The UEFA EURO 2024 qualifying stage will start Thursday as Kazakhstan will host Slovenia in an opening match in Group H in Astana.

The match at Astana Arena will kick off at 1500GMT.

On Thursday, defending European champions Italy will face EURO 2020 runners-up England in a Group C match at Naples' Diego Armando Maradona Stadium.

The Italy vs. England showdown will begin at 1945GMT.

Italy, who beat England on penalties in the EURO 2020 final, will fight England, Ukraine, North Macedonia, and Malta in Group C.

On Saturday, Türkiye will visit Armenia in a Group D match in Yerevan at 1700GMT.

Türkiye are in the same group with Croatia, Wales, Armenia, and Latvia.

The EURO 2024 finals in Germany will feature 24 teams.

Germany have already qualified as hosts, while Russia have been suspended for the war on Ukraine.

There are 53 teams split into 10 groups (A-J) in the EURO 2024 quals, seven groups of five teams and three groups of six teams.

Twenty nations in the groups will book their places in the EURO 2024 finals. The best two teams in each group will qualify for the tournament.

The rest three teams will join the EURO 2024 through the playoffs linked to the 2022-23 UEFA Nations League.

The matchday one in the EURO 2024 qualifiers will start Thursday and will go through Saturday.

It will be followed by the matchday two that will be held from Sunday to Tuesday, March 28.

The EURO 2024 quals will have a break for several months following the matchday two as the third week will begin June 16.

Matchday one fixtures:

Thursday

Kazakhstan vs. Slovenia

Italy vs. England

North Macedonia vs. Malta

Denmark vs. Finland

San Marino vs. Northern Ireland

Portugal vs. Liechtenstein

Slovakia vs. Luxembourg

Bosnia-Herzegovina vs. Iceland

Friday

Bulgaria vs. Montenegro

France vs. Netherlands

Gibraltar vs. Greece

Czech Republic vs. Poland

Moldova vs. Faroe Islands

Sweden vs. Belgium

Austria vs. Azerbaijan

Serbia vs. Lithuania

Saturday

Scotland vs. Greek Cypriot administration

Armenia vs. Türkiye

Belarus vs. Switzerland

Israel vs. Kosovo

Spain vs. Norway

Croatia vs. Wales

Andorra vs. Romania

(Anadolu Agency)

•European Football Championship trophy

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