This article is about the UEFA contest. For other uses, see Nations League ( disambiguation )
Football tournament
Reading: UEFA Nations League
The UEFA Nations League is a biennial international football competition contested by the senior men ‘s national teams of the extremity associations of UEFA, the sport ‘s european regulate body. [ 1 ] The inaugural tournament began in September 2018, following the 2018 FIFA World Cup. The four group winners from League A qualified for the finals, played in Portugal in June 2019. Four nations, one from each League, besides qualified for the UEFA Euro 2020 finals. The competition largely replaces the international friendly matches previously played on the FIFA International Match Calendar with more competitive matches .
adoption [edit ]
In October 2013, Norwegian Football Association President Yngve Hallén confirmed that talks had been held to create a third fully national-team external tournament for UEFA members [ 2 ] in accession to the FIFA World Cup and UEFA European Championship. The concept of the UEFA Nations League would see all 55 of UEFA ‘s member associations ‘ national teams divided into a series of groups based upon a ranking formulated using their late results, where they would be promoted and relegated to other groups according to their results within the group. [ 3 ] The proposed tournament would take place on dates on the FIFA International Match Calendar that were previously allocated for external friendlies and would not affect the FIFA World Cup or UEFA european Championship. [ 4 ] In March 2014, UEFA general secretary Gianni Infantino stated that one of the benefits of the proposal would be to help less glamorous national associations arrange games. [ 4 ] Royal Belgian Football Association ‘s general secretary Steven Martens said that lower ranked nations would still benefit financially from the competition, as the television contract with UEFA would be centralised. [ 5 ] The UEFA Nations League was unanimously adopted by the 54 UEFA extremity associations at the XXXVIII Ordinary UEFA Congress in Astana on 27 March 2014. [ 1 ]
format [edit ]
original format [edit ]
According to the approved format, [ 1 ] [ 6 ] [ 7 ] the 54 UEFA national teams were divided into four divisions ( called “ Leagues ” ) : [ 8 ] [ 9 ] 12 teams in League A, 12 teams in League B, 14 teams in League C, and 16 teams in League D. In each league, four groups were formed ( with three or four teams ) and teams played each early both home plate and off .
adaptation starting from 2020–21 [edit ]
After the completion of the first season, UEFA decided to adjust the format of the Nations League starting from the 2020–21 season. The new league social organization comprised 16 teams in Leagues A, B and C and seven teams in League D. [ 10 ] The transition to the new format occurred by making respective erstwhile changes after the 2018–19 season, namely the suspension of relegations in both League A and League B, the promotion of the two best teams per group in both League C and League D ( rather of alone one team per group ), and the promotion of the best third-placed team from League D. This change to the format followed a collective consultation march, whereby all UEFA national associations reiterated their captive to further reduce the numeral of friendly matches. The number of competitive matches was increased from 138 to 162, therefore increasing the commercial rate and viewer attraction of the competition. Almost all teams in the lapp group played their survive match simultaneously with the target of promoting paleness. [ 11 ] More matches were played within Leagues A and B, with the two leagues now incorporating rival between the 32 highest-ranked UEFA national associations, alternatively of the previous system where Leagues A and B together alone incorporate 24 of the highest-ranked UEFA national associations .
Finals, forwarding and relegation [edit ]
In the top league, League A, the winners of the four groups go on to play in the Nations League Finals, with two semi-finals, one third base and fourthly position decider, and one final to decide which team becomes the UEFA Nations League champion. Teams can besides be promoted and relegated to a higher or lower league. Starting in 2020–21, each group winner in Leagues B, C, and D is mechanically promoted to the adjacent higher league for the adjacent tournament. Each team placing last in its group in the Leagues A and B is automatically relegated to the following lower league ; as League C has four groups while League D has merely two, the two League C teams that are to be relegated are determined by play-outs beginning in March of even-numbered years. Based on the Nations League overall rank of the fourth-placed teams, the first-ranked team side the fourth-ranked team, and the second-ranked team font the third-ranked team. Two ties are played over two legs, with the higher-ranked team hosts the second gear stage. The two teams that score more goals on sum over the two legs remain in League C, while the lose teams are relegated to League D. If the aggregate score is flush, the team that scored more aside goals dominion over the two legs stay in League C. If off goals were besides equal, then extra time will be played. The off goals rule applies again after extra meter, with penalty shoot-out used if no goals are scored during extra time. Starting in 2022–23, the aside goals rule is not applied in delegating playouts .
