2018–19 UEFA Nations League

The 2018–19 UEFA Nations League was the inaugural season of the UEFA Nations League, an international association football competition involving the men's national teams of the 55 member associations of UEFA.[1] The league phase of the competition was played between September and November 2018, with the finals tournament for the group winners from League A taking place in Portugal in June 2019. Team performances in the league phase were used to seed teams for the qualifying group stage of UEFA Euro 2020, and will award berths in the play-offs, which will decide four of the twenty-four final tournament slots.

2018–19 UEFA Nations League
Tournament details
DatesLeague phase:
6 September – 20 November 2018
Nations League Finals:
5–9 June 2019
Teams55
Final positions
Champions Portugal (1st title)
Runners-up Netherlands
Third place England
Fourth place  Switzerland
Tournament statistics
Matches played142
Goals scored342 (2.41 per match)
Attendance2,467,041 (17,374 per match)
Top scorer(s) Aleksandar Mitrović (6 goals)

Format

The format and schedule of the UEFA Nations League was formally approved by the UEFA Executive Committee on 4 December 2014.[2][3] According to the approved format,[1][4][5] the 55 UEFA national teams will be divided into four divisions (called "leagues"):[4] 12 teams in League A, 12 teams in League B, 15 teams in League C, and 16 teams in League D.[4] For the 2018–19 UEFA Nations League, teams are divided according to their UEFA national team coefficients after the conclusion of the 2018 FIFA World Cup qualifiers (play-off results are not included), with the highest-ranked teams playing in League A, etc.[6]

Each league is divided into four groups of three or four teams, so each team plays four or six matches within their group (using the home-and-away round-robin format), on double matchdays in September, October and November 2018.

In the top division, League A, teams compete to become the UEFA Nations League champions. The four group winners of League A qualify for the Nations League Finals in June 2019, which is played in a knockout format, consisting of the semi-finals, third place play-off, and final. The semi-final pairings, along with the administrative home teams for the third place play-off and final, were determined by means of an open draw on 3 December 2018.[7] The host country will be selected among the four qualified teams on 3 December 2018 by the UEFA Executive Committee,[8] with the winners of the final crowned as the Nations League champions.

Teams also compete for promotion and relegation to a higher or lower league. In each league, the four group winners (except League A) are promoted, while the last-placed teams of each group (except League D) are relegated; however, in League C, due to different sized groups, the three fourth-placed teams and the lowest-ranking third-placed team are relegated. However, due to revamp of the format for the 2020–21 UEFA Nations League, no teams were eventually relegated, and some second-placed teams were also promoted.

Tiebreakers for group ranking

If two or more teams in the same group are equal on points on completion of the league phase, the following tie-breaking criteria are applied:[6]

  1. Higher number of points obtained in the matches played among the teams in question;
  2. Superior goal difference in matches played among the teams in question;
  3. Higher number of goals scored in the matches played among the teams in question;
  4. Higher number of goals scored away from home in the matches played among the teams in question;
  5. If, after having applied criteria 1 to 4, teams still have an equal ranking, criteria 1 to 4 are reapplied exclusively to the matches between the teams in question to determine their final rankings.[note 1] If this procedure does not lead to a decision, criteria 6 to 10 apply;
  6. Superior goal difference in all group matches;
  7. Higher number of goals scored in all group matches;
  8. Higher number of away goals scored in all group matches;
  9. Higher number of wins in all group matches;
  10. Higher number of away wins in all group matches;
  11. Disciplinary points in all group matches (1 point for a single yellow card, 3 points for a red card as a consequence of two yellow cards, 3 points for a direct red card, 4 points for a yellow card followed by a direct red card);
  12. Position in the UEFA national team coefficient ranking system.[note 2]

To determine the worst third-placed team in League C, the results against the teams in fourth place are discarded. The following criteria are applied:

  1. Higher number of points;
  2. Superior goal difference;
  3. Higher number of goals scored;
  4. Higher number of goals scored away from home;
  5. Higher number of wins;
  6. Higher number of wins away from home;
  7. Disciplinary points in all group matches (1 point for a single yellow card, 3 points for a red card as a consequence of two yellow cards, 3 points for a direct red card, 4 points for a yellow card followed by a direct red card);
  8. Position in the UEFA national team coefficient ranking system.[note 2]

Criteria for league ranking

Individual league rankings are established according to the following criteria:[6]

