So far, 20 teams have qualified for next year’s European Championships in France; the list includes defending champion Spain, reigning world champion Germany, and many continental powers including England & Italy. With the field expanded to 24 from 16 in past tournaments, it’s given several more nations a chance to qualify, and teams that may not have had the pedigree in the past have taken advantage of the opportunity. Currently five nations will be making their Euros debut in France; Iceland, Northern Ireland, Albania, Wales, and Slovakia.

Eight teams are competing for the four remaining spots in the finals, and they’ll meet in the standard two-leg playoff that’s used among all UEFA competitions. By November 17, all the tickets will have been punched, but the drama surrounding the playoffs should be just exciting.

The first match comes Thursday when Norway hosts Hungary. The Hungarians were just minutes away from being the best third-placed team in the qualifying groups, meaning an automatic spot in the finals. However, the nation that produced soccer icons like Ferenc Puskas and Sandor Kocsis has a new generation of players eager to show what they can do on an international stage. After being absent for the past several Euros and World Cups, there might be tremendous pressure on Hungary to prevail over Norway in a matchup where the former is the favorite.

Another interesting playoff features Sweden facing Denmark. These two have consistently been the strongest of the Scandinavian sides, so it was a shock for some to see both at the stage while Iceland won its group. Sweden underperformed in each of the last two Euros; their lone group win in 2012 came after they were already eliminated. Is this the last chance at Euro glory for Swedish star Zlatan Ibrahimovic, or will he be around the national team for the 2020 cycle?

The other two playoff ties see 2012 co-host Ukraine face Slovenia, white Bosnia & Herzegovina meet Ireland. The big story remains the Netherlands’ failure to even make the playoffs, the second time this century the Dutch have failed to qualify for a major international tournament (2002 World Cup). But for the teams still with a chance to qualify, it’s do-or-die, and exciting drama awaits.