UEFA european Championship yoke [edit ]
The UEFA Nations League is linked with the UEFA European Championship modification, providing teams another chance to qualify for the UEFA European Championship. There were play-offs for each of Leagues A, B, C, and D in October and November 2020. Each group winner earned a blot in the semi-finals. If the group winner was already one of the 20 qualify teams, rankings were used to give the play-off touch to another team of that league. If fewer than four teams in the entire league remained unqualified, play-off spots for that league were given to teams of the following lower league. This determined the four remaining qualifying spots for the european Championship ( out of 24 sum ). [ 8 ] [ 9 ] [ 12 ]
FIFA World Cup link [edit ]
The Nations League is linked with european qualification for the FIFA World Cup, although to a lesser academic degree than the UEFA european Championship qualifying play-offs. The inaugural circle of the World Cup qualification consists of ten groups. The achiever of each group will directly qualify for the World Cup. then, the second polish ( which follows a play-off format ) will be contested by the ten group runner-up, plus the best two Nations League group winners ( based on the Nations League overall ranking ) that finished outside the top two of their passing group. The play-offs will be split into three play-off paths, played in two semi-finals ( hosted by the six best-ranked runner-up of the qualifying group phase ) and the final ( with the home teams to be drawn ), from which an extra three teams will besides qualify. [ 13 ]
support and criticism [edit ]
UEFA devised the tournament as a means to eliminate international friendlies—an aim that has been shared by many football clubs and supporters, with the regular football season being interrupted with non-competitive international matches as separate of the FIFA International Match Calendar. [ 14 ] [ 15 ] [ 16 ] In February 2012, it was agreed between UEFA and the European Club Association ( ECA ) that the international friendly agenda would be reduced from 12 to 9 matches a class with the August round of international friendlies in the UEFA confederation abolished from 2015. [ 17 ] The aspiration to eliminate friendlies in privilege of a more competitive tournament has been both welcomed and criticized by many football commentators. [ 18 ] [ 19 ] [ 20 ]
Supporters more than most realise that most friendlies fail to deliver competitive and meaningful football. nowadays they will have the opportunity to see their teams play in more competitive matches, take separate in a new rival and get a second chance to qualify for the major tournaments. There will surely be fewer friendly internationals and undoubtedly fewer meaningless friendlies. however, there will still be space in the calendar for friendly internationals—particularly warm-up matches for final tournaments. UEFA is besides exquisite that european teams will distillery have the chance to play opponents from other confederations .UEFA.[21]
The format has been criticised as allowing weaker teams to qualify through the Nations League to compete in the european Championship finals, rather of qualifying through the criterion qualification process. [ 22 ] however, once the tournament began in 2018, it got applaud for ‘very high-level matches ‘ and impressive turnouts in initial round of fixtures. [ 23 ]
trophy [edit ]
The UEFA Nations League trophy was unveiled during the phase draw in Lausanne, Switzerland. The trophy represents all 55 UEFA National associations and is made of greatest silver. The trophy weighs 7.5 kilogram and is 71 curium improbable. [ 24 ]
anthem [edit ]
The official hymn of the UEFA Nations League was recorded with the Netherlands Radio Philharmonic Orchestra and Choir, singing in Latin. It is a desegregate of classical music and electronic music, and is played when the players are entering the field of play, in television sequences and for ceremony purposes. The composers are Giorgio Tuinfort and Franck van five hundred Heijden. [ 24 ] [ 25 ]
Seasons [edit ]
Each season of the UEFA Nations League is typically played from September to November of an even-numbered year ( league phase ), and June of the following odd-numbered year ( Nations League Finals of League A ), meaning a UEFA Nations League champion is crowned every two years. An exception will be made in the 2022–23 season when the league phase will be played in June and September 2022, due to the 2022 FIFA World Cup played in Qatar at the end of the year. [ 8 ] [ 9 ] [ 12 ]
Results of Nations League finals [edit ]
Season
Host
Final
Third place play-off
Winner
Score
Runner-up
Third place
Score
Fourth place
2018–19
Details
Portugal
Portugal
1–0
Netherlands
England
0–0 (a.e.t.)
(6–5 p)
Switzerland
2020–21
Details
Italy
France
2–1
Spain
Italy
2–1
Belgium
2022–23
Details
Performances by team [edit ]
Team
Winners
Runner-up
Third place
Fourth place
Portugal
1 (2019*)
France
1 (2021)
Netherlands
1 (2019)
Spain
1 (2021)
England
1 (2019)
Italy
1 (2021*)
Switzerland
1 (2019)
Belgium
1 (2021)
- * = hosts
team performances by season [edit ]
- 1 – Champions
- 2 – Runners-up
- 3 – Third place
- 4 – Fourth place
– Promoted- * – Promoted after format change
– No movement
– Relegated
– Originally relegated in previous season (spared after format change)- Q – Qualified for upcoming UEFA Nations League Finals
- – Host country of UEFA Nations League Finals
influence [edit ]
shortly after the foundation of the UEFA Nations League, the CONCACAF, inspired by its successes, besides announced that a similar competition format, the CONCACAF Nations League, would be established. [ 26 ] The foremost edition was played in 2018. besides inspired by the holocene successes of the Nations League, the AFC has besides begun to formalise a like competition, expected to be delivered in 2021 before being stalled due to the consequence of the COVID-19 pandemic. [ 27 ] [ 28 ]