  1. Position in the group;
  2. Higher number of points;
  3. Superior goal difference;
  4. Higher number of goals scored;
  5. Higher number of goals scored away from home;
  6. Higher number of wins;
  7. Higher number of wins away from home;
  8. Disciplinary points in all group matches (1 point for a single yellow card, 3 points for a red card as a consequence of two yellow cards, 3 points for a direct red card, 4 points for a yellow card followed by a direct red card);
  9. Position in the UEFA national team coefficient ranking system.[note 2]

In order to rank teams in leagues composed of different sized groups, the following procedure applies:[6]

  1. The results against fourth-placed teams are not taken into account for the purposes of comparing teams placed first, second and third in their respective groups.
  2. All results are taken into account for the purposes of comparing teams placed fourth in their respective groups.

The ranking of the top 4 teams in League A are determined by their finish in the Nations League Finals:[6]

  1. The winner is ranked 1st;
  2. The runner-up is ranked 2nd;
  3. The third-placed team is ranked 3rd;
  4. The fourth-placed team is ranked 4th.

Criteria for overall ranking

For the purposes of the European Championship qualifying group stage draw and the European qualifying play-offs, overall UEFA Nations League rankings are established as follows:[6]

  1. The 12 League A teams are ranked 1st to 12th according to their league rankings.
  2. The 12 League B teams are ranked 13th to 24th according to their league rankings.
  3. The 15 League C teams are ranked 25th to 39th according to their league rankings.
  4. The 16 League D teams are ranked 40th to 55th according to their league rankings.

UEFA Euro 2020 qualifying
Main articles: UEFA Euro 2020 qualifying and UEFA Euro 2020 qualifying play-offs

The 2018–19 UEFA Nations League will be linked with UEFA Euro 2020 qualifying, providing teams another chance to qualify for UEFA Euro 2020.

The main qualifying process began in March 2019 instead of immediately in September 2018 following the 2018 FIFA World Cup, and will end in November 2019. The format will remain largely the same, although only 20 of the 24 spots for the finals tournament will be decided from the main qualifying process, leaving four spots still to be decided. The 55 teams will be drawn into 10 groups after the completion of the UEFA Nations League (five groups of five teams and five groups of six teams, with the four UEFA Nations League Finals participants guaranteed to be drawn into groups of five teams), with the top two teams in each group qualifying.[2][3] The draw seeding will be based on the overall rankings of the Nations League.[6] The qualifiers will be played on double matchdays in March, June, September, October and November 2019.[4]

Following the qualifying group stage, the qualifying play-offs will take place in June 2020. Unlike previous editions, the participants of the play-offs will not be decided based on results from the qualifying group stage. Instead, 16 teams will be selected based on their performance in the Nations League. These teams will be divided into four paths, each containing four teams, with one team from each path qualifying for the final tournament. Each league will have its own play-off path if at least four teams are available. The Nations League group winners will automatically qualify for the play-off path of their league. If a group winner has already qualified through the conventional qualifying group stage, they will be replaced by the next best-ranked team in the same league. However, if there are not enough teams in the same league, then the spot will go to the next best team in the overall ranking. However, group winners cannot face teams from a higher league.[9]

Each play-off path will feature two single-leg semi-finals, and one single-leg final. The best-ranked team will host the fourth-ranked team, and the second-ranked team will host the third-ranked team. The host of the final will be decided by a draw, with semi-final winner 1 or 2 hosting the final. The four play-off path winners will join the 20 teams which have already qualified for UEFA Euro 2020.[2][3]

Schedule

Below is the schedule of the 2018–19 UEFA Nations League.[6]

Stage Round Dates
League phase Matchday 1 6–8 September 2018
Matchday 2 9–11 September 2018
Matchday 3 11–13 October 2018
Matchday 4 14–16 October 2018
Matchday 5 15–17 November 2018
Matchday 6 18–20 November 2018
Finals Semi-finals 5–6 June 2019
Third place play-off 9 June 2019
Final

The fixture list was confirmed by UEFA on 24 January 2018 following the draw.[10][11]

Seeding
Map showing the leagues each national team participates in.
  League A
  League B
  League C
  League D

All 55 UEFA national teams are eligible to compete in the 2018–19 UEFA Nations League. The 55 members at the time would be divided into the four "Leagues" (12 teams in League A, 12 teams in League B, 15 teams in League C, and 16 teams in League D) according to their UEFA national team coefficients after the conclusion of the 2018 FIFA World Cup qualifiers (not including the play-offs), with the highest-ranked teams playing in League A, etc.[4][12][13] The seeding pots for the draw were announced on 7 December 2017.[14]

