The fourth installment of UEFA’s Nations League is over after Tuesday’s slate of matches. This is a have a look at how promotion, relegation, and the eight spots within the Nations League quarterfinals have been decided throughout the varied tiers.
League A
Certified for the quarterfinals
Group A1: Portugal, Croatia
Group A2: France, Italy
Group A3: Germany, Netherlands
Group A4: Spain, Denmark
Euro 2024 winner Spain, the groups it beat within the quarterfinals and semifinals of that event – Germany and France – and Portugal are seeded as group winners in Friday’s quarterfinal draw. Germany, the highest scorer of the league section with 18 targets, is the one staff in that quartet but to win the Nations League.
Second-place groups Croatia, Italy, the Netherlands, and Denmark cannot be pitted towards an opponent they confronted within the opening section throughout the Nations League quarterfinals, which can happen in March. The semifinals and ultimate might be performed in June.
Relegated to League B
Group A1: Poland
Group A2: Israel
Group A3: Bosnia and Herzegovina
Group A4: Switzerland
Group A1 boasted essentially the most dramatic finale when Scotland prevented automated relegation and dropped its opponent Poland into League B with Andy Robertson’s 92nd-minute winner Monday. Belgium – together with Scotland, Hungary, and Serbia – will compete within the League A/B playoffs after Domenico Tedesco’s facet completed above bottom-place Israel due to its superior head-to-head report.
League B
Promoted to League A
Group B1: Czechia
Group B2: England
Group B3: Norway
Group B4: Wales
The uncertainty over England’s subsequent coach barely impacted the Three Lions on their solution to sealing automated promotion beneath interim boss Lee Carsley. England might be joined by Norway, as Erling Haaland’s seven targets helped the nation safe a spot in League A for the primary time.
Czechia beat Georgia 2-1 and Wales thrashed Iceland 4-1 to verify automated promotion on the ultimate day, leaving runners-up Ukraine, Greece, Austria, and Turkey to compete within the A/B playoffs in March.
Relegated to League C
Group B1: Albania
Group B2: Finland
Group B3: Kazakhstan
Group B4: Montenegro
Finland and Montenegro regressed huge time this season, struggling relegation after amassing simply three mixed factors. League B additionally proved too overwhelming for a Kazakhstan facet that misplaced all of its video games by a mixed rating of 15-0. Essentially the most compelling end was in group B1, with Albania falling on the final day to lose its place in League B.
League C
Promoted to League B
Group C1: Sweden
Group C2: Romania or Kosovo*
Group C3: Northern Eire
Group C4: North Macedonia
Viktor Gyokeres’ home domination carried over to the worldwide stage, the place he added 9 targets – together with the 4 he scored in Tuesday’s 6-0 win over Azerbaijan – to assist Sweden get promoted again to League B. Northern Eire additionally booked a return to the second tier alongside a North Macedonia facet that is by no means been larger than League C.
* Romania and Kosovo are nonetheless eligible for automated promotion based mostly on the result of UEFA’s disciplinary proceedings into the current deserted recreation between the 2 international locations.
Relegated to League D
Lithuania bowed out of League C after shedding all six video games, whereas Azerbaijan additionally failed to take care of its place within the third tier. Luxembourg and Latvia will play for League C survival within the C/D playoffs with League D’s Malta and Gibraltar.
League D
Promoted to League C
Group D1: San Marino
Group D2: Moldova
In essentially the most stunning story of this Nations League marketing campaign, San Marino – a fixture on the backside of the FIFA males’s rankings – earned promotion after registering its first and second aggressive wins in nationwide staff historical past towards Liechtenstein. Moldova will be a part of the microstate in League C after ending above Malta and Andorra in Group D2.
