Scotland will face Hungary, Northern Ireland have been drawn against Croatia and Wales will take on Slovakia in the first round of Euro 2025 play-offs.

What are the permutations for Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales in Friday's Euro 2025 play-off draw?

Rachel and Leanne with their take on everything that is happening in the World of football

Georgia, Turkey, Austria and Spain won over a lot of new fans but too many of the favourites flopped Started so brightly, with a real run of high-scoring matches, but tapered off significantly in the knockout stages. France, Portugal, Belgium and England all arrived with big reps but were criminally negative. It feels very much like an Italia 90 situation, where the tournament will be fondly remembered by England fans, but considered a bit of an anticlimax elsewhere. Only Spain and Germany were consistently brilliant in their attacking verve. Dani Olmo was one of Spain’s best players and I adored the movement and invention of Nico Williams. Georges Mikautadze was a real surprise in a very dynamic Georgia team and I loved the puckish cheekiness and control of Arda Guler for Turkey. I was in Germany for all of 24 hours to see Scotland play Switzerland. Our tournament was woeful from the first minute. Once again Scotland found a way to build up hopes of finally making the knockout stages only to utterly underperform in the tournament itself. Rohan Berry Crickmar Continue reading...

223 days ago Scotland were left humiliated after a 6-0 humbling by England and relegation from League A in the Nations League. Seven months on, smiles were beaming as they secured top spot after an undefeated Group B2 campaign.

Scotland were denied crucial penalty against HungaryRosetti says Attwell decision on Simons also correct Uefa has defended the decision to deny Scotland a penalty in their defining defeat against Hungary, insisting it was “just physical contact” that had caused the midfielder Stuart Armstrong to fall to the ground. The remarks follow outspoken criticism by Scotland’s manager, Steve Clarke, of the decision by the Argentinian referee Facundo Tello. Clarke claimed it was “100% a penalty” and demanded an explanation from officials. Continue reading...

It is not just the caterers who will miss Scotland after they were eliminated – they gave meaning to a cultural festival These days, I sit in the stadium every day and experience an intense time. It makes me realise what football does and how its folklore is part of overcoming the many problems of our time. That brings us to the Scots. They did everything right. They marched through Munich, Cologne and Stuttgart singing. Even in cities where they weren’t playing, they infected everyone with their good humour. Scottish fans really wanted to play a match against my home club, FT Gern. It took place the day after the opening game and afterwards everyone sat together in the clubhouse until late at night. They used this tournament to celebrate with others. They want to be part of Europe. It’s not just the caterers who will miss them. I’ve been asked what bothers me most about this Euros. I said that the Scots have already gone home. Continue reading...

Anger, confusion and disappointment were among the emotions in the nations eliminated in group stage Poland were the last team to qualify (their penalty shootout playoff win in Cardiff finished later than Ukraine’s and Georgia’s games) so it is no great surprise they bowed out first, being the only side to lose their opening two matches. The 36-year Robert Lewandowski is insisting on carrying on despite the public having doubts and his penalty (scored at the second attempt) in a 1-1 draw with France was a consolation for the Barcelona striker. The respected Polish journalist Michal Okonski summed up Poland’s tournament by writing: “Poland saved its face. It’s got the face of Kacper Urbanski” – referring to the 19-year-old youngest member of the squad, who at Thiago Motta’s Bologna has learned to play without fear. “Gone in 60 Seconds,” declared the front page of the Scottish Sun. “Down and Out,” said the Daily Record. The Record showed Scott McTominay with head in hands, the Sun providing a shot of Steve Clarke consoling the Manchester United midfielder. Coverage of another Scotland group-stage exit has been twofold. The Tartan Army, who have captured hearts and minds across Germany, take up a lot of the column inches as tens of thousands of Scots beat a hasty march home. There has also been stark criticism of Clarke for what is perceived as an overly negative approach, particularly against Hungary in a must-win fixture. The manager faces an uphill task to remove that label of over-caution. Clarke’s emphasising of a non-European referee during the Hungary defeat – in which Scotland were denied a late penalty – has drawn ridicule at home. Continue reading...

Scotland manager Steve Clarke took issue with Argentinian referee Facundo Tello's decision to wave away penalty claims after Stuart Armstrong tumbled under a Willi Orban challenge in the 78th minute. “It was 100% a penalty,” Clarke said. “Somebody, somewhere has to explain to me why that is not a penalty. It was, 100%. ‘100% penalty’: Clarke criticises referee after Scotland crash out of Euro 2024 Scotland heartbreak as Hungary’s 100th-minute winner knocks them out of Euro 2024 Continue reading...

The footballing gods have had their fun with Scotland again as their Euro dreams die, writes Tom English.

Facundo Tello waved away claims for late spot-kickClarke: ‘If we get the penalty it can be a different night’ Steve Clarke took aim at the Argentinian referee, Facundo Tello, after Scotland bowed out of the Euros with a late defeat by Hungary. Clarke suggested this tournament should be refereed only by European officials. Scotland felt Stuart Armstrong was due a penalty after tumbling under a challenge from Willi Orban in the 78th minute. Tello waved away the claims. Hungary broke Scottish hearts and sealed elimination for Clarke’s team with a 100th-minute goal from Kevin Csoboth. Continue reading...

Germany’s bar-holders will miss the tartan army of supporters, few will miss Steve Clarke’s side’s football Some day, perhaps, the run will end. Some day Scotland will make it out of the group at a major tournament. But not yet, not this year. They earned a single point, failed to have a shot on target in three of the six halves of football they played in Germany, and scored just twice, one of them a freakish own goal that was gifted to them. Brewers and bar-holders will miss their fans, but few will miss their football. Scottish sorrow comes in catalogues. Some of their previous 11 group-stage exits have been the result of just not being that good. Some have been the result of underperformance on the biggest stage. And some, the sweetest, have carried the air of gallant failure. The most celebrated – 1978, Archie Gemmill, Ally MacLeod, the Dutch and all that – was a large helping of the third of those on a bed of the second. Continue reading...

Scotland needed a win to secure a spot in the knockout phase of a major tournament for the first time, save some form of arithmetic cruelty. Hungary had faint hopes of progression with a win. The teams looked destined to play out a mutually unsatisfactory, ragged scoreless draw until Hungary notched a 100th minute winner. Put bluntly, neither team deserves a place in the last 16 of Euro 2024 based on this. Scotland huffed and puffed. Hungary’s play generally broke down 25 yards from goal. Steve Clarke and the Tartan Army will be wounded by what transpired here but the harsh reality is over the course of three games they have looked short. Scotland are out of the Euros, a point feeling scant reward for weeks of effort. Continue reading...

Hungary striker Barnabas Varga is carried off on a stretcher following a mid-air collision with Scotland goalkeeper Angus Gunn.