League A
Pot Team Coeff Rank
1  Germany 40,747 1
 Portugal 38,655 2
 Belgium 38,123 3
 Spain 37,311 4
2  France 36,617 5
 England 36,231 6
  Switzerland 34,986 7
 Italy 34,426 8
3  Poland 32,982 9
 Iceland 31,155 10
 Croatia 31,139 11
 Netherlands 29,866 12
League B
Pot Team Coeff Rank
1  Austria 29,418 13
 Wales 29,269 14
 Russia 29,258 15
 Slovakia 28,555 16
2  Sweden 28,487 17
 Ukraine 28,286 18
 Republic of Ireland 28,249 19
 Bosnia and Herzegovina 28,200 20
3  Northern Ireland 27,127 21
 Denmark 27,052 22
 Czech Republic 27,028 23
 Turkey 26,538 24
League C
Pot Team Coeff Rank
1  Hungary 26,486 25
 Romania 26,057 26
 Scotland 25,662 27
 Slovenia 25,148 28
2  Greece 24,931 29
 Serbia 24,847 30
 Albania 24,430 31
 Norway 24,208 32
3  Montenegro 23,912 33
 Israel 22,792 34
 Bulgaria 22,091 35
 Finland 20,501 36
4  Cyprus 19,491 37
 Estonia 19,441 38
 Lithuania 18,101 39
League D
Pot Team Coeff Rank
1  Azerbaijan 17,761 40
 Macedonia 17,071 41
 Belarus 16,868 42
 Georgia 16,523 43
2  Armenia 15,846 44
 Latvia 15,821 45
 Faroe Islands 15,490 46
 Luxembourg 14,231 47
3  Kazakhstan 13,431 48
 Moldova 13,130 49
 Liechtenstein 10,950 50
 Malta 10,870 51
4  Andorra 10,240 52
 Kosovo 9,950 53
 San Marino 8,190 54
 Gibraltar 7,550 55

The draw for the league phase took place at the SwissTech Convention Center in Lausanne, Switzerland on 24 January 2018, 12:00 CET.[15][16][17][18][19]

For political reasons, Armenia and Azerbaijan (due to the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict), as well as Russia and Ukraine (due to the Russian military intervention in Ukraine), could not be drawn in the same group. Due to winter venue restrictions, a group could contain a maximum of two of the following teams: Norway, Finland, Estonia, Lithuania. Due to excessive travel restrictions, any group could contain a maximum of one of the following pairs: Andorra and Kazakhstan, Faroe Islands and Kazakhstan, Gibraltar and Kazakhstan, Gibraltar and Azerbaijan.[20]

League A
Main article: 2018–19 UEFA Nations League A

Group A1
Pos Team Pld W D L GF GA GD Pts Qualification[lower-alpha 1]
1  Netherlands 4 2 1 1 8 4 +4 7[lower-alpha 2] Qualification to Nations League Finals — 2–0 3–0
2  France 4 2 1 1 4 4 0 7[lower-alpha 2] 2–1 — 2–1
3  Germany 4 0 2 2 3 7 −4 2 2–2 0–0 —
Source: UEFA
Notes:
  1. Due to revamp of the format for the 2020–21 UEFA Nations League, no teams were eventually relegated.
  2. Head-to-head goal difference: Netherlands +1, France −1.

Group A2
Pos Team Pld W D L GF GA GD Pts Qualification[lower-alpha 1]
1   Switzerland 4 3 0 1 14 5 +9 9[lower-alpha 2] Qualification to Nations League Finals — 5–2 6–0
2  Belgium 4 3 0 1 9 6 +3 9[lower-alpha 2] 2–1 — 2–0
3  Iceland 4 0 0 4 1 13 −12 0 1–2 0–3 —
Source: UEFA
Notes:
  1. Due to revamp of the format for the 2020–21 UEFA Nations League, no teams were eventually relegated.
  2. Head-to-head goal difference: Switzerland +2, Belgium −2.

Group A3
Pos Team Pld W D L GF GA GD Pts Qualification[lower-alpha 1]
1  Portugal 4 2 2 0 5 3 +2 8 Qualification to Nations League Finals — 1–0 1–1
2  Italy 4 1 2 1 2 2 0 5 0–0 — 1–1
3  Poland 4 0 2 2 4 6 −2 2 2–3 0–1 —
Source: UEFA
Notes:
  1. Due to revamp of the format for the 2020–21 UEFA Nations League, no teams were eventually relegated.

