Euro 2020 playoffs: 2016 quarter-finalists Iceland drawn to play Romania; Bulgaria to face off against Hungary in semis

Nyon: Iceland’s road back to the European Championship will go through a playoff semi-final match at home against Romania in March.

Iceland players pose for a group photo before their Euro 2020 Group H qualifying match against Turkey. AP Photo

The Euro 2016 quarter-finalists were the highest-ranked team in the top-tier playoff bracket drawn on Friday at UEFA.

Bulgaria will play at home against Hungary in another semi-final match. The winner will also host the final.

In the second tier, the winner of the Bosnia-Herzegovina match against Northern Ireland will host the final against either Slovakia or Ireland.

Top-ranked Scotland was given a home semi-final match against Israel in the third tier. The winner of the other semifinal, Norway or Serbia, will host the final.

Kosovo, Europe’s newest football nation, must win two away games in the fourth tier to advance to its first tournament.

The 16 teams were divided into four brackets based on placings in last year’s Nations League. Twenty nations directly advanced from traditional qualifying groups.

Single-game semi-finals in each bracket will be played on 26 March. The four finals will be played five days later.

The winners will advance to the 24-nation Euro 2020, to be played from 12 June-12 July in 12 countries across Europe.

The hosts include Ireland, Hungary, Romania and Scotland, which would be guaranteed two home games if the team advances.

The draw:

League A Semi-finals (26 March), Final (31 March)

Iceland vs Romania

Bulgaria vs Hungary

League B Semi-finals (26 March), Final (31 March)

Bosnia-Herzegovina vs Northern Ireland

Slovakia vs Ireland

League C Semi-finals (26 March), Final (31 March)

Scotland vs Israel

Norway vs Serbia

League D Semi-finals (26 March), Final (31 March)

Georgia vs Belarus

North Macedonia vs Kosovo