The inaugural UEFA Nations League gets under way in the autumn of 2018 with matches set to take place in September, October and November.
A total of 55 teams will participate in the brand new venture and the make-up of the first edition is known, with all the fixtures set.
There are a spate of interesting match-ups to look forward to but the tournament still prompts a sense of bewilderment among casual observers.
However, with under six months to go, there is plenty of time to become familiarised with UEFA’s attempted ‘rejuvenation’ of the international game.
Goal takes a look the Nations League, how it works and brings you all the fixtures and results.
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1. What is the UEFA Nations League?
2. How does the UEFA Nations League work?
3. UEFA Nations League A
4. UEFA Nations League B
5. UEFA Nations League C
6. UEFA Nations League D
7. UEFA Nations League finals
8. UEFA Nations League prize money
9. European Championship qualifying
10. UEFA Nations League ball
What is the UEFA Nations League?
The Nations League is a bold attempt by UEFA to revamp international football in Europe.
According to the official UEFA website , the establishment of the competition “stems from the desire… to improve the quality and standing of national team football” with the federation and its associations seeking a move away from meaningless friendly games.
It will see UEFA’s 55 member associations split into four leagues (A-D), each consisting of four groups.
When does the UEFA Nations League take place?
The 2018-19 Nations League kicks off in September 2018 , with the first two rounds of group games scheduled to take place during that month. The remaining games will be played in October and November.
After the group games are complete, the finals will be held in June 2019.
| Round | Date |
|---|---|
| Matchday 1 | September 6-8, 2018 |
| Matchday 2 | September 9-11, 2018 |
| Matchday 3 | October 11-13, 2018 |
| Matchday 4 | October 14-16, 2018 |
| Matchday 5 | October 15-17, 2018 |
| Matchday 6 | November 15-17, 2018 |
| Semi-finals | June 5-6, 2019 |
| Third-place play-off | June 9, 2019 |
| Final | June 9, 2019 |
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How does the UEFA Nations League work?
As a new concept the Nations League has understandably left many fans, footballers and even officials themselves somewhat bewildered. But it will eventually become a natural and widely understood part of the European football calendar. We’ve broken it down in greater detail already here , but here are the express notes.
At the top end – in League A – the winners of each of the four groups progress to the finals, where they will fight it out to become Nations League champions.
The competition will also incorporate promotion and relegation, so teams can ascend or descend the ranks depending on their performances.
Four teams – those that finish bottom in their groups – will be relegated from Leagues A to B, B to C and C to D.
Conversely, four teams – those that finish top of their groups – will be promoted from Leagues D to C, C to B and B to A.
Helpfully, UEFA has produced a graphic, which you can see below, that illustrates exactly how promotion and relegation work in the competition.
Straightforward enough, right?
However, there are also qualification places for the European Championship up for grabs, which is where it becomes a little more complicated, but we will deal with that later.
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UEFA Nations League A tables, fixtures & results
League A features the top 12 ranked teams in Europe and they are divided into four groups of three. Among them are Germany, Portugal, Spain, England and France.
You can see the full breakdown of League A, including group tables, fixtures and results, below.
UEFA Nations League B tables, fixtures & results
League B is made up by the teams ranked from 13 to 24 and, like League A, they are divided into four groups of three. Some of the teams involved at this tier include Wales, Ukraine and Russia.
You can see the full breakdown of League B, including group tables, fixtures and results, below.
UEFA Nations League C tables, fixtures & results
Unlike the top two tiers, League C features the next best 15 teams, with one group of three and three groups of four. Scotland, Greece and Serbia are among the teams involved.
You can see the full breakdown of League A, including group tables, fixtures and results, below.
