2023/24 Women’s Under-17 EURO round 1 draw: Teams, Groups, and Seeds
The draw for Round 1 of the 2023/24 UEFA European Women’s Under-17 Championship was streamed on June 16th and has set up the groups for the mini-tournaments that will take place in the autumn. League A will include 28 teams, including defending champions France and the seven nations promoted from League B after Round 2 of the 2022/23 edition this spring. Meanwhile, League B consists of 22 teams, including sides relegated from League A in 2022/23 that will play for promotion to League A.
League A
In League A, teams are divided into seven groups of four. All groups contain one team from each of the four pots, which are divided based on teams’ rankings after the 2022/23 Round 2. Pot 1 contains seven teams, pots 2, 3, and 4 contain six teams each.
Pot 1
- Spain
- France (holders)
- Switzerland
- Sweden (finals hosts)
- Germany
- England
- Poland
Pot 2
- Portugal
- Denmark
- Netherlands
- Romania
- Slovenia
- Republic of Ireland
- Belgium
Pot 3
- Czechia
- Norway
- Austria
- Italy
- Hungary
- Finland
- Belarus
Pot 4
- Iceland*
- Scotland*
- Bosnia and Herzegovina*
- Greece*
- Northern Ireland*
- Ukraine*
- Bulgaria*
League B
League B teams are divided into two groups of four and four groups of three. Teams in League B are divided into three pots depending on their rankings. Pot 1 and 2 contain six teams each, while Pot 3 contains ten teams.
Pot 1
- Croatia*
- Serbia*
- Wales*
- Estonia*
- Slovakia*
- Kosovo*
Pot 2
- North Macedonia*
- Montenegro
- Faroe Islands
- Türkiye
- Israel
- Luxembourg
Pot 3
- Georgia
- Lithuania
- Azerbaijan
- Latvia
- Albania
- Moldova
- Kazakhstan
- Andorra
- Malta
- Armenia*
*Relegated from League A
Draw Procedure
The draw starts with Pot 1, continues with Pot 2, and concludes with Pot 3. For each pot, the teams drawn are allocated in numerical order from Group B1 to Group B6. If the draw condition applies to one team (League A: Belarus and Ukraine or League B: Armenia and Azerbaijan), or is anticipated to apply, the team drawn will be allocated to the first available group in numerical order.
The teams will play their respective tournaments between August and November 2023. The top promoters from each league will qualify for the main stages of the competition.
Advice and Editorial
This draw heralds the start of another round of Under-17 women’s football, which has been growing in popularity over the years. Notably, events like these provide the opportunity to give younger female footballers the fundamentals needed to continue playing professional football. This event is also an excellent opportunity to showcase the talent of young players in Europe, who may be the ones to lead their country’s senior team someday.
As the future of women’s football looks bright, however, it still faces severe gender disparities and stereotypes. As sports-loving people, we need to encourage more women and girls to participate and believe that football is as much a game for them as it is for boys and men. Women’s football is not only a sport but also a tool for inscribing gender equality and empowering girls to strive for opportunities.
Therefore, it’s crucial for parents and coaches to support young girls and encourage them to be active in sports. Girls often drop out of sports for various reasons, from gender stereotypes to a lack of access to facilities. However, one way we can start encouraging girls to persist in sports is by giving them role models. To that end, women’s football is a great source of inspiration, as well as a potential career aspiration.
As the world aims to improve gender equality in all aspects of life, a commitment to women’s sports, including football, will continue to be critical. As such, events like this have been invaluable in raising awareness of these issues and promoting opportunities for girls and women everywhere.
<< photo by Laura Rincón >>
