# UEFA European Championship qualifying

The UEFA European Championship qualifying, branded as the European Qualifiers, is the process that UEFA-affiliated national football teams go through in order to qualify for the UEFA European Championship.
In this article, the years represent the final tournaments of the European Championship, and are not meant to correspond to the actual dates when the qualification matches were played.

## Format evolution

Qualifying groups :
| Year | Groups | Teams |
| 1960 | — | — |
| 1964 | — | — |
| 1968 | 8 | 3–4 |
| 1972 | 8 | 4 |
| 1976 | 8 | 4 |
| 1980 | 7 | 4–5 |
| 1984 | 7 | 4–5 |
| 1988 | 7 | 4–5 |
| 1992 | 7 | 4–5 |
| 1996 | 8 | 5–6 |
| 2000 | 9 | 5–6 |
| 2004 | 10 | 5 |
| 2008 | 7 | 7–8 |
| 2012 | 9 | 5–6 |
| 2016 | 9 | 5–6 |
| 2020 | 10 | 5–6 |
| 2024 | 10 | 5–6 |
| 2028 | 12 | 4–5 |
The 1960 and 1964 qualifications were knock-out tournaments. The four quarter-final-winning teams qualified for the final stages, and one of them was chosen to host the competition.
From 1968 onwards, a group stage began to be used as the main, or sole, component of qualification. In 1968, 1972 and 1976, the winners of the eight groups advanced to a quarter-final stage, which was still part of the qualifying. The four quarter-final winners progressed to the finals. Again, the host nation was selected among the four finalists.
From 1980, the hosting rights would be assigned in advance, and the host teams would be guaranteed automatic qualification. The format of the finals was expanded to feature 8 teams. Winners of qualifying groups now proceeded to the finals directly. The 1980, 1984, 1988 and 1992 qualifications included seven groups, the winners of which would join the hosts in the finals, although in 1992 one winner was eventually banned from appearing and was replaced by the runner-up of its group.
From 1996, a 16-team format was employed for the main tournament. Runners-up in qualifying groups now could also gain access to the finals. Play-off pairings were introduced as a second opportunity for teams that narrowly miss out on direct qualification. The 1996 qualifying consisted of eight groups; the group winners as well as the six best runners-up qualified, and so did the winner of the play-off between the remaining two runners-up, joining the host country.
In 2000, the first-placed teams in the nine qualifying groups as well as the best runner-up progressed directly to the finals, while another four spots were taken by winners of play-offs contested by the remaining runners-up. For the first time there were two host countries; they both received automatic berths in the finals.
In 2004, along with the host team, the ten qualifying group winners advanced, as did the winners of the five play-off ties formed by the runners-up.
In 2008, the top two teams from each of the seven qualifying groups joined the two host teams to bring the number of finalists to 16. No play-off stage was held.
The 2012 qualification replicated the format of that of 2000: places were taken by nine group winners and the best runner-up, while the other runners-up determined four more finalists via play-offs, with the two host countries qualifying by default.
Starting from 2016, the finals format was expanded again, now featuring 24 teams. It became possible for third-placed teams in qualifying groups to get to the Euros too. The 2016 qualifying included nine groups; the winners, the runners-up, and the best third-placed team advanced directly, while play-offs played by the other third-placed teams determined the last four finalists. The host nation still qualified automatically. The 2016 qualification tournament was the first one to be branded as the European Qualifiers, a trademark used from that point on for both the European Championship qualifications and the FIFA World Cup qualification tournaments in Europe.
From 2020, qualification began to be linked with the newly created UEFA Nations League: participation in the qualifying play-offs was now determined based on the teams' performances in that competition and not in qualification itself. The play-offs themselves were restructured into four-team brackets consisting of semi-finals and a final. In the 2020 qualifying, the top two teams of the ten qualifying groups took twenty places in the main tournament. From each of the four divisions of the 2018–19 Nations League, the four best-ranked teams not already qualified for Euro 2020 filled in a play-off bracket for that division, and the winner of each bracket got a spot in the Euros as well. There were no automatic berths for Euro 2020 as it was hosted by multiple cities across the continent. It was actually postponed until 2021 due to the COVID-19 pandemic but retained its original branding.
In a similar fashion, the 2024 qualifying granted spots to the winners and runners-up of the ten qualifying groups, while this time only the top three divisions of the 2022–23 Nations League formed play-off brackets to determine three more finalists, and the host country got an automatic spot.
For 2028, the number of groups will be increased to twelve. The winners will advance to the finals, while the runners-up will either also advance directly or participate in play-offs. It is to be announced how many and which of the four host countries will qualify by default or will play qualification matches.