Group A4
Pos Team Pld W D L GF GA GD Pts Qualification[lower-alpha 1]
1  England 4 2 1 1 6 5 +1 7 Qualification to Nations League Finals — 1–2 2–1
2  Spain 4 2 0 2 12 7 +5 6 2–3 — 6–0
3  Croatia 4 1 1 2 4 10 −6 4 0–0 3–2 —
Source: UEFA
Notes:
  1. Due to revamp of the format for the 2020–21 UEFA Nations League, no teams were eventually relegated.

Nations League Finals
Main article: 2019 UEFA Nations League Finals

The host of the Nations League Finals, Portugal, was selected from the four qualified teams. The semi-finals pairings were determined by means of an open draw, along with the administrative home teams for the third place play-off and final. The draw took place on 3 December 2018, 14:30 CET (13:30 local time), at the Shelbourne Hotel in Dublin, Republic of Ireland.[7][21] For scheduling purposes, the semi-final pairing involving the host team was considered to be semi-final 1.

Times are CEST (UTC+2), as listed by UEFA (local times are in parentheses).

Bracket
 
Semi-finalsFinal
 
      
 
5 June 2019 – Porto
 
 
 Portugal3
 
9 June 2019 – Porto
 
  Switzerland1
 
 Portugal1
 
6 June 2019 – Guimarães
 
 Netherlands0
 
 Netherlands (a.e.t.)3
 
 
 England1
 
Third place play-off
 
 
9 June 2019 – Guimarães
 
 
  Switzerland0 (5)
 
 
 England (p)0 (6)

Semi-finals
Portugal 3–1  Switzerland
 Report
Attendance: 42,415[22]
Referee: Felix Brych (Germany)
Netherlands 3–1 (a.e.t.) England
 Report
Attendance: 25,711[23]

Third place play-off
Switzerland  0–0 (a.e.t.) England
Report
Penalties
 5–6
Attendance: 15,742[24]

Final
Main article: 2019 UEFA Nations League Final
Portugal 1–0 Netherlands
 Report
Attendance: 43,199[25]

League B
Main article: 2018–19 UEFA Nations League B

Group B1
Pos Team Pld W D L GF GA GD Pts Promotion[lower-alpha 1]
1  Ukraine 4 3 0 1 5 5 0 9 Promotion to League A — 1–0 1–0
2  Czech Republic 4 2 0 2 4 4 0 6 1–2 — 1–0
3  Slovakia 4 1 0 3 5 5 0 3 4–1 1–2 —
Source: UEFA
Notes:
  1. Due to revamp of the format for the 2020–21 UEFA Nations League, no teams were eventually relegated.

Group B2
Pos Team Pld W D L GF GA GD Pts Promotion[lower-alpha 1]
1  Sweden 4 2 1 1 5 3 +2 7[lower-alpha 2] Promotion to League A — 2–0 2–3
2  Russia 4 2 1 1 4 3 +1 7[lower-alpha 2] 0–0 — 2–0
3  Turkey 4 1 0 3 4 7 −3 3 0–1 1–2 —
Source: UEFA
Notes:
  1. Due to revamp of the format for the 2020–21 UEFA Nations League, no teams were eventually relegated.
  2. Head-to-head points: Sweden 4, Russia 1.

Group B3
Pos Team Pld W D L GF GA GD Pts Promotion[lower-alpha 1]
1  Bosnia and Herzegovina 4 3 1 0 5 1 +4 10 Promotion to League A — 1–0 2–0
2  Austria 4 2 1 1 3 2 +1 7 0–0 — 1–0
3  Northern Ireland 4 0 0 4 2 7 −5 0 1–2 1–2 —
Source: UEFA
Notes:
  1. Due to revamp of the format for the 2020–21 UEFA Nations League, no teams were eventually relegated.

Group B4
Pos Team Pld W D L GF GA GD Pts Promotion[lower-alpha 1]
1  Denmark 4 2 2 0 4 1 +3 8 Promotion to League A — 2–0 0–0
2  Wales 4 2 0 2 6 5 +1 6 1–2 — 4–1
3  Republic of Ireland 4 0 2 2 1 5 −4 2 0–0 0–1 —
Source: UEFA
Notes:
  1. Due to revamp of the format for the 2020–21 UEFA Nations League, no teams were eventually relegated.

