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The introduction of the UEFA Nations League has been broadly positive, with more meaningful games played between countries of a similar standard.
With promotion and relegation at stake, as well as a potential route to the European Championship, the competition has helped to reinvigorate the international calendar.
Ahead of the fourth edition of the Nations League, which kicks off in September, here’s everything you need to know.
2024/25 Nations League: The league phase
The 54 members of UEFA have been split into four leagues, based on their performances in the last Nations League.
The draw for the league phase, held in Paris, decided 16 teams in each of Leagues A, B and C, with six teams in League D. Leagues A, B and C are made up of four groups of four teams. League D consists of two groups of three teams.
Teams in the same group will play each other twice, home and away.
League A
A1: Croatia, Portugal, Poland, Scotland
A2: Italy, Belgium, France, Israel
A3: Netherlands, Hungary, Germany, Bosnia & Herzegovina
A4: Spain, Denmark, Switzerland, Serbia
League B
B1: Czech Republic, Ukraine, Albania, Georgia
B2: England, Finland, Republic of Ireland, Greece
B3: Austria, Norway, Slovenia, Kazakhstan
B4: Wales, Iceland, Montenegro, Turkey
League C
C1: Sweden, Azerbaijan, Slovakia, Estonia
C2: Romania, Kosovo, Cyprus, Lithuania/Gibraltar*
C3: Luxembourg, Bulgaria, Northern Ireland, Belarus
C4: Armenia, Faroe Islands, North Macedonia, Latvia
League D
D1: Lithuania/Gibraltar*, San Marino, Liechtenstein
Pot 2: Moldova, Malta, Andorra
*Lithuania and Gibraltar will face each other in a two‐legged play‐out in March. The winner will remain in League C, while the loser will be relegated to League D.
The fourth-placed teams in Leagues A and B are automatically relegated to Leagues B and C respectively. The two lowest-ranked fourth-placed teams in League C are relegated to League D.
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 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 two-legged 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.
Knockout round
The Nations League has been expanded by the introduction of a knockout round to be played in March 2025.
The League A group winners and runners-up will take part in two-legged quarter-finals, with the winners qualifying for the final four. The play-offs to decide promotion and relegation will also be played during this same international break.
Semi-finals
Semi-finals will take place on Wednesday 4 and Thursday 5 June 2025. The winners will advance to the final on Sunday 8 June, while the two beaten semi-finalists will contest the match for third place earlier the same day.
The reigning champions are Spain, who beat Croatia on penalties following a goalless draw in the final.
When will the Nations League 2024/25 be played?
League phase draw: February 8 2024
Matchday 1: September 5-7 2024
Matchday 2: September 8-10 2024
Matchday 3: October 10-12 2024
Matchday 4: October 13-15 2024
Matchday 5: November 14-16 2024
Matchday 6: November 17-19 2024
Knockout round play-off draw: November 2024
Knockout round play-offs: March 20-25 2025
League A quarter-finals: March 20-25 2025
Final tournament: June 4-8 2025
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Sean Cole is a freelance journalist. He has written for FourFourTwo, BBC Sport and When Saturday Comes among others. A Birmingham City supporter and staunch Nikola Zigic advocate, he once scored a hat-trick at St. Andrew’s (in a half-time game). He also has far too many football shirts and spends far too much time reading the Wikipedia pages of obscure players.
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