### Number of teams entering

| | 1960 | 1964 | 1968 | 1972 | 1976 | 1980 | 1984 | 1988 | 1992 | 1996 | 2000 | 2004 | 2008 | 2012 | 2016 | 2020 | 2024 | 2028 | 2032 |
| Total valid entries | 17 | 29 | 31 | 32 | 32 | 31 | 32 | 32 | 34 | 47 | 49 | 50 | 50 | 51 | 53 | 55 | 53 | | |
| Played at least one match | 17 | 28 | 31 | 32 | 32 | 31 | 32 | 32 | 33 | 47 | 49 | 50 | 50 | 51 | 53 | 55 | 53 | | |
| Qualified through qualification | 4 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 7 | 7 | 7 | 7 | 15 | 14 | 15 | 14 | 14 | 23 | 24 | 23 | | |
| Qualified automatically | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 1 | | 2 |
| Total finalists | 4 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 8 | 8 | 8 | 8 | 16 | 16 | 16 | 16 | 16 | 24 | 24 | 24 | 24 | |
* 1 2 Data is about qualifications only (automatic qualifiers are not counted).

## Participating teams

All national teams that are members of UEFA are eligible to enter the qualification for the European Championship. A total of 56 distinct entities have made attempts to qualify for the European Championship. Of those, 55 are still active in the competition. Due to political changes, a few of the entities have appeared under multiple incarnations (see the footnotes to the below table), and the East Germany team is now defunct.
Saarland, a former UEFA member, merged into West Germany in 1957 and therefore did not enter the qualifiers of any European Championships.
| Year | Debuting teams | Debuting teams | Debuting teams | Successor teams | Renamed teams |
| Year | Teams | No. | CT | Successor teams | Renamed teams |
| 1960 | Austria, Bulgaria, Czechoslovakia, Denmark, East Germany, France, Greece, Hungary, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Republic of Ireland, Romania, Soviet Union, Spain, Turkey, Yugoslavia | 17 | 17 | | |
| 1964 | Albania, Belgium, England, Iceland, Italy, Luxembourg, Malta, Netherlands, Northern Ireland, Sweden, Switzerland, Wales | 12 | 29 | | |
| 1968 | Cyprus, Finland, Scotland, West Germany | 4 | 33 | | |
| 1972 | | 0 | 33 | | |
| 1976 | | 0 | 33 | | |
| 1980 | | 0 | 33 | | |
| 1984 | | 0 | 33 | | |
| 1988 | | 0 | 33 | | |
| 1992 | Faroe Islands, San Marino | 2 | 35 | Germany | |
| 1996 | Armenia, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Croatia, Estonia, Georgia, Israel, Latvia, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Macedonia, Moldova, Slovenia, Ukraine | 15 | 50 | Czech Republic, Russia, Slovakia | |
| 2000 | Andorra, Bosnia and Herzegovina | 2 | 52 | FR Yugoslavia | |
| 2004 | | 0 | 52 | | Serbia and Montenegro |
| 2008 | Kazakhstan | 1 | 53 | Serbia | |
| 2012 | Montenegro | 1 | 54 | | |
| 2016 | Gibraltar | 1 | 55 | | |
| 2020 | Kosovo | 1 | 56 | | North Macedonia |
| 2024 | | 0 | 56 | | |

### Successor teams inheriting the records of former teams

* 1 2 3 As recognised by UEFA, the Czech Republic and Slovakia are considered equal successors of Czechoslovakia from the 1996 qualification.
* 1 2 The Soviet Union was succeeded and replaced for the 1992 finals by the provisional Commonwealth of Independent States team, which in turn was succeeded by Russia from the 1996 qualification.
* 1 2 3 4 Yugoslavia was succeeded from the 2000 qualification by FR Yugoslavia / Serbia and Montenegro, which in turn was succeeded by Serbia from the 2008 qualification.
* 1 2 West Germany was succeeded by the reunited nation of Germany from the 1992 qualification.

### Teams competing as parts of other teams

* ↑ East Germany competes as part of the reunited nation of Germany since the 1992 qualification.
* 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 Armenia, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Estonia, Georgia, Kazakhstan, Latvia, Lithuania, Moldova, and Ukraine competed as parts of the Soviet Union from 1960 to 1992. All of them except Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania also competed in the 1992 finals as parts of the Commonwealth of Independent States.
* 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia, Kosovo, Macedonia, Montenegro, and Slovenia competed as parts of Yugoslavia from 1960 to 1992. Kosovo and Montenegro then competed as parts of FR Yugoslavia / Serbia and Montenegro from 2000 to 2004. Kosovo then competed as part of Serbia in 2008, before unilaterally breaking off from it and eventually being admitted to UEFA.