League C
Main article: 2018–19 UEFA Nations League C

Group C1
Pos Team Pld W D L GF GA GD Pts Promotion[lower-alpha 1]
1  Scotland 4 3 0 1 10 4 +6 9 Promotion to League B — 3–2 2–0
2  Israel 4 2 0 2 6 5 +1 6 2–1 — 2–0
3  Albania 4 1 0 3 1 8 −7 3 0–4 1–0 —
Source: UEFA
Notes:
  1. Due to revamp of the format for the 2020–21 UEFA Nations League, no teams were eventually relegated, and the second-placed teams in each group were also promoted.

Group C2
Pos Team Pld W D L GF GA GD Pts Promotion[lower-alpha 1]
1  Finland 6 4 0 2 5 3 +2 12 Promotion to League B — 1–0 2–0 1–0
2  Hungary 6 3 1 2 9 6 +3 10 2–0 — 2–1 2–0
3  Greece 6 3 0 3 4 5 −1 9 1–0 1–0 — 0–1
4  Estonia 6 1 1 4 4 8 −4 4 0–1 3–3 0–1 —
Source: UEFA
Notes:
  1. Due to revamp of the format for the 2020–21 UEFA Nations League, no teams were eventually relegated, and the second-placed teams in each group were also promoted.

Group C3
Pos Team Pld W D L GF GA GD Pts Promotion[lower-alpha 1]
1  Norway 6 4 1 1 7 2 +5 13 Promotion to League B — 1–0 2–0 1–0
2  Bulgaria 6 3 2 1 7 5 +2 11 1–0 — 2–1 1–1
3  Cyprus 6 1 2 3 5 9 −4 5 0–2 1–1 — 2–1
4  Slovenia 6 0 3 3 5 8 −3 3 1–1 1–2 1–1 —
Source: UEFA
Notes:
  1. Due to revamp of the format for the 2020–21 UEFA Nations League, no teams were eventually relegated, and the second-placed teams in each group were also promoted.

Group C4
Pos Team Pld W D L GF GA GD Pts Promotion[lower-alpha 1]
1  Serbia 6 4 2 0 11 4 +7 14 Promotion to League B — 2–2 2–1 4–1
2  Romania 6 3 3 0 8 3 +5 12 0–0 — 0–0 3–0
3  Montenegro 6 2 1 3 7 6 +1 7 0–2 0–1 — 2–0
4  Lithuania 6 0 0 6 3 16 −13 0 0–1 1–2 1–4 —
Source: UEFA
Notes:
  1. Due to revamp of the format for the 2020–21 UEFA Nations League, no teams were eventually relegated, and the second-placed teams in each group were also promoted.

League D
Main article: 2018–19 UEFA Nations League D

Group D1
Pos Team Pld W D L GF GA GD Pts Promotion[lower-alpha 1]
1  Georgia 6 5 1 0 12 2 +10 16 Promotion to League C — 2–1 1–0 3–0
2  Kazakhstan 6 1 3 2 8 7 +1 6 0–2 — 1–1 4–0
3  Latvia 6 0 4 2 2 6 −4 4 0–3 1–1 — 0–0
4  Andorra 6 0 4 2 2 9 −7 4 1–1 1–1 0–0 —
Source: UEFA
Notes:
  1. Due to revamp of the format for the 2020–21 UEFA Nations League, the second-placed teams in each group and the best third-placed team among all groups were also promoted.

Group D2
Pos Team Pld W D L GF GA GD Pts Promotion[lower-alpha 1]
1  Belarus 6 4 2 0 10 0 +10 14 Promotion to League C — 1–0 0–0 5–0
2  Luxembourg 6 3 1 2 11 4 +7 10 0–2 — 4–0 3–0
3  Moldova 6 2 3 1 4 5 −1 9 0–0 1–1 — 2–0
4  San Marino 6 0 0 6 0 16 −16 0 0–2 0–3 0–1 —
Source: UEFA
Notes:
  1. Due to revamp of the format for the 2020–21 UEFA Nations League, the second-placed teams in each group and the best third-placed team among all groups were also promoted.