Group 1
| Pos | Team | GP | W | D | L | GD | Pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Scotland | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 2 | Albania | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 3 | Israel | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Group 1 fixtures
| Date | Match | Time (UK) |
|---|---|---|
| Sep 7 | Albania vs Israel | 19:45 |
| Sep 10 | Scotland vs Albania | 19:45 |
| Oct 11 | Israel vs Scotland | 19:45 |
| Oct 14 | Israel vs Albania | 19:45 |
| Nov 17 | Albania vs Scotland | 19:45 |
| Nov 20 | Scotland vs Israel | 19:45 |
Group 2
| Pos | Team | GP | W | D | L | GD | Pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Hungary | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 2 | Greece | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 3 | Finland | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 4 | Estonia | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Group 2 fixtures
| Date | Match | Time (UK) |
|---|---|---|
| Sep 8 | Finland vs Hungary | 17:00 |
| Sep 8 | Estonia vs Greece | 19:45 |
| Sep 11 | Hungary vs Greece | 19:45 |
| Sep 11 | Finland vs Estonia | 19:45 |
| Oct 12 | Greece vs Hungary | 19:45 |
| Oct 12 | Estonia vs Finland | 19:45 |
| Oct 15 | Estonia vs Hungary | 19:45 |
| Oct 15 | Finland vs Greece | 19:45 |
| Nov 15 | Hungary vs Estonia | 19:45 |
| Nov 15 | Greece vs Finland | 19:45 |
| Nov 18 | Hungary vs Finland | 19:45 |
| Nov 18 | Greece vs Estonia | 19:45 |
Group 3
| Pos | Team | GP | W | D | L | GD | Pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Slovenia | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 2 | Norway | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 3 | Bulgaria | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 4 | Cyprus | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Group 3 fixtures
| Date | Match | Time (UK) |
|---|---|---|
| Sep 6 | Slovenia vs Bulgaria | 19:45 |
| Sep 6 | Norway vs Cyprus | 19:45 |
| Sep 9 | Bulgaria vs Norway | 17:00 |
| Sep 9 | Cyprus vs Slovenia | 19:45 |
| Oct 13 | Norway vs Slovenia | 17:00 |
| Oct 13 | Bulgaria vs Cyprus | 19:45 |
| Oct 16 | Norway vs Bulgaria | 19:45 |
| Oct 16 | Slovenia vs Cyprus | 19:45 |
| Nov 16 | Cyprus vs Bulgaria | 19:45 |
| Nov 16 | Slovenia vs Norway | 19:45 |
| Nov 19 | Bulgaria vs Slovenia | 19:45 |
| Nov 19 | Cyprus vs Norway | 19:45 |
Group 4
| Pos | Team | GP | W | D | L | GD | Pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Romania | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 2 | Serbia | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 3 | Montenegro | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 4 | Lithuania | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Group 4 fixtures
| Date | Match | Time (UK) |
|---|---|---|
| Sep 7 | Lithuania vs Serbia | 19:45 |
| Sep 7 | Romania vs Montenegro | 19:45 |
| Sep 10 | Serbia vs Romania | 19:45 |
| Sep 10 | Montenegro vs Lithuania | 19:45 |
| Oct 11 | Lithuania vs Romania | 19:45 |
| Oct 11 | Montenegro vs Serbia | 19:45 |
| Oct 14 | Romania vs Serbia | 14:00 |
| Oct 14 | Lithuania vs Montenegro | 19:45 |
| Nov 17 | Serbia vs Montenegro | 14:00 |
| Nov 17 | Romania vs Lithuania | 19:45 |
| Nov 20 | Serbia vs Lithuania | 19:45 |
| Nov 20 | Montenegro vs Romania | 19:45 |
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UEFA Nations League D tables, fixtures & results
League D is populated by the 16 lowest ranked teams and they are divided into four groups of four. The likes of Armenia, San Marino and the Faroe Islands are competing at this level.
You can see the full breakdown of League D, including group tables, fixtures and results, below.
Group 1
| Pos | Team | GP | W | D | L | GD | Pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Georgia | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 2 | Latvia | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 3 | Kazakhstan | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 4 | Andorra | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Group 2 fixtures
| Date | Match | Time (UK) |
|---|---|---|
| Sep 6 | Kazakhstan vs Georgia | 15:00 |
| Sep 6 | Latvia vs Andorra | 19:45 |
| Sep 9 | Georgia vs Latvia | 17:00 |
| Sep 10 | Andorra vs Kazakhstan | 19:45 |
| Oct 13 | Georgia vs Andorra | 17:00 |
| Oct 13 | Latvia vs Kazakhstan | 17:00 |
| Oct 16 | Kazakhstan vs Andorra | 15:00 |
| Oct 16 | Latvia vs Georgia | 19:45 |
| Nov 16 | Kazakhstan vs Latvia | 15:00 |
| Nov 16 | Andorra vs Georgia | 19:45 |
| Nov 19 | Andorra vs Latvia | 17:00 |
| Nov 19 | Georgia vs Kazakhstan | 17:00 |
Group 2
| Pos | Team | GP | W | D | L | GD | Pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Belarus | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 2 | Luxembourg | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 3 | Moldova | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 4 | San Marino | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Group 2 fixtures
| Date | Match | Time (UK) |
|---|---|---|
| Sep 8 | Belarus vs San Marino | 17:00 |
| Sep 8 | Luxembourg vs Moldova | 19:45 |
| Sep 11 | San Marino vs Luxembourg | 19:45 |
| Sep 11 | Moldova vs Belarus | 19:45 |
| Oct 12 | Belarus vs Luxembourg | 19:45 |
| Oct 12 | Moldova vs San Marino | 19:45 |
| Oct 15 | Belarus vs Moldova | 19:45 |
| Oct 15 | Luxembourg vs San Marino | 19:45 |
| Nov 15 | San Marino vs Moldova | 19:45 |
| Nov 15 | Luxembourg vs Belarus | 19:45 |
| Nov 18 | Moldova vs Luxembourg | 17:00 |
| Nov 18 | San Marino vs Belarus | 17:00 |
Group 3