### Renamed teams

* 1 2 Macedonia was renamed as North Macedonia from the 2020 qualification.
* 1 2 FR Yugoslavia was renamed as Serbia and Montenegro during the 2004 qualification.

### Other notes

* ↑ Given that UEFA recognises the Czech Republic and Slovakia as equal successors of Czechoslovakia, neither team is considered to have debuted outright under its current incarnation. Regardless, they are separate entities and are counted accordingly, bringing the cumulative total number of participants to 50 as of 1996 (and 56 as of 2024).

## Overview

| Team | 1960 | 1964 | 1968 | 1972 | 1976 | 1980 | 1984 | 1988 | 1992 | 1996 | 2000 | 2004 | 2008 | 2012 | 2016 | 2020 | 2024 | 2028 | 2032 |
| Albania | — | r16 | 3/3 | 4/4 | — | — | 5/5 | 4/4 | 5/5 | 6/6 | 5/6 | 4/5 | 5/7 | 5/6 | 2/5 | 4/6 | 1/5 | | |
| Andorra | | | | | | | | | | | 6/6 | 5/5 | 7/7 | 6/6 | 6/6 | 5/6 | 6/6 | | |
| Armenia | | | | | | | | | | 6/6 | 5/6 | 4/5 | 7/8 | 3/6 | 5/5 | 5/6 | 4/5 | | |
| Austria | QF | r16 | 3/4 | 2/4 | 3/4 | 2/5 | 3/5 | 3/4 | 4/5 | 4/6 | 3/5 | 3/5 | Q$_{host}$ | 4/6 | 1/6 | 2/6 | 2/5 | | |
| Azerbaijan | | | | | | | | | | 6/6 | 5/6 | 5/5 | 8/8 | 5/6 | 5/6 | 5/5 | 4/5 | | |
| Belarus | | | | | | | | | | 4/6 | 5/5 | 5/5 | 4/7 | 4/6 | 4/6 | 4/5+p | 4/6 | | |
| Belgium | — | pr | 2/4 | $^{1/4}$$_{QW}$ | $^{1/4}$$_{QF}$ | 1/5 | 1/4 | 3/5 | 3/4 | 3/6 | Q$_{host}$ | 3/5 | 5/8 | 3/6 | 1/6 | 1/6 | 1/5 | | |
| Bosnia and Herzegovina | | | | | | | | | | | 3/6 | 4/5 | 4/7 | 2/6+p | 3/6+p | 4/6+p | 5/6+p | | |
| Bulgaria | r16 | r16 | $^{1/4}$$_{QF}$ | 2/4 | 3/4 | 4/5 | 3/4 | 2/5 | 4/5 | 2/6 | 4/5 | 1/5 | 3/7 | 5/5 | 4/6 | 4/5+p | 5/5 | | |
| Croatia | | | | | | | | | | 1/6 | 3/5 | 2/5+p | 1/7 | 2/6+p | 2/6 | 1/5 | 2/5 | | |
| Cyprus | | — | 4/4 | 4/4 | 4/4 | 4/4 | 5/5 | 5/5 | 5/5 | 5/6 | 4/5 | 4/5 | 6/7 | 5/5 | 5/6 | 4/6 | 5/5 | | |
| Czech Republic (1996–) Czechoslovakia (1960–1992) | QW | pr | 2/4 | 2/4 | $^{1/4}$$_{QW}$ | 1/4 | 3/5 | 2/4 | 2/5 | 1/6 | 1/6 | 1/5 | 1/7 | 2/5+p | 1/6 | 2/5 | 2/5 | | |
| Denmark | r16 | QW | 4/4 | 4/4 | 4/4 | 5/5 | 1/5 | 1/4 | 2/5$_{inv}$ | 2/6 | 2/5+p | 1/5 | 4/7 | 1/5 | 3/5+p | 2/5 | 1/5 | | |
| East Germany | r16 | r16 | 2/4 | 3/4 | 2/4 | 3/5 | 3/4 | 2/5 | w | | | | | | | | | | |
