The Nations League will get again beneath means this month with international locations from throughout the UEFA confederation competing for promotion, relegation, and the Nations League trophy.
Scotland are the one one of many House Nations who’ve an opportunity of getting their arms on the prize, nonetheless, with England, Wales and Northern Eire all having to accept the satisfaction of going for promotion or avoiding the drop down into the subsequent tier.
The competitors stays divided into 4 leagues, which in flip are cut up into teams – and this time round, virtually each place within the competitors has one thing on the road thanks to a couple format adjustments UEFA have launched.
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Nations League quarter-final stage launched
Underneath the outdated format, the 4 group winners in Group A would advance on to the semi-finals.
Now, the runners-up in every group will get one other probability to make the ultimate 4 because of a brand new innovation UEFA bigwigs are calling ‘quarter-finals’.
Every group winner will play a runner-up from a distinct group in a two-legged quarter-final (with the runners-up internet hosting first). The winners of the quarter-finals – and you will not imagine this – undergo the semi-finals. The 2 semis, the ultimate and the third-place play-off are all simply one-legged.
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Scotland at Euro 2024 (Picture credit score: Craig Williamson/SNS Group by way of Getty Photographs)
Promotion and relegation has at all times been a function of the Nations League, with the underside sides in every group in Leagues A and B dropping down a tier whereas the 4 League C groups had been paired off into two matches, with the 2 losers happening into League D. The group winners from the divisions under can be promoted of their place.
This season’s version will nonetheless have automated promotion and relegation for the highest and backside sides in Leagues A, B and C – however on prime of that, we’re additionally getting promotion/relegation play-offs
That implies that for example, the third-placed sides in Leagues A and B will face the second-placed sides in Leagues B and C respectively.
As a result of League D solely has two teams as an alternative off 4, the third-placed sides in League C do not truly do something. As an alternative, the 2 worst-ranked fourth-placed League C sides can be robotically relegated and changed by the 2 League D group winners. The opposite two fourth-placed League C sides will play promotion/relegation play-offs in opposition to the 2 League D runners up.
What does the Nations League imply for World Cup qualification?
Oh, it is sophisticated, however principally: World Cup qualification is completed individually in a gaggle format.
The 12 group winners within the World Cup qualifiers go straight to the World Cup, and the runners-up enter the play-offs – and are joined by the 4 greatest Nations League group winners who haven’t in any other case certified for the play-offs.
Who will England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Eire play within the Nations League?
Jamal Lewis (Picture credit score: Getty Photographs)
Final day trip, Scotland topped their group in League B and thus had been promoted into League A – the highest league – and have been drawn into a gaggle alongside Croatia, Portugal and Poland.
England and Wales each completed backside of their Nations League teams with out successful a recreation in 2022/23, and can now compete in League B. England been drawn with Finland, the Republic of Eire (who haven’t modified leagues) and Greece, whereas Wales will face Iceland, Montenegro and Turkey.
Northern Eire in the meantime keep in Group C, and can face Luxembourg, Bulgaria and Belarus.