Group D3
Pos Team Pld W D L GF GA GD Pts Promotion[lower-alpha 1]
1  Kosovo 6 4 2 0 15 2 +13 14 Promotion to League C — 4–0 2–0 3–1
2  Azerbaijan 6 2 3 1 7 6 +1 9 0–0 — 2–0 1–1
3  Faroe Islands 6 1 2 3 5 10 −5 5 1–1 0–3 — 3–1
4  Malta 6 0 3 3 5 14 −9 3 0–5 1–1 1–1 —
Source: UEFA
Notes:
  1. Due to revamp of the format for the 2020–21 UEFA Nations League, the second-placed teams in each group and the best third-placed team among all groups were also promoted.

Group D4
Pos Team Pld W D L GF GA GD Pts Promotion[lower-alpha 1]
1  Macedonia 6 5 0 1 14 5 +9 15 Promotion to League C — 2–0 4–0 4–1
2  Armenia 6 3 1 2 14 8 +6 10 4–0 — 0–1 2–1
3  Gibraltar 6 2 0 4 5 15 −10 6 0–2 2–6 — 2–1
4  Liechtenstein 6 1 1 4 7 12 −5 4 0–2 2–2 2–0 —
Source: UEFA
Notes:
  1. Due to revamp of the format for the 2020–21 UEFA Nations League, the second-placed teams in each group and the best third-placed team among all groups were also promoted.

Ranking of third-placed teams
Pos Grp Team Pld W D L GF GA GD Pts Promotion
1 D2  Moldova 6 2 3 1 4 5 −1 9 Promotion to League C
2 D4  Gibraltar 6 2 0 4 5 15 −10 6
3 D3  Faroe Islands 6 1 2 3 5 10 −5 5
4 D1  Latvia 6 0 4 2 2 6 −4 4
Source: UEFA
Rules for classification: 1) Points; 2) Goal difference; 3) Goals scored; 4) Away goals scored; 5) Wins; 6) Away wins; 7) Disciplinary points; 8) UEFA national team coefficient.

Top goalscorers
League A
Rank Player Goals
1 Haris Seferović 5
2 Romelu Lukaku 4
3 Marcus Rashford 3
Cristiano Ronaldo
André Silva
Sergio Ramos
7 13 players 2
League B
Rank Player Goals
1 Edin Džeko 3
Patrik Schick
3 Christian Eriksen 2
Denis Cheryshev
Emre Akbaba
Yevhen Konoplyanka
Gareth Bale
League C
Rank Player Goals
1 Aleksandar Mitrović 6
2 James Forrest 5
3 Ádám Szalai 4
4 Teemu Pukki 3
Stefan Mugoša
6 Bozhidar Kraev 2
Stefan Johansen
Ola Kamara
Nicolae Stanciu
George Țucudean
Adem Ljajić
Miha Zajc
League D
Rank Player Goals
1 Yura Movsisyan 5
Stanislaw Drahun
3 Giorgi Chakvetadze 4
Arbër Zeneli
5 Anton Saroka 3
René Joensen
Benjamin Kololli
Danel Sinani
Ezgjan Alioski
Ilija Nestorovski
Aleksandar Trajkovski
Radu Gînsari
13 14 players 2

Overall ranking

The overall ranking was used for seeding in the UEFA Euro 2020 qualifying group stage draw.[26]

League A League B
Rnk Team Pld Pts
1  Portugal 4 8
2  Netherlands 4 7
3  England 4 7
4   Switzerland 4 9
5  Belgium 4 9
6  France 4 7
7  Spain 4 6
8  Italy 4 5
9  Croatia 4 4
10  Poland 4 2
11  Germany 4 2
12  Iceland 4 0
Source: UEFA
Rnk Team Pld Pts
13  Bosnia and Herzegovina 4 10
14  Ukraine 4 9
15  Denmark 4 8
16  Sweden 4 7
17  Russia 4 7
18  Austria 4 7
19  Wales 4 6
20  Czech Republic 4 6
21  Slovakia 4 3
22  Turkey 4 3
23  Republic of Ireland 4 2
24  Northern Ireland 4 0
Source: UEFA
League C League D
Rnk Team Pld Pts
25  Scotland 4 9
26  Norway 4 9
27  Serbia 4 8
28  Finland 4 6
29  Bulgaria 4 7
30  Israel 4 6
31  Hungary 4 6
32  Romania 4 6
33  Greece 4 6
34  Albania 4 3
35  Montenegro 4 1
36  Cyprus 4 1
37  Estonia 6 4
38  Slovenia 6 3
39  Lithuania 6 0
Source: UEFA
Rnk Team Pld Pts
40  Georgia 6 16
41  Macedonia 6 15
42  Kosovo 6 14
43  Belarus 6 14
44  Luxembourg 6 10
45  Armenia 6 10
46  Azerbaijan 6 9
47  Kazakhstan 6 6
48  Moldova 6 9
49  Gibraltar 6 6
50  Faroe Islands 6 5
51  Latvia 6 4
52  Liechtenstein 6 4
53  Andorra 6 4
54  Malta 6 3
55  San Marino 6 0
Source: UEFA

