2024-25 UEFA Nations League draw: Who faces who?

Since its launch in 2018, the UEFA Nations League has gained widespread approval as a successful event. The event has steadily grown in popularity over the last six years, despite early skepticism.

This is mostly because countries that have a hard time making it to the two main international championships tend to choose the play-off route. To round up the roster for this summer’s Euro 2024 in Germany, 12 countries will face off next month.

The Nations League is going above and above in its mission to spice up the international schedule. When there aren’t any World Cups or European Championships, there aren’t as many pointless friendlies to fill the void.

Which teams will UK countries face?

Paris played host to Thursday’s UEFA Nations League draw, which determined the league stage of the competition’s fourth iteration in 2024-25. One of the main favorites, England will play the Republic of Ireland as a result of the draw.

The Three Lions are now in League B after their demotion from the Nations League’s top flight. They have a winless 2022 campaign to blame for that in which they finished last in their group, behind only Italy, Hungary, and Germany.

Greece, Ireland, and Finland make up Group B2, where Gareth Southgate’s squad will compete. The three international breaks later this year—in September, October, and November—will allow for the six matches to take place.

At first, the draw included Kazakhstan in the group, but they were later taken out because of travel restrictions. Greece was then added to complete the four.

England will earn promotion if they finish first in their group; if they finish second, they will have to play off against one of the teams that finished third in League A. If they finish third in Group B2, they will play in a relegation play-off. However, if they end up last, they will go down straight to League C.

Scotland will play in League A. After escaping teams like France, Italy, and Spain, they will face Poland, Croatia, and Portugal. League B matches for Wales include Montenegro, Iceland, and Turkey. If Northern Ireland wants to move up from League C, they have to beat Bulgaria, Belarus, and Luxembourg.

Who will France, Spain, and Italy play against?

Group A4 consists of Serbia, Denmark, and the Nations League champions Spain, who last won the competition in 2023. Meanwhile, Italy, who are now champions of the European Championship, are in a huge “group of death.”

In the Nations League, which begins on September 5 and ends on November 19, they will compete against France, Belgium, and Israel. The tournament’s victors will advance to the quarterfinals in March 2025.

On both home and away fields, the Azzurri will face Israel, Belgium, and the 2021 tournament champions, France.

The group stage will end in the middle of November, with the first round of matches taking place from September 5-7. The Nations League is introducing a new knockout round this year, with the top two teams from each League A group advancing to a two-legged quarterfinal. The four ties will determine who goes to the finals.

As before, the worst teams in Leagues A and B will be demoted, while the top teams in Leagues B, C, and D will automatically be promoted. Also, Division D will become the home to League C’s two lowest-ranked clubs.

2024-25 Nations League draw

League A

Group A1: Croatia, Portugal, Poland, Scotland
Group A2: Italy, Belgium, France, Israel
Group A3: Netherlands, Hungary, Germany, Bosnia and Herzegovina
Group A4: Spain, Denmark, Switzerland, Serbia

League B

Group B1: Czechia, Ukraine, Albania, Georgia
Group B2: England, Finland, Republic of Ireland, Greece
Group B3: Austria, Norway, Slovenia, Kazakhstan
Group B4: Wales, Iceland, Montenegro, Türkiye

League C

Group C1: Sweden, Azerbaijan, Slovakia, Estonia
Group C2: Romania, Kosovo, Cyprus, Lithuania/Gibraltar*
Group C3: Luxembourg, Bulgaria, Northern Ireland, Belarus
Group C4: Armenia, Faroe Islands, North Macedonia, Latvia

League D

Group D1: Lithuania/Gibraltar*, San Marino, Liechtenstein
Group D2: Moldova, Malta, Andorra

*To be determined following the 2022/23 play-outs in March 2024

PHOTOS: IMAGO.