The UEFA Nations League returns this week with the opening round of fixtures in the fourth edition of the tournament. The competition was created to remove the unpopular friendlies from the calendar by replacing them with meaningful fixtures - and as before, it will be partially linked with European qualification for the next World Cup in 2026.
The 54 UEFA member associations participating were divided into four leagues based on their results in the 2022/23 UEFA Nations League. Two years ago, England and Wales were relegated to League B while Scotland were promoted to League A. Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland remain in Leagues B and C respectively.
Nations League Format Explained
Forget about the new Champions League format - the Nations League still follows the conventional system whereby each team will play six matches in their group, one home and one away against the other three nations in the group.
The fourth-placed teams in Leagues A and B are automatically relegated to League B and C respectively. As before, the four group winners in Leagues B and C, as well as the two group winners in League D, are automatically promoted to Leagues A, B and C respectively.
The two lowest-ranked fourth-placed teams in League C, meanwhile, are relegated to League D.
The New Knockout Round
No - that's changed since the last edition. Now, the Nations League has been expanded with an additional knockout round to be played in March 2025.
League A
The League A group winners and runners-up will participate in home-and-away quarter-finals between March 20-25, with the winners of these ties qualifying for the finals next June.
Promotion/Relegation Play-offs
Furthermore, the third-ranked teams of League A and the runners-up of League B, as well as the third-ranked teams of League B and the runners-up of League C, will play a home-and-away promotion/relegation play-off.
There will also be play-offs between the two best-ranked fourth-placed teams from League C and the two runners-up from League D.
The draw for the promotion/relegation play-offs will be held on November 22 2024 in Nyon, Switzerland, along with the draw for the League A quarter-finals.
For the League A/B and B/C ties, the first legs will be played on March 20, and the second legs will be played on March 23. For the League C/D ties, the first legs will take place on March 26 2026 with the return legs on March 31 2026.
The Finals
The finals - to be staged by one of the four nations that qualify - are set to take place in June 2025. The semi-finals will take place on June 4/5. The winners progress to the final on June 8, while the two beaten semi-finalists will face off for third place earlier on the same day.
The Road to the 2026 World Cup
The road to Canada, Mexico, and the United States technically starts here. When it comes to the draw for World Cup qualification, each national team involved will also be placed in a ranked table, based on the performance in the 2024/25 UEFA Nations League. Essentially, the four highest ranked teams who do not then secure an automatic place at the 2026 World Cup will be granted a playoff safety net.
For 2026 World Cup qualifying, there will be 12 groups of either four or five teams. Only the group winners will qualify automatically for the tournament.
The 12 group runners-up and four best Nations League group winners, based on the Nations League overall ranking, will be drawn into four play-off paths, playing two rounds of single-match play-offs (semi-finals with the seeded teams to host, followed by finals, with the home teams to be drawn). The four path winners will qualify for the World Cup finals.
Opening Fixtures
Here's a look at the opening fixtures for the four home nations in the UEFA Nations League:
Scotland
Scotland vs Poland - 05/09/24 Portugal vs Scotland - 08/09/24 Croatia vs Scotland - 12/10/24 Scotland vs Portugal - 15/10/24 Scotland vs Croatia - 15/11/24 Poland vs Scotland - 18/11/24
England
Republic of Ireland vs England - 07/09/24 England vs Finland - 10/09/24 England vs Greece - 10/10/24 Finland vs England - 13/10/24 Greece vs England - 14/11/24 England vs Republic of Ireland - 17/11/24
Republic of Ireland
Republic of Ireland vs England - 07/09/24 Republic of Ireland vs Greece - 10/09/24 Finland vs Republic of Ireland - 10/10/24 Greece vs Republic of Ireland - 13/10/24 Republic of Ireland vs Finland - 14/11/24 England vs Republic of Ireland - 17/11/24
Wales
Wales vs Turkey - 06/09/24 Montenegro vs Wales - 09/09/24 Iceland vs Wales - 11/10/24 Wales vs Montenegro - 14/10/24 Turkey vs Wales - 16/11/24 Wales vs Iceland - 19/11/24
Northern Ireland
Northern Ireland vs Luxembourg - 05/09/24 Bulgaria vs Northern Ireland - 08/09/24 Belarus vs Northern Ireland - 12/10/24 Northern Ireland vs Bulgaria - 15/10/24 Northern Ireland vs Belarus - 15/11/24 Luxembourg vs Northern Ireland - 18/11/24
The New UEFA Nations League - A Compelling Narrative
The UEFA Nations League has become a significant fixture on the international football calendar. This new format promises to inject even more intrigue and excitement into the competition. With the World Cup qualification stakes higher than ever, the Nations League is shaping up to be a thrilling spectacle for fans worldwide.