| England | — | pr | $^{1/4}$$_{QW}$ | $^{1/4}$$_{QF}$ | 2/4 | 1/5 | 2/5 | 1/4 | 1/4 | Q$_{host}$ | 2/5+p | 1/5 | 3/7 | 1/5 | 1/6 | 1/5 | 1/5 | | |
| Estonia | | | | | | | | | | 6/6 | 5/6 | 4/5 | 6/7 | 2/6+p | 4/6 | 5/5 | 5/5+p | | |
| Faroe Islands | | | | | | | | | 5/5 | 5/6 | 6/6 | 5/5 | 7/7 | 6/6 | 5/6 | 5/6 | 5/5 | | |
| Finland | — | — | 4/4 | 4/4 | 4/4 | 3/4 | 4/4 | 4/4 | 4/5 | 4/6 | 3/5 | 4/5 | 4/8 | 4/6 | 4/6 | 2/6 | 3/6+p | | |
| France | QW | QF | $^{1/4}$$_{QF}$ | 3/4 | 3/4 | 2/4 | Q$_{host}$ | 3/5 | 1/5 | 2/6 | 1/6 | 1/5 | 2/7 | 1/6 | Q$_{host}$ | 1/6 | 1/5 | | |
| Georgia | | | | | | | | | | 3/6 | 6/6 | 5/5 | 6/7 | 5/6 | 5/6 | 4/5+p | 3/5+p | | |
| Germany (1992—) West Germany (1960–1988) | — | — | 2/3 | $^{1/4}$$_{QW}$ | $^{1/4}$$_{QW}$ | 1/4 | 1/5 | Q$_{host}$ | 1/4 | 1/6 | 1/5 | 1/5 | 2/7 | 1/6 | 1/6 | 1/5 | Q$_{host}$ | | |
| Gibraltar | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | 6/6 | 5/5 | 5/5 | | |
| Greece | r16 | w | 2/4 | 3/4 | 2/4 | 1/4 | 3/5 | 2/5 | 3/5 | 3/6 | 3/6 | 1/5 | 1/7 | 1/6 | 6/6 | 3/6 | 3/5+p | | |
| Hungary | r16 | QW | $^{1/4}$$_{QF}$ | $^{1/4}$$_{QW}$ | 2/4 | 2/4 | 4/5 | 3/5 | 4/5 | 4/5 | 4/6 | 4/5 | 6/7 | 3/6 | 3/6+p | 4/5+p | 1/5 | | |
| Iceland | — | pr | — | — | 4/4 | 5/5 | 4/5 | 4/5 | 4/5 | 5/5 | 4/6 | 3/5 | 6/7 | 4/5 | 2/6 | 3/6+p | 4/6+p | | |
| Israel | | | | | | | | | | 5/6 | 2/5+p | 3/5 | 4/7 | 3/6 | 4/6 | 5/6+p | 3/6+p | | |
| Italy | — | r16 | $^{1/4}$$_{QW}$ | $^{1/4}$$_{QF}$ | 3/4 | Q$_{host}$ | 4/5 | 1/5 | 2/5 | 2/6 | 1/5 | 1/5 | 1/7 | 1/6 | 1/6 | 1/6 | 2/5 | | Q$_{host}$ |
| Kazakhstan | | | | | | | | | | | | | 6/8 | 6/6 | 5/6 | 5/6 | 4/6+p | | |
| Kosovo | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | 3/5+p | 5/6 | | |
| Latvia | | | | | | | | | | 5/6 | 4/6 | 2/5+p | 5/7 | 4/6 | 6/6 | 6/6 | 5/5 | | |
| Liechtenstein | | | | | | — | — | — | — | 6/6 | 6/6 | 5/5 | 7/7 | 5/5 | 5/6 | 6/6 | 6/6 | | |
| Lithuania | | | | | | | | | | 3/6 | 4/6 | 4/5 | 5/7 | 4/5 | 5/6 | 5/5 | 4/5 | | |
| Luxembourg | — | QF | 4/4 | 4/4 | 4/4 | 4/4 | 5/5 | 5/5 | 4/4 | 5/6 | 5/5 | 5/5 | 7/7 | 6/6 | 5/6 | 4/5 | 3/6+p | | |
