All you need to know: UEFA Nations League Finals
Sunday 9 June 2019
Article summary
Hosts Portugal won the inaugural UEFA Nations League finals, with the Netherlands second and England third.
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What was it?
The inaugural UEFA Nations League Finals was a knockout tournament that took place from 5-9 June, involving the four group winners of the top-ranked League A: Portugal (hosts), England, Switzerland and the Netherlands.
Who played who?
The draw took place in Dublin on Monday 3 December.
Semi-finals
Wednesday 5 June: Portugal 3-1 Switzerland (Porto)
Thursday 6 June: Netherlands 3-1 England, aet (Guimaraes)
Match for third place
Sunday 9 June: Switzerland 0-0 England, England win 6-5 on pens (Guimaraes)
Final
Sunday 9 June: Portugal 1-0 Netherlands (Porto)
Where were the Finals?
Portugal, with Porto's Estádio do Dragão and the Estádio D. Afonso Henriques in Guimaraes the host venues. Italy, Poland and Portugal all expressed interest in hosting the inaugural finals before the deadline in March 2018. As they were all in Group A3, the winner of that section was always in line to host.
What was the format?
There were two semi-finals, with Portugal beating Switzerland and the Netherlands overcoming England to reach the final. The losing semi-finalists met in the match for third place, England winning on penalties after a goalless draw. Portugal added the UEFA Nations League title to their UEFA EURO 2016 crown with a 1-0 defeat of the Dutch in Porto.
What do winners Portugal get?
First and foremost, a fetching 71cm-tall sterling silver trophy. The prize money was as follows:
€10.5m Winners, Portugal
€9.0m Runners-up, Netherlands
€8.0m Third place, England
€7.0m Fourth place, Switzerland
The figures include the €4.5m all four finalists had already secured, made up of a €2.25m solidarity fee for all League A teams and €2.25m as a bonus for winning a League A group. A total of €76.25m in solidarity and bonus fees was earmarked for the 55 competing national associations.