2024/25 UEFA Nations League: League phase draw

What was the league phase draw result?

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

How did the league phase draw work?

The 54 UEFA member associations participating in the league phase were divided into four leagues based on their results in the 2022/23 UEFA Nations League. Teams were then divided into pots, again based on their 2022/23 UEFA Nations League rankings.

The League A, B and C draws each determined four groups of four teams. Each team plays six matches in their group, one home and one away against the other three nations in the group.

The League D draw determines two groups of three teams. Each team plays four matches in their group, one home and one away against the other two nations in the section.

What were the league phase draw pots?

League A

Pot 1: Spain, Croatia, Italy, Netherlands
Pot 2: Denmark, Portugal, Belgium, Hungary
Pot 3: Switzerland, Germany, Poland, France
Pot 4: Israel, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Serbia, Scotland

League B

Pot 1: Austria, Czechia, England, Wales
Pot 2: Finland, Ukraine, Iceland, Norway
Pot 3: Slovenia, Republic of Ireland, Albania, Montenegro
Pot 4: Georgia, Greece, Türkiye, Kazakhstan

League C

Pot 1: Romania, Sweden, Armenia, Luxembourg
Pot 2: Azerbaijan, Kosovo, Bulgaria, Faroe Islands
Pot 3: North Macedonia, Slovakia, Northern Ireland, Cyprus
Pot 4: Belarus, Lithuania/Gibraltar*, Estonia, Latvia

League D

Pot 1: Lithuania/Gibraltar*, Moldova
Pot 2: Malta, Andorra, San Marino, Liechtenstein

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

What was the draw procedure?

League D

The draw started with League D and Pot 1, which contained two balls. The drawn teams were assigned to the groups in ascending order from D1 to D2:

• A first ball was drawn and the team assigned to group D1.
• The second ball was drawn and the team assigned to group D2.

The draw continued with Pot 2:

• A first ball was drawn and the team assigned to group D1.
• The second ball was drawn and the team assigned to group D2.
• A third ball was drawn and the team assigned to group D1.
• The fourth ball was drawn and the team assigned to group D2.

When both pots had been emptied, groups D1 and D2 contained three teams each.

League C

The draw for League C started with Pot 1, containing four teams; the drawn teams were assigned to groups C1 to C4 in ascending order. The same procedure was applied to Pots 2, 3 and 4. Every pot was emptied before proceeding to the next pot and every group is composed of one team from each pot.

League B

The draw followed the same procedure as for League C. When all pots had been emptied, each of the four groups of League B contained four teams, one from each pot.

League A

The draw followed the same procedure as for Leagues C and B. When all pots had been emptied, each of the four groups of League A contained four teams, one from each pot.

League phase draw conditions

When a draw condition occurred or was anticipated to occur, the computer used to assist with the draw indicated the next available group for the drawn team. Further details can be found in the draw procedure.

Prohibited team clashes

Based on UEFA Executive Committee decisions valid at the time of the draw, the following teams could not be drawn into the same group: Armenia (League C, Pot 1) / Azerbaijan (League C, Pot 2).

Excessive travel conditions

Out of the 20 country pairs identified as excessive, only four pairs in League B applied.

From/to: Kazakhstan (League B, Pot 4)
To/from: England (Pot 1), Iceland (Pot 2), Republic of Ireland (Pot 3), Wales (Pot 1)

A group could include a maximum of one such pair, meaning Kazakhstan could be drawn into the same group as only one of England, Iceland, Republic of Ireland or Wales.

What are the dates for the 2024/25 Nations League?

League phase draw: 8 February 2024
Matchday 1: 5-7 September 2024
Matchday 2: 8-10 September 2024
Matchday 3: 10-12 October 2024
Matchday 4: 13-15 October 2024
Matchday 5: 14-16 November 2024
Matchday 6: 17-19 November 2024

Knockout round play-off draw: November 2024
Knockout round play-offs: 20-25 March 2025
League A quarter-finals: 20-25 March 2025
Final tournament: 4-8 June 2025

What changes have been made for the 2024/25 Nations League?

The UEFA Nations League will be expanded with a new knockout round to be played in March 2025, thereby creating continuity between the league phase ending in November and the finals played in June.

The League A group winners and runners-up will participate in home-and-away quarter-finals, with the winners of these ties qualifying for the final tournament.

The fourth-placed teams in Leagues A and B are automatically relegated to League B and C respectively. The two lowest-ranked fourth-placed teams in League C, meanwhile, are relegated to League D.

The four group winners in Leagues B and C, as well as the two group winners in League D, are automatically promoted to Leagues A, B and C respectively.

The third-ranked teams of League A and the runners-up of League B, as well as the third-ranked teams of League B and the runners-up of League C, will play a home-and-away promotion/relegation play-off.

There will also be play-offs between the two best-ranked fourth-placed teams from League C and the two runners-up from League D.

The expansion of the UEFA Nations League into the International Match Calendar window of March will only concern a selected number of teams and the remaining teams will already be available to start the European Qualifiers.