The UEFA Euro 2016 qualifying competition determined the national teams that joined host France at the expanded 24‑team final tournament. Played between September 2014 and November 2015, the campaign involved 53 national sides competing in a series of home‑and‑away matches to fill 23 qualifying berths. The event was the qualifying competition for UEFA Euro 2016.

Structure and format

Teams were drawn into groups and played round‑robin fixtures, meeting each opponent twice (home and away). Because 53 teams entered the qualifying phase, groups were arranged so that most contained six teams, with one group of five. Seeding for the draw was based on UEFA coefficients and recent results.

  • Group winners and runners‑up qualified automatically, earning the majority of the available places.
  • The best third‑placed team across all groups also qualified directly.
  • The remaining eight third‑placed teams were paired into four two‑legged play‑offs, the winners of which claimed the final qualification slots.

Matches were spread across international windows over more than a year, with the decisive play‑off ties completed in November 2015. The qualifying phase combined predictable outcomes from established nations with surprise results from emerging teams, shaping the final list of participants for the tournament in France.

Statistics and notable facts

A total of 53 sides took part in the qualifiers; France, as host, did not need to qualify directly. The qualifying competition produced numerous goals and individual achievements. Poland's leading striker Poland forward Robert Lewandowski finished as top scorer with 13 goals, a standout personal tally in the campaign.

UEFA's decision to expand the finals to 24 teams made this qualifying cycle especially significant: it increased opportunities for smaller nations to reach a major tournament and introduced a play‑off route for teams finishing third. The qualification campaign therefore played a key role in broadening participation and increasing competitive balance in the European Championship.

For more detailed match results, group tables and play‑off pairings consult official reports and season summaries that document fixtures, scoring charts and disciplinary records from the qualifying phase.