PublishedJune 2, 2022, 2:00 p.m.
The 3rd edition of the UEFA Nations League kicked off on Wednesday. Switzerland enters the competition this Thursday. Summary of a format that is not always easy to understand.
Antoine Griezmann and the Nations League trophy last fall.
AFP
To shine in society, there are many easy topics to discuss in life. But if you really want to radiate with your friends at aperitif or with your family, nothing is stronger than managing to explain to them the most completely new “Nations League” of UEFA. Because the format, if it is moderately appreciated by players exhausted by their long season in club, has made it possible to eliminate the tedious friendly matches and to bring together teams of roughly equivalent levels, when the qualifying games for the Euro or the World Cup are not on the program.
Basic info
The League of Nations pits the 55 members of UEFA against each other. In 2022, its calendar covers the international dates set by FIFA before the start of the 2022 World Cup in Qatar, at the end of next autumn. European teams are divided into four “Leagues”. The strongest nations are in League A, the weakest in League D. Leagues A, B and C are made up of four groups of four teams each (16 in all per League), while League D is made up of a group of four and a hen of three. Each team plays every opponent at home and away.
The groups
Group A1: France, Denmark, Croatia, Austria
Group A2: Spain, Portugal, Switzerland, Czech Republic
Group A3: Italy, Germany, England, Hungary
Group A4: Belgium, Netherlands, Poland, Wales
Group B1: Ukraine, Scotland, Republic of Ireland, Armenia
Group B2: Iceland, Russia*, Israel, Albania
Group B3: Bosnia, Finland, Romania, Montenegro
Group B4: Sweden, Norway, Serbia, Slovenia
Group C1: Turkey, Luxembourg, Lithuania, Faroe Islands
Group C2: Northern Ireland, Greece, Kosovo, Cyprus
Group C3: Slovakia, Belarus, Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan
Group C4: Bulgaria, North Macedonia, Georgia, Gibraltar
Group D1: Liechtenstein, Moldova, Andorra, Latvia
Group D2: Malta, Estonia, San Marino
*Russia, due to sanctions against the country following the war in Ukraine, will not play. It will automatically finish last in its group (B2), as well as 16th among the formations of League B.
Match schedule
Days 1 and 2: from June 1 to 8, 2022
Days 3 and 4: June 9 to 14, 2022
Days 5 and 6: September 22 to 27, 2022
Next year, the qualifications for Euro 2024 will be in the spotlight and only the selections drawn from a group of five teams will play friendly games. The final phase of the League of Nations, which will bring together the winners of each League A group, will be played in June 2023. The semi-finals will take place on June 14 and 15, while the final will be played on June 18.
Belgium, the Netherlands, Poland and Wales, i.e. all the teams of Group A4, are candidates for the organization of this final round. The winner of this pool has a good chance of organizing this mini-tournament. The four group winners will go into groups of five teams in the Euro 2024 qualifying draw.
To know
– The title holder of the League of Nations is the France team. The Blues had beaten Spain 2-1 in the final of the 2020-2021 edition, on goals from Karim Benzema and Kylian Mbappé. The winner of the first edition, in 2019, was Portugal. Switzerland had finished fourth in this final round.
– The winners of each group of Leagues B, C and D are promoted to the higher League. The last of each group of Leagues A and B are directly relegated. The last of League C play a play-off to designate the team transferred to League D.
Nations League and Euro 2024
The Nations League can usually ‘rescue’ selections that have failed in qualifying for the next big event. But UEFA are yet to confirm the process for Euro 2024. Things will be cleared up next month.
For the European championship in Germany, it is expected that there will be 10 different groups and that the first two of each group will automatically have their ticket, in addition to the German organizer. The remaining three places are expected to be offered after play-offs to top-ranked but unqualified selections within Leagues A, B and C of the Nations League.
How much does it pay
Each team is guaranteed to collect the following sums:
– League A: approximately 2.1 million Swiss francs
– Ligue B: environ 1,4 million
– League C: around 1 million
– League D: around 700,000
Group winners see this amount double. League A finalists are also entitled to a special prize-money for their participation in the final phase. In 2019, the Portuguese champions received a check for more than 10 million Swiss francs. Switzerland, 4th, had collected more than 7 million.
The next
The next international calendars have not yet been finalized by FIFA, but the next edition of the Nations League is expected to take place between September and November 2024, with finals in June 2025. According to some indiscretions , Brazil, Argentina and perhaps other South American teams should also be there, thus exploding the income of this competition.