| Malta | | pr | — | 4/4 | 4/4 | 4/4 | 5/5 | 5/5 | 5/5 | 6/6 | 5/5 | 5/5 | 7/7 | 6/6 | 6/6 | 6/6 | 5/5 | | |
| Moldova | | | | | | | | | | 4/6 | 5/5 | 4/5 | 5/7 | 5/6 | 6/6 | 6/6 | 4/5 | | |
| Montenegro | | | | | | | | | | | | | | 2/5+p | 4/6 | 5/5 | 3/5 | | |
| Netherlands | — | r16 | 3/4 | 2/4 | $^{1/4}$$_{QW}$ | 1/5 | 2/5 | 1/5 | 1/5 | 2/6+p | Q$_{host}$ | 2/5+p | 2/7 | 1/6 | 4/6 | 2/5 | 2/5 | | |
| North Macedonia (2020–) Macedonia (1996–2016) | | | | | | | | | | 4/6 | 4/5 | 4/5 | 5/7 | 5/6 | 6/6 | 3/6+p | 4/5 | | |
| Northern Ireland | — | r16 | 4/4 | 3/4 | 2/4 | 2/5 | 2/5 | 3/4 | 3/5 | 3/6 | 4/5 | 5/5 | 3/7 | 5/6 | 1/6 | 3/5+p | 5/6 | | |
| Norway | r16 | pr | 4/4 | 4/4 | 4/4 | 5/5 | 4/4 | 5/5 | 3/5 | 3/6 | 1/6 | 2/5+p | 3/7 | 3/5 | 3/6+p | 3/6+p | 3/5 | | |
| Poland | r16 | pr | 3/4 | 2/4 | 2/4 | 2/5 | 3/4 | 4/5 | 3/4 | 4/6 | 3/5 | 3/5 | 1/8 | Q$_{host}$ | 2/6 | 1/6 | 3/5+p | | |
| Portugal | QF | pr | 2/4 | 2/4 | 3/4 | 3/5 | 1/4 | 3/5 | 2/5 | 1/6 | 2/6 | Q$_{host}$ | 2/8 | 2/5+p | 1/5 | 2/5 | 1/6 | | |
| Republic of Ireland | pr | QF | 3/4 | 4/4 | 2/4 | 3/5 | 3/5 | 1/5 | 2/4 | 2/6+p | 2/5+p | 3/5 | 3/7 | 2/6+p | 3/6+p | 3/5+p | 4/5 | | |
| Romania | QF | pr | 2/4 | $^{1/4}$$_{QF}$ | 2/4 | 3/4 | 1/5 | 2/4 | 3/5 | 1/6 | 1/6 | 3/5 | 1/7 | 3/6 | 2/6 | 4/6+p | 1/6 | | |
| Russia (1996–) Soviet Union (1960–1992) | QW | QW | $^{1/4}$$_{QW}$ | $^{1/4}$$_{QW}$ | $^{1/4}$$_{QF}$ | 4/4 | 2/4 | 1/5 | 1/5 | 1/6 | 3/6 | 2/5+p | 2/7 | 1/6 | 2/6 | 2/6 | s | | |
| San Marino | | | | | | | | | 5/5 | 6/6 | 5/5 | 5/5 | 7/7 | 6/6 | 6/6 | 6/6 | 6/6 | | |
| Scotland | — | — | 2/4 | 3/4 | 3/4 | 4/5 | 4/4 | 4/5 | 1/5 | 2/6 | 2/6+p | 2/5+p | 3/7 | 3/5 | 4/6 | 3/6+p | 2/5 | | |
| Serbia (2008–) Serbia and Montenegro (2004) FR Yugoslavia (1996–2004) Yugoslavia (1960–1992) | QW | r16 | $^{1/3}$$_{QW}$ | $^{1/4}$$_{QF}$ | $^{1/4}$$_{QW}$ | 2/4 | 1/4 | 2/4 | 1/5$_{dsq}$ | s | 1/5 | 3/5 | 3/8 | 3/6 | 4/5 | 3/5+p | 2/5 | | |
| Slovakia (1996–) Czechoslovakia (1960–1992) | QW | pr | 2/4 | 2/4 | $^{1/4}$$_{QW}$ | 1/4 | 3/5 | 2/4 | 2/5 | 3/6 | 3/6 | 3/5 | 4/7 | 4/6 | 2/6 | 3/5+p | 2/5 | | |
| Slovenia | | | | | | | | | | 5/6 | 2/6+p | 2/5+p | 6/7 | 4/6 | 3/6+p | 4/6 | 2/5 | | |
