The Nations League is back and this time it’s a little different.
It may not be the most popular international competition, but the Nations League is set to dominate European football over the next week. So how does it work and what exactly has changed?
Remind me what is the Nations League?
The Nations League was introduced in the 2018–19 season to avoid “meaningless” international friendlies and provide countries with more competitive matches.
The 2024-25 edition begins tonight and runs until the final in June 2025. A total of 54 teams are spread across four leagues – A to D – with 16 teams in Leagues A, B and C and six in League D. Each league is divided into groups, with four groups in Leagues A to C and two in League D.
Each team plays six games in the league phase, one home and one away against each of the three teams in its group.
The four group winners of Leagues B and C are promoted to the next higher league, as are the two group winners of League D.
The fourth-placed teams in Leagues A and B are automatically relegated to the league below, while the two worst-placed fourth-placed teams in League C face relegation to League D.
Which teams are in the leagues and groups?
League A
Group A1: Croatia, Portugal, Poland, Scotland
Group A2: Italy, Belgium, France, Israel
Group A3: Netherlands, Hungary, Germany, Bosnia and Herzegovina
Group A4: Spain, Denmark, Switzerland, Serbia
League B
Group B1: Czech Republic, Ukraine, Albania, Georgia
Group B2: England, Finland, Republic of Ireland, Greece
Group B3: Austria, Norway, Slovenia, Kazakhstan
Group B4: Wales, Iceland, Montenegro, Türkiye
League C
Group C1: Sweden, Azerbaijan, Slovakia, Estonia
Group C2: Romania, Kosovo, Cyprus, Lithuania
Group C3: Luxembourg, Bulgaria, Northern Ireland, Belarus
Group C4: Armenia, Faroe Islands, North Macedonia, Latvia
League D
Group D1: Gibraltar, San Marino, Liechtenstein
Group D2: Moldova, Malta, Andorra
But England were finalists at Euro 2024. How did they end up in League B?
For the Nations League, performance at the European Championships in Germany this summer is irrelevant.
England plays in League B because it was relegated from League A in the 2022–23 Nations League along with Austria, the Czech Republic and Wales.
They have failed to win a single game this season and have lost twice to Hungary, including a 4-0 defeat at Molineux – arguably the low point of Gareth Southgate’s tenure as manager.
England’s players looked dejected during their defeat to Hungary at Molineux (Shaun Botterill/Getty Images)
What has changed in the Nations League this season?
There is now a new knockout round. Instead of the four winners of League A going straight to the Final Four as before, they will now play against the runners-up of League A in home and away quarter-finals to qualify for the Final Four.
As for promotion and relegation, there will now also be promotion and relegation matches between the third-placed teams in League A and the second-placed teams in League B, and between the third-placed teams in League B and the second-placed teams in League C. This offers more opportunities for promotion and relegation.
According to UEFA, the aim of these changes is to create “continuity between the group stage ending in November and the finals in June”.
When do the knockout rounds take place?
Draw of the knockout play-offs: November 2024
Play-offs in the knockout round: 20-25 March 2025
Quarterfinals of League A: 20-25 March 2025
Semifinal: 4-5 June 2025
final: 8 June 2025
One of the nations that reach the last four will be chosen as host for the semi-finals and the remaining matches.
What do the winners get and who are the favorites?
Spain are defending champions after defeating Croatia in 2023, and after their victory at the European Championship, the country is confident of extending their international title.
France (second place in the FIFA rankings) and Portugal could also be in the race.
Spain and Croatia will face each other in the 2023 Nations League final (John Thys/AFP via Getty Images)
The winners receive substantial prize money. For the last season, Spain received €10.5 million (£8.9 million, $11.7 million), while the runners-up received €9 million.
There is also a starting bonus for participation, ranging from €1.5 million for the teams in League A to €500,000 for the teams in League D. There are also additional bonuses for winning the group, ranging from €750,000 in League A to €250,000 in League D.
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What is the connection between the Nations League and qualification for the 2026 FIFA World Cup?
The 2024-2025 Nations League will also award four places in the UEFA qualification for the 2026 FIFA World Cup in the USA, Canada and Mexico.
From March 2025 to 2026, the 16 UEFA World Cup nations (currently 13) will be determined in 12 groups of four or five teams each, with these teams playing against each other in home and away matches. The group winners automatically qualify for the World Cup and occupy the first 12 places.
The runners-up of these twelve groups and the four best Nations League group winners will compete for the remaining four places in four ways based on their overall ranking in the Nations League – in which, for example, the winners of League A are ranked ahead of the winners of League B, etc.
The four paths consist of two play-offs of one game each, with the winners qualifying for the World Championship.
(Top photo: Lars Baron/Getty Images)
