UEFA Nations League: The most exciting competition in Europe
UEFA Nations League: Everything You Need to Know
If you are a fan of international football, you have probably heard of the UEFA Nations League. But what exactly is this competition and how does it work? In this article, we will explain everything you need to know about the UEFA Nations League, from its origins and objectives to its format and structure, from its results and standings to its future prospects. We will also answer some frequently asked questions about this innovative and exciting tournament.
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What is the UEFA Nations League?
The UEFA Nations League is a biennial international football competition contested by the senior men's national teams of the member associations of UEFA, the sport's European governing body. The first tournament began in September 2018. The four group winners from League A qualified for the finals, played in Portugal in June 2019.
The origins and objectives of the competition
The idea of creating a third full national-team international tournament for UEFA members, in addition to the FIFA World Cup and UEFA European Championship, was first proposed in October 2013 by Yngve Hallén, the president of the Norwegian Football Association. The main goals of the proposal were to:
Replace the international friendly matches previously played on the FIFA International Match Calendar with more competitive and meaningful games.
Provide more opportunities for lower-ranked nations to play against teams of similar level and improve their ranking and development.
Increase the interest and revenue of international football for both fans and broadcasters.
The concept of the UEFA Nations League was unanimously adopted by the 54 UEFA member associations at the XXXVIII Ordinary UEFA Congress in Astana on 27 March 2014.
The format and structure of the competition
According to the approved format, the 54 (now 55) UEFA national teams are divided into four divisions (called "Leagues"):
16 teams in League A, comprising the highest-ranked teams in Europe.
16 teams in League B, comprising the next highest-ranked teams in Europe.
16 teams in League C, comprising the next lowest-ranked teams in Europe.
7 teams in League D, comprising the lowest-ranked teams in Europe.
In each league, four groups are formed (with three or four teams) and teams play each other both home and away. The group winners in Leagues B, C and D are promoted to the next higher league, while the group last-placed teams in Leagues A, B and C are relegated to the next lower league. The group winners in League A qualify for the finals, where they compete for the trophy in a single-elimination tournament consisting of two semi-finals, a third-place play-off and a final.
The benefits and drawbacks of the competition
The UEFA Nations League has been praised for several reasons, such as:
Increasing the competitiveness and attractiveness of international football, as every game counts for something.
Reducing the number of meaningless friendlies that often lack intensity and excitement.
Giving more chances for smaller nations to play against similar opponents and achieve better results.
Creating more Creating more drama and suspense, as the fate of the teams can be decided in the last games.
Offering an alternative route to qualify for the FIFA World Cup and UEFA Euro, as the best-ranked teams in each league that have not already qualified will enter a play-off system.
However, the UEFA Nations League has also faced some criticism, such as:
Adding more complexity and confusion to the international calendar, as some fans and players struggle to understand the rules and implications of the competition.
Increasing the workload and fatigue of the players, as they have to play more competitive games in a shorter period of time.
Reducing the opportunities for bigger nations to play against each other, as they are mostly confined to their own league.
Creating more inequality and imbalance, as the lower-ranked teams have less chance to improve their ranking and face stronger opponents.
How does the UEFA Nations League work?
Now that we have explained what the UEFA Nations League is and why it was created, let us look at how it works in practice. In this section, we will describe the main features and mechanisms of the competition, such as the leagues and groups, the promotion and relegation system, and the finals and the third-place play-off.
The leagues and groups
The leagues and groups of the UEFA Nations League are based on the UEFA national team coefficients ranking, which is calculated using a formula that takes into account the results of each team in the previous World Cup and Euro qualifiers and finals, as well as in the previous Nations League season. The ranking is updated after each international window. The first ranking was used to allocate the teams to their respective leagues for the 2018-19 season. The second ranking was used to allocate the teams to their respective groups within each league for the 2020-21 season. The third ranking will be used to allocate the teams to their respective leagues for the 2022-23 season.
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The following table shows the composition of each league and group for the 2020-21 season:
League ALeague BLeague CLeague D
Group 1: Netherlands, Italy, Poland, Bosnia and HerzegovinaGroup 1: Austria, Norway, Northern Ireland, RomaniaGroup 1: Montenegro, Luxembourg, Azerbaijan, CyprusGroup 1: Malta, Andorra, Latvia, Faroe Islands
Group 2: England, Belgium, Denmark, IcelandGroup 2: Czech Republic, Scotland, Slovakia, IsraelGroup 2: Armenia, Georgia, North Macedonia, EstoniaGroup 2: Gibraltar, Liechtenstein, San Marino
Group 3: Portugal (title holders), France (world champions), Croatia (world runners-up), SwedenGroup 3: Russia (host nation), Serbia (host nation), Turkey (host nation), Hungary (host nation)Group 3: Greece (host nation), Kosovo (host nation), Slovenia (host nation), Moldova (host nation)
Group 4: Switzerland (third place), Spain (fourth place), Germany (relegated from League A), Ukraine (promoted from League B)Group 4: Wales (promoted from League B), Finland (promoted from League C), Ireland (relegated from League A), Bulgaria (relegated from League A)Group 4: Albania (relegated from League B), Belarus (relegated from League B), Lithuania (promoted from League D), Kazakhstan (promoted from League D)
The promotion and relegation system
The promotion and relegation system of the UEFA Nations League is designed to ensure that teams face opponents of similar level and quality. The system works as follows:
The group winners in Leagues B, C and D are promoted to the next higher league for the next season. For example, Wales won Group 4 in League B in 2020-21 and will play in League A in 2022-23.
