NYON, Switzerland — Hungary will have to overcome Norway if it is to qualify for its first major tournament in 30 years following Sunday’s draw for the Euro 2016 playoff round, while Sweden and Denmark will clash in a Scandinavian derby.
Hungary, which has been in the international wilderness since it appeared at the 1986 World Cup in Mexico, will play the first leg away against the Norwegians, who themselves have not played at a major tournament since the 1998 World Cup.
Zlatan Ibrahimovic’s Sweden, which lost out to Portugal in a playoff for the last World Cup, will be at home in the first leg against their neighbors.
In the other ties, Ukraine, which co-hosted Euro 2012 with Poland, will meet Slovenia and Bosnia will face Ireland.
Hungary, semifinalists in the 1964 and 1972 European championships, has won six and lost five of its 16 meetings with Norway but have not beaten the Scandinavians since a 4-1 win in Budapest in 1981, a run of nine games.
Its last appearance in a playoff was in the 1998 World Cup qualifiers when it crashed to a 12-1 aggregate defeat to Yugoslavia.
“I know Norwegian football very well — no one needs to introduce the opposition to us — so we know an excellent team awaits us,” Hungary coach Bernd Storck told reporters.
History does not favor Ukraine, which has yet to beat Slovenia in four games, with two draws and two defeats, and lost out to its opponents in the playoffs for a place at Euro 2000.
“There is no need to look for motivation against the teams of Spain or France’s caliber, but we have to play with double motivation against the likes of Slovenia,” said Ukraine midfielder Taras Stepanenko.
“We have a great chance to qualify to the finals and everybody has to give their all to achieve this aim.”
Sweden and Denmark have met 104 times with 45 wins for the Swedes and 40 for the Danes, who are the only former European champions in the playoffs.
Bosnia has lost on both its previous two appearances in a playoff round, having been eliminated by Portugal in the final qualifying stages of the 2010 World Cup and then Euro 2012.
It qualified directly for Brazil last year when it made its first appearance at a major tournament as an independent nation.
