UEFA Nations League

UEFA Nations League

UEFA Nations League is a biennial international football competition contested by the senior men’s national teams of the member associations of UEFA. The first tournament began in September 2018, following the 2018 FIFA World Cup. Four nations, one from each League, also qualify for the UEFA Euro 2020 finals.

About UEFA Nations League in brief

Summary UEFA Nations LeagueUEFA Nations League is a biennial international football competition contested by the senior men’s national teams of the member associations of UEFA. The first tournament began in September 2018, following the 2018 FIFA World Cup. The four group winners from League A qualified for the finals, played in Portugal in June 2019. Four nations, one from each League, also qualify for the UEFA Euro 2020 finals. The competition largely replaces the international friendly matches previously played on the FIFA International Match Calendar. The number of competitive matches was increased from 138 to 162, thus increasing the commercial value and viewer attractiveness of the competition. Starting in 2020–21, each group winner except for League A, who will go on to play in the Nations League Finals, is automatically promoted to the next higher league for the next tournament. The two teams that score more goals over two legs in League C, while the losing teams remain in League D, are relegated to League D.

There were play-offs for each of Leagues A, B, C and D in October and November 2020. If the group winner earned a spot in the semi-finals, one of the remaining qualifying spots were given to another team of the next lower league. This gave the remaining four teams in the next league a chance to play for the final spot. This was used to give the four remaining teams in League B a chance of qualifying for the European Championship qualifying, providing teams with another chance to qualify with the UEFA European Championship. The new League C teams that are to be relegated are determined by play-outs beginning in March 2022. As League C has four groups while League D has only two, the two League D teams that will be relegated to a lower league are determined at the end of the 2018–19 season.