| Spain | QF | QW | $^{1/4}$$_{QF}$ | 2/4 | $^{1/4}$$_{QF}$ | 1/4 | 1/5 | 1/4 | 3/5 | 1/6 | 1/5 | 2/5+p | 1/7 | 1/5 | 1/6 | 1/6 | 1/5 | | |
| Sweden | — | QF | 3/4 | 3/4 | 3/4 | 3/4 | 2/5 | 2/5 | Q$_{host}$ | 3/5 | 1/5 | 1/5 | 2/7 | 2/6 | 3/6+p | 2/6 | 3/5 | | |
| Switzerland | — | pr | 3/4 | 2/4 | 4/4 | 4/5 | 2/4 | 4/5 | 2/5 | 1/5 | 3/5 | 1/5 | Q$_{host}$ | 3/5 | 2/6 | 1/5 | 2/5 | | |
| Turkey | r16 | pr | 4/4 | 3/4 | 3/4 | 2/4 | 4/5 | 4/4 | 4/4 | 2/5 | 2/5+p | 2/5+p | 2/7 | 2/6+p | 3/6 | 2/6 | 1/5 | | Q$_{host}$ |
| Ukraine | | | | | | | | | | 4/6 | 2/6+p | 3/5 | 4/7 | Q$_{host}$ | 3/6+p | 1/5 | 3/5+p | | |
| Wales | — | pr | 3/4 | 3/4 | $^{1/4}$$_{QF}$ | 3/4 | 2/4 | 3/4 | 2/4 | 5/6 | 4/5 | 2/5+p | 5/7 | 4/5 | 2/6 | 2/5 | 3/5+p | | |
| Team | 1960 | 1964 | 1968 | 1972 | 1976 | 1980 | 1984 | 1988 | 1992 | 1996 | 2000 | 2004 | 2008 | 2012 | 2016 | 2020 | 2024 | 2028 | 2032 |
Key
* golden background = successful qualifying campaign
* grey background = did not take part in qualifying
* bold red typeface = participated in the final tournament
| X/Y | Came Xth in a group of Y teams |
| X/Y+p | Came Xth in a group of Y teams, then qualified through a play-off round |
| QW | Qualified as quarter-final winner |
| $^{X/Y}$$_{QW}$ | Came Xth in a group of Y teams, then qualified as quarter-final winner |
| X/Y$_{dsq}$ | Qualified as Xth in a group of Y teams, but was banned from participating in the finals (Yugoslavia in 1992) |
| X/Y | Came Xth in a group of Y teams |
| X/Y+p | Came Xth in a group of Y teams, then was eliminated in a play-off round |
| X/Y$_{inv}$ | Failed to qualify coming Xth in a group of Y teams, but was invited to the finals as a replacement (Denmark in 1992) |
| QF | Was eliminated in the quarter-finals |
| $^{X/Y}$$_{QF}$ | Came Xth in a group of Y teams, then was eliminated in the quarter-finals |
| r16 | Was eliminated in the round of 16 |
| pr | Was eliminated in the preliminary round |
| Q$_{host}$ | Qualified automatically as host |
| w | Entered but withdrew before playing any matches (Greece in 1964 and East Germany in 1992) |
| s | Was suspended from taking part (Yugoslavia in 1996 and Russia in 2024) |
| — | Did not enter despite being a UEFA member |
| | Was not a UEFA member |