Prize money

The prize money to be distributed was announced in March 2018, with a total of €76.25 million in solidarity and bonus fees due to be distributed to the 55 participating national teams.[27] However, in October 2018, the solidarity fees and bonus payments for group winners were increased by 50%, while the bonuses for the teams appearing in the Nations League Finals also increased, resulting in a total of €112.875 million in prize money.[28]

The solidarity fees per team were scaled by league:

  • League A: €2.25 million
  • League B: €1.5 million
  • League C: €1.125 million
  • League D: €750,000

In addition, the group winners of each league received the following bonus fees:

  • League A group winners: €2.25 million
  • League B group winners: €1.5 million
  • League C group winners: €1.125 million
  • League D group winners: €750,000

The four group winners of League A, which participated in the Nations League Finals, also received the following bonus fees based on performance:

  • Winners: €6 million
  • Runners-up: €4.5 million
  • Third place: €3.5 million
  • Fourth place: €2.5 million

This meant that the maximum amount of solidarity and bonus fees was €10.5 million for a team from League A, €3 million for a team from League B, €2.25 million for a team from League C, and €1.5 million for a team from League D.

Euro 2020 qualifying play-offs
Main article: UEFA Euro 2020 qualifying play-offs

Teams who fail in the UEFA Euro 2020 qualifying group stage may still qualify for the final tournament via the play-offs. Each league in the UEFA Nations League will be allocated one of the four remaining UEFA Euro 2020 places. Four teams from each league who have not already qualified for the European Championship finals will compete in the play-offs of their league, to be played in June 2020. The play-off berths will be first allocated to each group winner, and if any of the group winners have already qualified for the European Championship finals, then to the next best ranked team of the league, etc.

The team selection process determined the 16 teams that will compete in the play-offs based on a set of criteria.[29] Teams in bold have advanced to the play-offs.

League A
Rank Team
1 GW  Portugal
2 GW  Netherlands[H]
3 GW  England[H]
4 GW   Switzerland
5  Belgium
6  France
7  Spain[H]
8  Italy[H]
9  Croatia
10  Poland
11  Germany[H]
12  Iceland
League B
Rank Team
13 GW  Bosnia and Herzegovina
14 GW  Ukraine
15 GW  Denmark[H]
16 GW  Sweden
17  Russia[H]
18  Austria
19  Wales
20  Czech Republic
21  Slovakia
22  Turkey
23  Republic of Ireland[H]
24  Northern Ireland
League C
Rank Team
25 GW  Scotland[H]
26 GW  Norway
27 GW  Serbia
28 GW  Finland
29  Bulgaria
30  Israel
31  Hungary[H]
32  Romania[H]
33  Greece
34  Albania
35  Montenegro
36  Cyprus
37  Estonia
38  Slovenia
39  Lithuania
League D
Rank Team
40 GW  Georgia
41 GW  North Macedonia
42 GW  Kosovo
43 GW  Belarus
44  Luxembourg
45  Armenia
46  Azerbaijan[H]
47  Kazakhstan
48  Moldova
49  Gibraltar
50  Faroe Islands
51  Latvia
52  Liechtenstein
53  Andorra
54  Malta
55  San Marino

Key

  1. GW Nations League group winner
  2. H UEFA Euro 2020 host
  3.      Team advanced to play-offs
  4.      Team qualified directly to final tournament

Notes
  1. When there are two or more teams tied in points, criteria 1 to 4 are applied. After these criteria are applied, they may define the position of some of the teams involved, but not all of them. For example, if there is a three-way tie on points, the application of the first four criteria may only break the tie for one of the teams, leaving the other two teams still tied. In this case, the tiebreaking procedure is resumed, from the beginning, for those teams that are still tied.
  2. If two or more associations have the same reference period coefficient, the following criteria are applied to the most recent half cycle:[6]
    1. Coefficient;
    2. Average goal difference;
    3. Average number of goals scored;
    4. Average number of away goals scored;
    5. Average disciplinary points (1 point for a single yellow card, 3 points for a red card as a consequence of two yellow cards, 3 points for a direct red card, 4 points for a yellow card followed by a direct red card);
    6. Drawing of lots.

