Uefa Nations League: How does it work and when are England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland's fixtures?
The Uefa Nations League was devised by the continental governing body to add increased competitiveness to international fixtures.
Qualification for the 2020 European Championships has been amended via the Nations League. (Photo: JUSTIN TALLIS/AFP/Getty)
By i Team
October 11, 2018 1:22 pm(Updated September 15, 2020 5:15 pm)
For the first time ever, European nations are taking part in the Uefa Nations League – a competition devised by the continental governing body to add increased competitiveness to international fixtures.
The new competition has confused and befuddled many, but it is a concept which is easy to grasp. Eventually.
We have provided the answers to the questions being asked.
So, what is the Nations League?
It is a sort of mix between the Champions League and now defunct Intertoto Cup, with the addition of promotion and relegation.
That still sounds confusing, but is in fact quite exciting.
In essence, it has been introduced to largely replace those pesky friendly matches with more competitive games and, according to Uefa, "ensure the continued success of national team football".
Games are competitive because they give nations a 'second chance' at qualifying for finals tournaments. More on that later…
All 55 Uefa member associations are divided into four leagues depending on their coefficient.
Group A is made up of the 12 best ranked nations, while Group D features the 16 lowest ranked nations.
CONFIRMED: The four leagues for the UEFA Nations League! ⚽️????
More details ???? https://t.co/sg2Z1S9r78 pic.twitter.com/zWM4xt288O
— UEFA EURO 2020 (@EURO2020) October 11, 2017
Within those leagues the nations are divided into four groups of three or four. Teams play each other twice, home and away.
The winners of the groups in Leagues B, C and D will be promoted, while the bottom-placed sides in A, B and C will be relegated for the next edition.
A team's positioning will determine if they are involved in the Nations League play-off if they fail to qualify via the normal European Qualifiers.
What are the groups?
England will play Spain at Wembley in their first Nations League fixture. (Getty Images)
Group A1: Germany, France, Netherlands
Group A2: Belgium, Switzerland, Iceland
Group A3: Portugal, Italy, Poland
Group A4: Spain, England, Croatia
League B
Group B1: Slovakia, Ukraine, Czech Republic
Group B2: Russia, Sweden, Turkey
Group B3: Austria, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Northern Ireland
Group B4: Wales, Republic of Ireland, Denmark
League C
Group C1: Scotland, Albania, Israel
Group C2: Hungary, Greece, Finland, Estonia
Group C3: Slovenia, Norway, Bulgaria, Cyprus
Group C4: Romania, Serbia, Montenegro, Lithuania
League D
Group D1: Georgia, Latvia, Kazakhstan, Andorra
Group D2: Belarus, Luxembourg, Moldova, San Marino
Group D3: Azerbaijan, Faroe Islands, Malta, Kosovo
Group D4: FYR Macedonia, Armenia, Liechtenstein, Gibraltar
How does it affect qualification for tournaments?
No team will qualify directly for the 2020 European Championship via the Nations League.
Ten qualification groups will run as normal over ten matchdays between March 2019 and November 2019, after the Nations League.
The group winners and runners-up will qualify directly for the 2020 tournament, which is being staged around Europe.
The four remaining slots are allocated to the winners of the Nations League play-offs.
How will the play-offs work?
Leagues A, B, C and D will each provide an entrant via the play-offs. The four group winners from each will enter the play-offs for their respective league.
However, if the group winners have already qualified via the European Qualifiers, their slot will go to the next best-ranked team(s) within the league who have not qualified.
There is a waterfall mechanism in play so slots are awarded to lower leagues if less than four teams remain available for a play-off qualification.
At the end there will be play-off winner from each of the four leagues, to bring the tournament up to 24 teams.
Does this mean there will be a low-ranked team at the tournament in 2020?
Most definitely. At least one side from League D will be there via the play-offs.
That could be the Faroe Islands, Andorra or even Gibraltar.
The Faroe Islands could realistically reach their first finals tournament via the Nations League. (Getty Images)
What is the format for the play-offs?
In the semi-finals, the best-ranked team will play the fourth best-ranked team from their respective league, and the second will play third.
The semi-final will take place at the home of the highest-ranked team, while the final will be drawn in advance.
When does it take place?
The Nations League is played over six dates in September, October and November 2018. The first round of games run from Thursday, September 6 through to Tuesday, September 11.
The normal European Qualifiers are played over ten dates, between March and November 2019.
The Nations League play-offs take place in March 2020, meaning the final four teams only confirm their place three months before the tournament starts.
Is there a Nations League 'winner'?
There is! The four group winners in League A will play in a knock-out tournament in June 2019 to determine the winners.
There are two semi-finals then a final which will produce the winner of the inaugural Nations League.
Why is there promotion and relegation?
This isn't a one-off. The Nations League will return in the 2020-2021 season ahead of the 2022 World Cup. So the group will change with the promotion and relegation.
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