The group last-placed teams in Leagues A, B and C are relegated to the next lower league for the next season. For example, Iceland finished last in Group 2 in League A in 2020-21 and will play in League B in 2022-23.
The group winners in League A qualify for the finals, where they compete for the trophy. The group last-placed teams in League A also enter a relegation play-off, where they face the second-placed teams in League B to determine who will play in League A or B in the next season. This was introduced in 2020-21 to avoid having uneven numbers of teams in each league. For example, Germany finished last in Group 4 in League A in 2020-21 and will play a relegation play-off against Hungary, who finished second in Group 3 in League B.
The finals and the third-place play-off
The finals and the third-place play-off of the UEFA Nations League are the climax of the competition, where the four group winners in League A battle for the title and the prize money. The finals and the third-place play-off are played in a single-elimination format, with two semi-finals, a third-place play-off and a final. The host country is selected from among the four qualified teams by UEFA. The finals and the third-place play-off are held in June of every odd-numbered year, following the end of the group stage. The following table shows the results of the finals and the third-place play-off so far:
SeasonHost countrySemi-finalsThird-place play-offFinal
2018-19PortugalPortugal 3-1 SwitzerlandNetherlands 3-1 England (a.e.t.)Switzerland 0-0 England (5-6 pen.)Portugal 1-0 Netherlands
2020-21ItalyItaly 1-1 Spain (4-2 pen.)Belgium 1-2 FranceBelgium 2-3 Spain (a.e.t.)Italy 1-1 France (3-2 pen.)
2022-23TBDTBDTBDTBDTBD
What are the results and standings of the UEFA Nations League?
In this section, we will review the results and standings of the UEFA Nations League so far, focusing on the three completed or ongoing seasons: 2018-19, 2020-21 and 2022-23. We will highlight the main achievements and surprises of each season, as well as the current situation of each league and group.
The 2018-19 season: Portugal crowned champions
The inaugural season of the UEFA Nations League was held from September 2018 to June 2019. The group stage was played from September to November 2018, while the finals were played in June 2019. The following table shows the final standings of each league and group:
League ALeague BLeague CLeague D
Group 1: France (10 pts), Netherlands (7 pts), Germany (2 pts)Group 1: Ukraine (9 pts), Czech Republic (6 pts), Slovakia (3 pts)Group 1: Scotland (9 pts), Israel (6 pts), Albania (3 pts)Group 1: Georgia (12 pts), Kazakhstan (6 pts), Latvia (4 pts), Andorra (4 pts)
Group 2: Switzerland (9 pts), Belgium (9 pts), Iceland (0 pts)Group 2: Sweden (7 pts), Russia (7 pts), Turkey (3 pts)Group 2: Finland (12 pts), Hungary (10 pts), Greece (9 pts), Estonia (1 pt)Group 2: Belarus (14 pts), Luxembourg (10 pts), Moldova (9 pts), San Marino (0 pts)
Group 3: Portugal (8 pts), Italy (5 pts), Poland (2 pts)Group 3: Bosnia and Herzegovina (10 pts), Austria (7 pts), Northern Ireland (0 pts)Group 3: Norway (12 pts), Bulgaria (10 pts), Cyprus (5 pts), Slovenia (3 pts)Group 3: Kosovo (14 pts), Azerbaijan (10 pts), Faroe Islands (5 pts), Malta (3 pts)
Group 4: England (7 pts), Spain (6 pts), Croatia (4 pts)Group 4: Denmark (8 pts), Wales (6 pts), Republic of Ireland (2 pts)Group 4: Serbia (14 pts), Romania (12 pts), Montenegro (7 pts), Lithuania (0 pts)Group 4: Macedonia (15 pts), Armenia (10 pts), Gibraltar (6 pts), Liechtenstein (1 pt)
The 2018-19 season saw some remarkable results and performances, such as:
Portugal winning the first edition of the UEFA Nations League, beating Switzerland 3-1 in the semi-final and Netherlands 1-0 in the final, thanks to goals from Cristiano Ronaldo and Gonçalo Guedes.
