere in Maribor, Ukraine qualified for the continent's biggest tournament thanks to a stoppage time goal from Dynamo Kyiv forward Andriy Yarmolenko against Slovenia, which gave the Eastern European nation a place in the Euro 2016 by virtue of 3-1 win. Ukraine won the first leg 2-0 at Lviv last week. This is only the second time that Ukraine have qualified for the coveted tournament, after 2012.


Yesterday, Hungary and Republic of Ireland qualified after beating Norway and Bosnia and Herzegovina in their respective play-off matches.


These four teams will join hosts France, and nine group winners - England (E), Czech Republic (A), Austria (G), Northern Ireland (F), Portugal (I), Spain (C), Italy (H), Belgium (B), Germany (D); nine group runner-ups - Iceland (A), Switzerland (E), Wales (B), Romania (F), Albania (I), Poland (D), Russia (G), Slovakia (C) and Croatia (H); and the best third-placed team during main qualifying Turkey in the June 10-July 10 tournament next year.


The draw for the tournament takes place on December 12 in Paris, wherein France, Germany, Spain, England, Portugal and Belgium were given top seeds.


These 24 teams will be drawn into six groups of four each. The top two sides from each group along with the four best third-placed sides will progress to the Round of 16, before the knock out stages.


In the wake of recent Paris attacks which killed more than 129 people and left scores injured, the tournament had recieved calls for a change in venue. But tournament organisers, UEFA have stood firm and on Monday, declared that the quadrennial competition will go ahead as scheduled, in France.