Turkey to have a football match with Armenia in UEFA Euro 2024 Qualifications

The draws for the UEFA Euro 2024 qualification groups were held in Frankfurt on Sunday. Turkey and Armenia will be in Group D alongside Wales, Croatia, and Latvia. 

A total of 53 UEFA member associations entered the qualification process, they were divided into ten groups. Host team Germany automatically qualified for the final tournament.

Following the draws, Croatia, Wales, Armenia, Turkey, and Latvia were placed in Group D.

For political reasons, possible matches between Armenia and Azerbaijan were prohibited, thus they were unable to be drawn into the same group.

The “prohibited clashes” rule also applied to Belarus/Ukraine, Gibraltar/Spain, Kosovo/Bosnia, Herzegovina, and Kosovo/Serbia. Because of its invasion of Ukraine, Russia was banned from the tournament.

2008-2009 “Football Diplomacy” between Turkey and Armenia

Turkey and Armenia played two matches before as part of the 2010 World Cup Qualification rounds. The fixtures had symbolic importance as both matches were attended by the two countries' presidents: Abdullah Gul and Serge Sarkisian.

The first match was played on September 6, 2008, in the Hrazdan Stadium located in Armenia’s capital Yerevan. Abdullah Gul attended the match following Sarkisian’s invitation. The invitation was criticized by Armenia’s Dashnaktsutyun party and Turkey’s Republican People’s Party (CHP) and Nationalist Movement Party (MHP).

The second match was played on October 14, 2009, in the Ataturk Stadium located in Bursa. As a sign of peace, white doves were set free in the stadium in Bursa before the match. In a symbolic moment of warmth, Sarkisian shook Gul’s hand after Turkey won the match. 

This period has been termed "football diplomacy".