England reaching the finals for the first time, after topping their group ahead of Spain and Croatia, but losing to Netherlands 3-1 in the semi-final and to Switzerland on penalties in the third-place play-off.
Germany suffering a historic relegation from League A, after finishing last in their group with only two points and no wins, scoring only three goals and conceding nine.
Ukraine, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Denmark and Sweden earning promotion to League A, after winning their respective groups in League B.
Finland, Norway, Serbia and Macedonia earning promotion to League B, after winning their respective groups in League C.
Belarus, Georgia, Kosovo and Macedonia earning promotion to League C, after winning their respective groups in League D.
The 2020-21 season: Spain win on penalties
The second season of the UEFA Nations League was held from September 2020 to October 2021. The group stage was played from September to November 2020, while the finals were played in October 2021. The following table shows the final standings of each league and group:
League ALeague BLeague CLeague D
Group 1: Italy (12 pts), Netherlands (11 pts), Poland (7 pts), Bosnia and Herzegovina (2 pts)Group 1: Austria (13 pts), Norway (9 pts), Romania (4 pts), Northern Ireland (1 pt)Group 1: Montenegro (15 pts), Luxembourg (10 pts), Azerbaijan (6 pts), Cyprus (4 pts)Group 1: Malta (12 pts), Faroe Islands (10 pts), Latvia (7 pts), Andorra (3 pts)
Group 2: Belgium (15 pts), Denmark (10 pts), England (10 pts), Iceland (0 pts)Group 2: Czech Republic (12 pts), Scotland (10 pts), Israel (8 pts), Slovakia (4 pts)Group 2: Armenia (14 pts), North Macedonia (14 pts), Georgia (9 pts), Estonia (1 pt)Group 2: Gibraltar (13 pts), Liechtenstein (10 pts), San Marino (4 pts)
Group 3: France (16 pts), Portugal (13 pts), Croatia (3 pts), Sweden (3 pts)Group 3: Hungary (13 pts), Russia (8 pts), Serbia (6 pts), Turkey (6 pts)Group 3: Slovenia (16 pts), Greece (14 pts), Kosovo (5 pts), Moldova (1 pt)
Group 4: Spain (11 pts), Germany (9 pts), Ukraine (6 pts), Switzerland (3 pts)Group 4: Wales (16 pts), Finland (12 pts), Ireland (3 pts), Bulgaria (1 pt)Group 4: Albania (11 pts), Belarus (10 pts), Lithuania (8 pts), Kazakhstan (7 pts)
The 2020-21 season saw some remarkable results and performances, such as:
Spain winning the second edition of the UEFA Nations League, beating Italy 4-2 on penalties in the semi-final and France 3-2 on penalties in the final, after both games ended in 1-1 draws.
Belgium reaching the finals for the first time, after topping their group ahead of Denmark and England, but losing to France 2-1 in the semi-final and to Spain 3-2 in the third-place play-off.
Germany suffering a humiliating 6-0 defeat to Spain in their last group game, which cost them the qualification to the finals and led to the dismissal of their coach Joachim Löw.
Bosnia and Herzegovina, Iceland, Sweden and Croatia being relegated from League A, after finishing last in their respective groups.
Austria, Czech Republic, Hungary and Wales earning promotion to League A, after winning their respective groups in League B.
Montenegro, Armenia, Slovenia and Albania earning promotion to League B, after winning their respective groups in League C.
Malta, Gibraltar, Liechtenstein and Faroe Islands earning promotion to League C, after winning their respective groups in League D.
The 2022-23 season: The current situation
The third season of the UEFA Nations League will be held from September 2022 to June 2023. The group stage will be played from September to November 2022, while the finals will be played in June 2023. The following table shows the composition of each league and group for the 2022-23 season, based on the results of the previous season:
League ALeague BLeague CLeague D
Group 1: Spain (title holders), Austria, Hungary, Bosnia and HerzegovinaGroup 1: Croatia, Norway, Romania, CyprusGroup 1: Belarus, Georgia, Azerbaijan, AndorraGroup 1: San Marino, Latvia, Kazakhstan, Moldova
Group 2: France, Czech Republic, Ukraine, IcelandGroup 2: Sweden, Scotland, Serbia, EstoniaGroup 2: Lithuania, North Macedonia, Luxembourg, MaltaGroup 2: Liechtenstein, Armenia, Kosovo, Gibraltar
Group 3: Italy, Belgium, Germany, CroatiaGroup 3: Denmark, Russia, Turkey, SloveniaGroup 3: Montenegro, Finland, Greece, Faroe Islands
Group 4: Portugal, Wales, Poland, SwedenGroup 4: Netherlands, Switzerland, Ireland, BulgariaGroup 4: Albania, Norway, Israel, Moldova
The 2022-23 season is expected to be another thril