| Pos | Team | GP | W | D | L | GD | Pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Azerbaijan | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 2 | Faroe Islands | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 3 | Malta | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 4 | Kosovo | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Group 3 fixtures
| Date | Match | Time (UK) |
|---|---|---|
| Sep 7 | Azerbaijan vs Kosovo | 17:00 |
| Sep 7 | Faroe Islands vs Malta | 19:45 |
| Sep 10 | Kosovo vs Faroe Islands | 19:45 |
| Sep 10 | Malta vs Azerbaijan | 19:45 |
| Oct 11 | Faroe Islands vs Azerbaijan | 19:45 |
| Oct 11 | Kosovo vs Malta | 19:45 |
| Oct 14 | Azerbaijan vs Malta | 17:00 |
| Oct 14 | Faroe Islands vs Kosovo | 17:00 |
| Nov 17 | Azerbaijan vs Faroe Islands | 17:00 |
| Nov 17 | Malta vs Kosovo | 17:00 |
| Nov 20 | Kosovo vs Azerbaijan | 19:45 |
| Nov 20 | Malta vs Faroe Islands | 19:45 |
Group 4
| Pos | Team | GP | W | D | L | GD | Pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Macedona | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 2 | Armenia | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 3 | Liecthenstein | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 4 | Gibraltar | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Group 4 fixtures
| Date | Match | Time (UK) |
|---|---|---|
| Sep 6 | Armenia vs Liechtenstein | 19:45 |
| Sep 6 | Gibraltar vs Macedonia | 19:45 |
| Sep 9 | Macedona vs Armenia | 17:00 |
| Sep 9 | Liechtenstein vs Gibraltar | 19:45 |
| Oct 13 | Armenia vs Gibraltar | 17:00 |
| Oct 13 | Macedonia vs Liechtenstein | 19:45 |
| Oct 16 | Armenia vs Macedonia | 17:00 |
| Oct 16 | Gibraltar vs Liechtenstein | 19:45 |
| Nov 16 | Gibraltar vs Armenia | 19:45 |
| Nov 16 | Liechtenstein vs Macedona | 19:45 |
| Nov 19 | Macedonia vs Gibraltar | 19:45 |
| Nov 19 | Liechtenstein vs Armenia | 19:45 |
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UEFA Nations League finals
As mentioned, when matchday six has concluded, the Nations League then moves into the finals stage, which takes place in the summer of 2019.
Four teams – the winners of Groups 1-4 in League A – compete in two semi-finals (on June 5 and 6) with a third-place play-off and final following (on June 9).
This section of the tournament will be held in a single country, but the host nation has not yet been chosen. However, UEFA has confirmed that Italy, Poland and Portugal have expressed interest.
Semi-finals
| Date | Match | Time |
|---|---|---|
| June 5, 2019 | Group 1/2/3/4 winners vs Group 1/2/3/4 winners | TBC |
| June 6, 2019 | Group 1/2/3/4 winners vs Group 1/2/3/4 winners | TBC |
Third-place play-off
| Date | Match | Time |
|---|---|---|
| June 9, 2019 | Semi-final 1 losers vs Semi-final 2 losers | TBC |
Final
| Date | Match | Time |
|---|---|---|
| June 9, 2019 | Semi-final 1 winners vs Semi-final 2 winners | TBC |
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UEFA Nations League prize money
Every team that competes in the Nations League will receive solidarity payments from UEFA and bonus payments will be made to teams based on their performances.
A total of €76.25m will be distributed among the nations and the higher the league, the better the payment, which you can see in the table below.
| League | Solidarity payment | Winner’s bonus |
|---|---|---|
| A | €1.5m | €1.5m |
| B | €1m | €1m |
| C | €750,000 | €750,000 |
| D | €500,000 | €500,000 |
The teams that qualify for the Nations League final will also be rewarded for their performance at that stage.
The winner will receive a bonus of €4.5m, with the runner-up getting €3.5m. Third place will be paid €2.5m and the fourth-placed team will get €1.5m
As such, the maximum overall a team from League A can get is €7.5m; €2m for a team from League B; €1.5m for a team from League C; and €1m for a team from League D.
| Final position | Bonus |
|---|---|
| Winner | €4.5m |
| Runner-up | €3.5m |
| Third | €2.5m |
| Fourth | €1.5m |
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European Championship qualifying
As referred to above, the Nations League will also be linked with the European Championship, beginning with Euro 2020 .
First of all, the overall ranking of the teams in the Nations League will be used to determined the seeding for the Euro 2020 qualification groups, the draw for which will be held in Dublin in December 2018 following the conclusion of the group games, which, as noted, finish in November.
Secondly, the Nations League will also potentially offer a route into the European Championship for teams that fail to reach the tournament through the qualification process.
Each League from A to D has four play-off positions which will be given to the group winners as first priority. However if a group winner has already qualified its place in the play-off will go to the next best ranked team of the league and so on.
There will be four different play-off paths, meaning a total of 16 teams, and these will generally mirror the initial four leagues in terms of make-up. That means there will be opportunities for lower ranked teams to reach the European Championship finals.
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UEFA Nations League ball
A new ball has been produced specifically for the competition by Adidas and it will be used across the games in all leagues.
The design is similar in terms of panelling to the Adidas Telstar 18, which was used during the 2018 World Cup, but the colourway is totally different, as you’d expect.
The ball replicates the branding used by UEFA for their new competition, with various colours appearing in between white and silver panels.
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