References
  1. "UEFA Nations League receives associations' green light". UEFA. 27 March 2014.
  2. "UEFA Nations League format and schedule approved". UEFA.com. 4 December 2014.
  3. "UEFA Nations League format and schedule confirmed". UEFA. 4 December 2014.
  4. "UEFA Nations League: all you need to know". UEFA.com. 21 September 2016. Archived from the original on 28 August 2019. Retrieved 13 November 2016.
  5. "UEFA Nations League/UEFA EURO 2020 qualifying" (PDF). UEFA.com.
  6. "Regulations of the UEFA Nations League 2018/19" (PDF). UEFA.com. Union of European Football Associations. 28 September 2017. Retrieved 3 October 2017.
  7. "UEFA Nations League Finals: Draw Procedure" (PDF). UEFA.com. Union of European Football Associations. 27 September 2018. Retrieved 27 September 2018.
  8. "Lyon to host 2018 UEFA Europa League final". UEFA. 9 December 2016.
  9. "Regulations of the UEFA European Football Championship 2018–20" (PDF). UEFA.com. Union of European Football Associations. 9 March 2018. Retrieved 13 March 2018.
  10. "UEFA Nations League calendar: all the fixtures". UEFA.com. Union of European Football Associations. 24 January 2018. Retrieved 24 January 2018.
  11. "UEFA Nations League 2018/19: Fixtures List – League Phase" (PDF). UEFA.com. Union of European Football Associations. 24 January 2018. Retrieved 24 January 2018.
  12. "Confirmed: How the UEFA Nations League will line up". UEFA.com. Union of European Football Associations. 11 October 2017. Retrieved 11 October 2017.
  13. "National Team Coefficients Overview" (PDF). UEFA.com. Union of European Football Associations. 11 October 2017. Retrieved 11 October 2017.
  14. "UEFA Nations League draw seedings confirmed". UEFA.com. Union of European Football Associations. 7 December 2017. Archived from the original on 9 February 2018. Retrieved 7 December 2017.
  15. "UEFA Nations League format confirmed". UEFA.com. Union of European Football Associations. 20 September 2017. Retrieved 20 September 2017.
  16. "All you need to know: UEFA Nations League draw". UEFA.com. Union of European Football Associations. 17 January 2018. Retrieved 23 January 2018.
  17. "League Phase Draw Press Kit" (PDF). UEFA.com. Union of European Football Associations. 22 January 2018. Retrieved 23 January 2018.
  18. "Group stage draw". UEFA.com. 24 January 2018.
  19. "UEFA Nations League 2018/19 League Phase draw". UEFA.com. Union of European Football Associations. 24 January 2018. Retrieved 24 January 2018.
  20. "UEFA Nations League 2018/19 – League Phase Draw Procedure" (PDF). UEFA.com. Union of European Football Associations. 7 December 2017. Retrieved 8 December 2017.
  21. "UEFA Nations League Finals draw". UEFA.com.
  22. "Full Time Report – Semi-finals – Portugal v Switzerland" (PDF). UEFA.com. Union of European Football Associations. 5 June 2019. Retrieved 5 June 2019.
  23. "Full Time Report – Semi-finals – Netherlands v England" (PDF). UEFA.com. Union of European Football Associations. 6 June 2019. Retrieved 6 June 2019.
  24. "Full Time Report – Third-place match – Switzerland v England" (PDF). UEFA.com. Union of European Football Associations. 9 June 2019. Retrieved 9 June 2019.
  25. "Full Time Report – Final – Portugal v Netherlands" (PDF). UEFA.com. Union of European Football Associations. 9 June 2019. Retrieved 9 June 2019.
  26. "2018/19 UEFA Nations League rankings" (PDF). UEFA.com. Union of European Football Associations. 20 November 2018. Retrieved 21 November 2018.
  27. "UEFA Nations League solidarity and bonus fees". UEFA.com. Union of European Football Associations. 23 March 2018. Retrieved 4 April 2018.
  28. "Increased UEFA Nations League solidarity and bonus fees". UEFA.com. Union of European Football Associations. 10 October 2018. Retrieved 10 October 2018.
  29. "2018/19 UEFA Nations League rankings" (PDF). UEFA.com. Union of European Football Associations. 20 November 2018. Retrieved 21 November 2018.
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