Lithuania 2018
Wednesday, April 5, 2017
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Lithuania will host the 2018 final tournament next May, with 45 teams aiming for seven places from qualifying.
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Lithuania will host the 2018 final tournament next May, with 45 teams aiming for seven places from qualifying.
Qualifying round draw
Group 1 (10–16 October): Switzerland, Poland*, Ukraine, Faroe Islands
Group 2 (14–20 October): England, Scotland, Slovakia, Latvia*
Group 3 (2–8 October): Spain, Iceland, Azerbaijan*, Montenegro
Group 4 (24–30 September): Republic of Ireland, Greece, Romania, Bosnia and Herzegovina*
Group 5 (24–30 September): France, Denmark*, Wales, Kazakhstan
Group 6 (19–22 October): Sweden*, Russia, Croatia, Israel
Group 7 (1–7 October): Czech Republic, Netherlands, Turkey, Estonia*
Group 8 (22–28 September): Norway, Hungary*, Bulgaria, Moldova
Group 9 (23–29 September): Belgium, Serbia*, Belarus, FYR Macedonia
Group 10 (25 September–1 October): Austria, Portugal*, Northern Ireland, Georgia
Group 11 (23–29 October): Italy, Finland, Slovenia*, Malta
*Hosts
Bye to elite round: Germany
Bye to final tournament: Lithuania (hosts)
Details
• Lithuania will stage the fifth WU17 final tournament since the expansion to eight teams in summer 2018, following in the footsteps of England, Iceland, Belarus and the Czech Republic, who hold the next finals in May.
• While Lithuania qualify directly for these finals as hosts, the country with the highest rating on the coefficient ranking list (based on results from 2013/14 to 2015/16) receive a bye to the elite round in spring 2018: Germany.
• The top two in each group and the third-placed side with the best record against the leading pair in their section accompany top seeds Germany into the 24-team elite round. Seven nations will eventually qualify for the finals to join Lithuania.