Soccer Powerhouses Benefit From Luck of Euro 2016 Draw – Wall Street Journal

PARIS—There were few nasty surprises for the giants of European soccer on Saturday as they learned their fates for next summer’s European Championships. France, the host nation, is expected to cruise through the opening round, while defending champion Spain faces a barely stiffer challenge.

Under the tournament’s new 24-team format, only the true minnows are at risk of going home early in the monthlong Euro. Two thirds of the teams will advance to the round of 16, including several third-place finishers from the group stage.

Six months before the tournament kicks off here, the main fear for most of the powerhouses was landing with Italy by a quirk of seeding. That misfortune fell on Belgium, a young, dynamic team that reached the quarterfinals of the 2014 World Cup in Brazil and was considered an early favorite.

Lumped with Italy and Belgium in Group E, arguably the most challenging of Euro 2016, are Sweden and the Republic of Ireland, two regular qualifiers at major tournaments.

“I felt that there were other groups that we would have preferred to be in,” said Ireland manager Martin O’Neill, who argued that the seeding system was flawed. “It’s not easy. There’s no point in me saying it is.”

France made a much softer landing in Group A. Les Bleus were bunched with Romania, Switzerland and Albania, the lowest-ranked team in the tournament. Although they have been known to struggle against theoretically weaker opposition at major championships—France barely scraped through the group stage at Euro 2012—they remain among the top picks.

Les Bleus will open the tournament on June 10 against Romania in the Stade de France, the same venue where they won the 1998 World Cup and where the team was playing on Nov. 13 when three suicide bombs went off outside.

Group B produced one of the more intriguing local matchups of Euro 2016 between England and Wales. They are joined by Russia and Slovakia, leaving England as a heavy favorite to win the group.

“I didn’t want England and I didn’t want England in the first game,” Wales manager Chris Coleman said.

He only got one of those wishes. Wales, carried by Real Madrid star Gareth Bale, will take on the Three Lions in its second game in Lens after facing Slovakia. England, meanwhile, opens up on June 11 against Russia in Marseille.

“If we’ve got to play one of the home nations, why not Wales?” England manager Roy Hodgson said. “I’ve got to be happy with the group.”

There will be an equally fiery grudge match in Group C between defending world champion Germany and its neighbor Poland.

The soccer ties between the two nations run deep. Germany’s all-time leading goal scorer, Miroslav Klose, was born in Poland. Poland’s best current player, Robert Lewandowski, is the firebrand striker for German superclub Bayern Munich. Both countries also emerged from the same qualifying group, each taking one game off the other.

But overall, six-time finalist, three-time winner Germany was satisfied with the group, which also includes Ukraine and Northern Ireland.

“On paper, it looks quite good. We’re lucky to have a group like this,” team manager Oliver Bierhoff said.

Things could be slightly trickier for Spain in Group D, where it will take on the Czech Republic, Turkey and Croatia. While none of La Roja’s opponents are ranked above No. 18 in the world by FIFA, the once dominant Spanish squad is in transition following its disastrous 2014 World Cup.

Yet among the other three sides, there is a feeling that they are competing for second place.

“To be honest, our decisive games will be against Croatia and Turkey,” Czech Republic manager Pavel Vrba said.

Finally, perhaps the draw was kindest to Group F. Portugal, led by Cristiano Ronaldo, is a heavy favorite there, but at least one of the tournament’s smallest outfits should make it through with them. Portugal is set to face Euro first-timer Iceland, Euro second-timer Austria, and Hungary, a side that hasn’t been to any major tournament since 1986.

Their inclusion was made possible by a 2008 decision to expand the tournament to 24 from the usual 16.

Four years ago, the 14 teams that joined hosts Poland and Ukraine at Euro 2012 were the nine qualifying-group winners, the best runner-up by record, and the four winners of play-in ties between second-place teams. Under the new format, the top two sides in each of the nine groups advanced, along with the best of the third-place teams and the four winners of playoffs between third-place finishers.

The net effect was keeping more teams in the running throughout the qualifying process, which ended last month.

“Definitely, that extra spot for the playoffs, that’s the little carrot that teams like Wales need,” Coleman said.

Write to Joshua Robinson at joshua.robinson@wsj.com