## Team records

The below table compares the overall records of all teams that have participated in qualification. Teams are ordered by points using the three points for a win system, then by goal difference, and then by goals scored. Note that this order does not represent any official rankings, and qualification tournaments are not direct competitions between all teams.
The "Qualifying attempts" column only counts qualifying campaigns where the team played at least one match, while the "Appearances in the finals" also include automatic qualifiers.
As per statistical convention in football, matches decided in extra time are counted as wins and losses, while matches decided by penalty shoot-outs are counted as draws.
* Legend
* Team has qualified for the main tournament
* Team has not qualified for the main tournament
* Team is defunct (and never qualified for the main tournament)
Notes on the table:
* The 1992 qualifying attempt is treated as successful for Yugoslavia and unsuccessful for Denmark for the purposes of the table
* The Austria vs Greece match (1968 qualifying), which was declared void, is not taken into account.
* For the following matches, which were annulled and then replayed, only the replays are counted: Netherlands vs Cyprus (1988 qualifying) and Georgia vs Russia (2004 qualifying).
* For the following matches, where the scorelines were awarded, the awarded scorelines, rather than the original ones, are taken into account: Denmark vs Sweden (2008 qualifying), Italy vs Serbia (2012 qualifying), Serbia vs Albania (2016 qualifying), and Montenegro vs Russia (2016 qualifying).
* In the 2016 qualifying, Serbia was deducted 3 points and Croatia was deducted 1 point, which is reflected in the table.
The table is updated to the 2024 qualifying.
| Rank (unoff.) | Team | Qualifying attempts | Qualifying attempts | Appearances in the finals | Overall qualification record | Overall qualification record | Overall qualification record | Overall qualification record | Overall qualification record | Overall qualification record | Overall qualification record | Points | Points |
| Rank (unoff.) | Team | Total | Successful | Appearances in the finals | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Total | Avg |
| 1 | Spain | 17 | 12 | 12 | 133 | 96 | 18 | 19 | 339 | 96 | +243 | 306 | 2.301 |
| 2 | Czech Republic Czechoslovakia | 17 | 11 | 11 | 132 | 85 | 24 | 23 | 263 | 108 | +155 | 279 | 2.114 |
| 3 | Russia Soviet Union | 16 | 12 | 12 | 130 | 81 | 29 | 20 | 268 | 94 | +174 | 272 | 2.092 |
| 4 | Italy | 15 | 10 | 11 | 126 | 78 | 32 | 16 | 240 | 85 | +155 | 266 | 2.111 |
| 5 | Netherlands | 15 | 10 | 11 | 125 | 83 | 16 | 26 | 291 | 99 | +192 | 265 | 2.120 |
| 6 | England | 15 | 10 | 11 | 116 | 79 | 26 | 11 | 280 | 68 | +212 | 263 | 2.267 |
| 7 | Portugal | 16 | 8 | 9 | 125 | 76 | 26 | 23 | 252 | 109 | +143 | 254 | 2.032 |
| 8 | France | 15 | 9 | 11 | 120 | 74 | 28 | 18 | 260 | 94 | +166 | 250 | 2.083 |
| 9 | Germany West Germany | 13 | 12 | 14 | 106 | 76 | 20 | 10 | 267 | 68 | +199 | 248 | 2.340 |
| 10 | Romania | 17 | 6 | 6 | 136 | 69 | 41 | 26 | 242 | 123 | +119 | 248 | 1.824 |
| 11 | Slovakia Czechoslovakia | 17 | 6 | 6 | 136 | 71 | 26 | 39 | 233 | 145 | +88 | 239 | 1.757 |
| 12 | Belgium | 15 | 6 | 7 | 122 | 65 | 28 | 29 | 232 | 119 | +113 | 223 | 1.828 |
| 13 | Denmark | 17 | 9 | 10 | 133 | 64 | 31 | 38 | 227 | 155 | +72 | 223 | 1.677 |
| 14 | Sweden | 15 | 6 | 7 | 122 | 64 | 27 | 31 | 211 | 123 | +88 | 219 | 1.795 |
