This became clear when the group draw was held in Frankfurt on Sunday.

– The most important thing when you draw seeding levels A and B is to avoid getting into group B or C. We did that, and we have to settle for that. Then we could be much luckier, national team manager Ståle Solbakken told TV 2.

– Georgia is a team that can beat everyone in this group. They led 1-0 against Spain with ten seconds remaining at home in the previous qualifier and beat Sweden 2-0. They can beat anyone, and that can be an advantage and a disadvantage, he continued.

Norway are seeded in the third tier in the draw. With a better result in the recently ended national league, Ståle Solbakken’s crew will go one notch higher.

The countries were drawn into seven groups of five teams and three of six teams. The Netherlands, Croatia, Spain and Italy will take part in the national league playoffs this summer and were therefore drawn into a group of just five teams.

Spanish favorite

Spain are the natural favorites in the Norwegian group. After that, it is more open who will be the number two team.

Norway met Spain in European Championship qualifiers in 2019 and 2003. None of the four meetings ended in a win for Norway. Three defeats and one draw is the conclusion.

– I believe we can beat Spain at Ullevaal on a good day, said national team manager Solbakken, who believes everyone wants to beat everyone in the group.

– That’s a good group. We avoided France and England. We have to show our level. We are happy to have Norway. Haaland is the biggest star in world football right now. “It will be difficult, but we will try to find the level to beat Norway,” Spain national team manager Luis Enrique told TV 2.

Norway last met Scotland in a qualifying match in 2009. Then there are Norway’s four points in two games. The home game at Ullevaal was won 4-0.

– Scotland will be a tough opponent, but that doesn’t mean we can’t beat them on a good day. Not that we should feel inferior to Scotland. “I think this group will be very smooth,” said Solbakken.

Starting next year

Georgia has met Norway three times before. All settlements ended in a Norwegian victory.

Historically, you have had more encounters with Cyprus. The previous double was in the national league in 2018. Then Norway won 2-0 both away and home.

The EC qualifiers will take place next year, and the top two in each of the ten groups will advance to the play-offs along with host nation Germany.

The last three EC spots are distributed in the national league play-offs. The four best teams from divisions A, B, and C, which have not yet qualified for the championship, will have additional opportunities. Norway is ranked eighth in division B. Thus, four of the seven teams that are in front of the rankings must secure an EC ticket for Norway to have such an opportunity.

Norway has not participated in the senior men’s play-offs since 2000. With world stars such as Erling Braut Haaland and Martin degaard, there is hope for Norway’s EC participation in Germany.

Stronger group

Sunday’s draw ended worse for several other countries. Both the Netherlands and France are in Group B along with Ireland, Greece and Gibraltar.

In Group C, Italy and England are joined by Ukraine, North Macedonia and Malta. The whole draw ends like this:

* Group A: Spain, Scotland, Norway, Georgia, Cyprus.

* Group B: Netherlands, France, Ireland, Greece, Gibraltar.

* Group C: Italy, England, Ukraine, North Macedonia, Malta.

* Group D: Croatia, Wales, Armenia, Turkey, Latvia.

* Group E: Poland, Czech Republic, Albania, Faroe Islands, Moldova.

* Group F: Belgium, Austria, Sweden, Azerbaijan, Estonia.

* Group G: Hungary, Serbia, Montenegro, Bulgaria, Lithuania.

* Group H: Denmark, Finland, Slovenia, Kazakhstan, Northern Ireland, San Marino.

* Group I: Switzerland, Israel, Romania, Kosovo, Belarus, Andorra.

* Group J: Portugal, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Iceland, Luxembourg, Slovakia, Liechtenstein.

The EC play-offs in Germany will be played from 14 June to 14 July 2024.