The UEFA Nations League is set to take place in the 2024-25 season, with several prominent European teams facing off in an exciting tournament.
The competition will feature four leagues, with each league containing four groups of four teams, except League D, which has only two groups comprising a total of six teams.
Unfortunately, Russia remains banned due to the invasion of Ukraine.
The top league, League A, will include some of the best teams in Europe, such as World Cup runners-up France, European champions Italy, and Belgium.
Also included in this league are holders Spain, who are expected to be favorites in a group consisting of Denmark, Switzerland, and Serbia.
Didier Deschamps’ France will play against Israel, who have been promoted to the top tier for the first time, in Group A2, which also features Croatia, Portugal, Poland, and Scotland.
The French coach believes that the Nations League will inevitably feature big matches because of the quality of teams in League A.
Croatia, the runners-up from the previous year’s final, will play in Group A3, which also includes former winners Portugal, Poland, and Scotland.
Euro 2024 hosts Germany will face the Netherlands in the same group as Hungary and Bosnia and Herzegovina.
England will play the Republic of Ireland, Finland, and Greece in League B after being relegated.
UEFA rules regarding excessive travel conditions prevented them from being grouped with Kazakhstan.
The objective for Gareth Southgate’s team will be to win their group and get back up into League A.
England has not played Ireland in a competitive fixture since 1991 when they met in a European Championship qualifier, and the two teams last met in a behind-closed-doors friendly in November 2020, which England won 3-0.
Wales, on the other hand, will play in Group B4 with Iceland, Montenegro, and Turkey.
Meanwhile, in League C, there will be four groups, with the group winners automatically promoted to League B, and the two worst-ranked teams in League C dropping to League D.
There will also be play-offs between third-placed teams in League A and those finishing second in League B to determine further promotion and relegation spots between League B and C.
The exciting new addition to the Nations League is the knockout round, which will feature winners and runners-up from League A groups taking part in two-legged quarter-finals.
The winners of the four ties will advance to the finals.
Finally, the two runners-up in League D now have the chance to climb up a level in a play-off with the two best fourth-ranked countries in League C.
The group phase of the Nations League will begin in early September 2024, with the final matches set to conclude in mid-November.
The knockout round play-offs and League A quarter-finals will take place in March 2025, and the finals are scheduled for June 2025.