| 15 | Serbia Serbia and Montenegro FR Yugoslavia Yugoslavia | 16 | 7 | 6 | 122 | 64 | 30 | 28 | 221 | 137 | +84 | 219 | 1.795 |
| 16 | Hungary | 17 | 5 | 5 | 139 | 63 | 29 | 47 | 226 | 181 | +45 | 218 | 1.568 |
| 17 | Scotland | 15 | 4 | 4 | 130 | 62 | 30 | 38 | 200 | 147 | +53 | 216 | 1.662 |
| 18 | Republic of Ireland | 17 | 3 | 3 | 138 | 55 | 41 | 42 | 199 | 151 | +48 | 206 | 1.493 |
| 19 | Greece | 16 | 4 | 4 | 127 | 60 | 25 | 42 | 184 | 144 | +40 | 205 | 1.614 |
| 20 | Turkey | 17 | 6 | 6 | 128 | 56 | 31 | 41 | 166 | 159 | +7 | 199 | 1.555 |
| 21 | Poland | 16 | 3 | 4 | 118 | 55 | 30 | 33 | 192 | 125 | +67 | 195 | 1.653 |
| 22 | Austria | 16 | 3 | 4 | 117 | 57 | 18 | 42 | 219 | 162 | +57 | 189 | 1.615 |
| 23 | Bulgaria | 17 | 2 | 2 | 130 | 50 | 33 | 47 | 171 | 154 | +17 | 183 | 1.408 |
| 24 | Norway | 17 | 1 | 1 | 133 | 50 | 27 | 56 | 181 | 183 | −2 | 177 | 1.331 |
| 25 | Switzerland | 15 | 5 | 6 | 110 | 48 | 29 | 33 | 194 | 133 | +61 | 173 | 1.573 |
| 26 | Wales | 16 | 2 | 2 | 120 | 48 | 26 | 46 | 145 | 149 | −4 | 170 | 1.417 |
| 27 | Northern Ireland | 16 | 1 | 1 | 130 | 47 | 27 | 56 | 140 | 167 | −27 | 168 | 1.292 |
| 28 | Croatia | 8 | 7 | 7 | 78 | 50 | 17 | 11 | 148 | 50 | +98 | 166 | 2.128 |
| 29 | Finland | 15 | 1 | 1 | 124 | 39 | 24 | 61 | 143 | 182 | −39 | 141 | 1.137 |
| 30 | Slovenia | 8 | 2 | 2 | 86 | 36 | 17 | 33 | 119 | 100 | +19 | 125 | 1.453 |
| 31 | Iceland | 14 | 1 | 1 | 118 | 34 | 19 | 65 | 115 | 176 | −61 | 121 | 1.025 |
| 32 | Ukraine | 7 | 2 | 3 | 70 | 33 | 19 | 18 | 101 | 65 | +36 | 118 | 1.686 |
| 33 | Israel | 8 | 0 | 0 | 81 | 32 | 17 | 32 | 123 | 107 | +16 | 113 | 1.395 |
| 34 | Bosnia and Herzegovina | 7 | 0 | 0 | 75 | 29 | 12 | 34 | 104 | 114 | −10 | 99 | 1.320 |
| 35 | Albania | 14 | 2 | 2 | 109 | 24 | 26 | 59 | 100 | 177 | −77 | 98 | 0.899 |
| 36 | Latvia | 8 | 1 | 1 | 80 | 22 | 13 | 45 | 75 | 135 | −60 | 79 | 0.988 |
| 37 | Georgia | 8 | 1 | 1 | 78 | 21 | 12 | 45 | 83 | 119 | −36 | 75 | 0.962 |
| 38 | North Macedonia Macedonia | 8 | 1 | 1 | 78 | 19 | 18 | 41 | 84 | 124 | −40 | 75 | 0.962 |
| 39 | Lithuania | 8 | 0 | 0 | 74 | 21 | 12 | 41 | 63 | 122 | −59 | 75 | 1.014 |
| 40 | East Germany | 8 | 0 | 0 | 46 | 20 | 12 | 14 | 76 | 57 | +19 | 72 | 1.565 |
| 41 | Cyprus | 15 | 0 | 0 | 122 | 19 | 15 | 88 | 101 | 316 | −215 | 72 | 0.590 |
| 42 | Belarus | 8 | 0 | 0 | 77 | 18 | 16 | 43 | 62 | 118 | −56 | 70 | 0.909 |
| 43 | Armenia | 8 | 0 | 0 | 76 | 17 | 15 | 44 | 74 | 121 | −47 | 66 | 0.868 |
| 44 | Moldova | 8 | 0 | 0 | 76 | 14 | 13 | 49 | 62 | 150 | −88 | 55 | 0.724 |
| 45 | Estonia | 8 | 0 | 0 | 78 | 15 | 10 | 53 | 51 | 151 | −100 | 55 | 0.705 |
| 46 | Luxembourg | 16 | 0 | 0 | 127 | 13 | 13 | 101 | 64 | 338 | −274 | 52 | 0.409 |
| 47 | Kazakhstan | 5 | 0 | 0 | 54 | 13 | 8 | 33 | 53 | 92 | −39 | 47 | 0.870 |
| 48 | Montenegro | 4 | 0 | 0 | 36 | 9 | 10 | 17 | 29 | 56 | −27 | 37 | 1.028 |
| 49 | Azerbaijan | 8 | 0 | 0 | 76 | 8 | 11 | 57 | 48 | 182 | −134 | 35 | 0.461 |
| 50 | Faroe Islands | 9 | 0 | 0 | 86 | 7 | 8 | 71 | 46 | 225 | −179 | 29 | 0.337 |
| 51 | Malta | 15 | 0 | 0 | 120 | 4 | 14 | 102 | 54 | 335 | −281 | 26 | 0.217 |
| 52 | Liechtenstein | 8 | 0 | 0 | 78 | 5 | 9 | 64 | 22 | 235 | −213 | 24 | 0.308 |
| 53 | Kosovo | 2 | 0 | 0 | 19 | 5 | 7 | 7 | 24 | 28 | −4 | 22 | 1.158 |
| 54 | Andorra | 7 | 0 | 0 | 70 | 1 | 3 | 66 | 17 | 189 | −172 | 6 | 0.086 |
| 55 | San Marino | 9 | 0 | 0 | 86 | 0 | 1 | 85 | 11 | 371 | −360 | 1 | 0.012 |
| 56 | Gibraltar | 3 | 0 | 0 | 26 | 0 | 0 | 26 | 5 | 128 | −123 | 0 | 0.000 |