A game of relegation and promotion, the UEFA Nations League is nothing short of exhilarating where the European footballing titans meet yet again. The stage is set for the fourth edition of this league to begin on September 5, 2024, while global fans eagerly await its commencement.
And before it starts, you need to know all the details pertaining to the league. That’s when our easy-to-understand guide comes into play. From the introduction of a new knock-out round to the dramatic draws and groups, we have answered all the doubts that might pop up in your mind about the 2024-25 UEFA Nations League. Let’s get right into it.
UEFA Nations League: Groups and Draws
There are a total of 54 UEFA member associations that take part in the Nations League. All the participating nations are divided into 4 leagues (A, B, C and D) depending on their result in the previous league (2022-23). Each league has been divided into four groups, except for League D which has two groups. Here are all the groups with the nations that will face each other.
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
Group C3: Luxembourg, Bulgaria, Northern Ireland, Belarus
Group C4: Armenia, Faroe Islands, North Macedonia, Latvia
League D
Group D1: Gibraltar, San Marino, Liechtenstein
Group D2: Moldova, Malta, Andorra
7bet Odds
Here are the betting odds of the 2024-25 UEFA Nations League as per 7bet.
| Nation | Odds |
| France | 3/1 |
| Spain | 29/5 |
| Germany | 6/1 |
| Portugal | 7/1 |
| Netherlands | 10/1 |
| Belgium | 10/1 |
| Italy | 12/1 |
| Denmark | 16/1 |
| Croatia | 16/1 |
| Switzerland | 34/1 |
| Hungary | 39/1 |
| Serbia | 39/1 |
| Poland | 39/1 |
| Bosnia-Herzegovina | 49/1 |
| Scotland | 49/1 |
| Israel | 99/1 |
Please note that the odds are accurate as per the publishing time of the article. Make sure to check the odds before placing a bet.
More info: 7bet
UEFA Nations League: Schedule
After its commencement on September 5, 2024, the Nations League is set to run till June 8, 2025. Viewers in the UK can catch the action live on ITV which will exclusively stream all of England’s matches, while the other matches can be watched on Premier Sports. Here’s what the schedule for the 2024-25 UEFA Nations League looks like.
- 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
As the event is scheduled to kick off on September 5, let’s take a detailed look at the fixtures of Matchday 1.
| Day and Date | Fixture | Time (BST) | Group |
| Thursday, Sep. 5 | Azerbaijan vs Sweden | 5:00 PM | 1 |
| Thursday, Sep. 5 | Estonia vs Slovakia | 7:45 PM | 1 |
| Thursday, Sep. 5 | Portugal vs Croatia | 7:45 PM | 1 |
| Thursday, Sep. 5 | San Marino vs Liechtenstein | 7:45 PM | 1 |
| Thursday, Sep. 5 | Scotland vs Poland | 7:45 PM | 1 |
| Thursday, Sep. 5 | Belarus vs Bulgaria | 7:45 PM | 3 |
| Thursday, Sep. 5 | Northern Ireland vs Luxembourg | 7:45 PM | 3 |
| Thursday, Sep. 5 | Denmark vs Switzerland | 7:45 PM | 4 |
| Thursday, Sep. 5 | Serbia vs Spain | 7:45 PM | 4 |
| Friday, Sep 6 | Lithuania vs Cyprus | 5:00 PM | 2 |
| Friday, Sep 6 | Belgium vs Israel | 7:45 PM | 2 |
| Friday, Sep 6 | France vs Italy | 7:45 PM | 2 |
| Friday, Sep 6 | Kosovo vs Romania | 7:45 PM | 2 |
| Friday, Sep 6 | Kazakhstan vs Norway | 3:00 PM | 3 |
| Friday, Sep 6 | Slovenia vs Austria | 7:45 PM | 3 |
| Friday, Sep 6 | Iceland vs Montenegro | 7:45 PM | 4 |
| Friday, Sep 6 | Wales vs Turkey | 7:45 PM | 4 |
| Saturday, Sep. 7 | Georgia vs Czech Republic | 5:00 PM | 1 |
| Saturday, Sep. 7 | Ukraine vs Albania | 7:45 PM | 1 |
| Saturday, Sep. 7 | Moldova vs Malta | 5:00 PM | 2 |
| Saturday, Sep. 7 | Republic of Ireland vs England | 5:00 PM | 2 |
| Saturday, Sep. 7 | Greece vs Finland | 7:45 PM | 2 |
| Saturday, Sep. 7 | Germany vs Hungary | 7:45 PM | 3 |
| Saturday, Sep. 7 | Netherlands vs Bosnia-Herzegovina | 7:45 PM | 3 |
| Saturday, Sep. 7 | Faroe Islands vs North Macedonia | 2:00 PM | 4 |
| Saturday, Sep. 7 | Armenia vs Latvia | 5:00 PM | 4 |
Note: The timings mentioned in the table above are subject to change and 7bet is responsible for those changes.
UEFA Nations League: Other Details
As compared to the past three leagues, this year will fare differently as the 1st and 2nd place holders of the groups in League A will qualify for the quarterfinals. The introduction of this new knockout round will be quite significant as it will be a bridge that will link the end of the group stage in November 2024 and the finals that will be played in June 2025.
The teams that will hold the fourth place in the groups of Leagues A and B will face relegation to League C. And the last two countries of the groups in League C will be relegated to League D. On the other hand, the group winners of Leagues B, C and D will have a space to be promoted to the league above.
For promotion/relegation qualifiers, the League A teams who take the third place in their groups will go head-to-head against the runners-up of League B. Similarly, the third-place holders in League B will face the runners-up of League C. Lastly, the best fourth-place holders of League C will play against the two runners-up of League D.
The victors of the semi-finals will bag a spot for the finals on Sunday, June 8, and the other two defeated nations will face each other for the third place. While Portugal (2019), France (2021) and Spain (2023) have been the previous winners of the UEFA Nations League, it remains to see which team will emerge triumphant this year.
The Three Lions Covet Promotion
During the UEFA Nations League 2023, England faced a grim defeat and got the bottom rank of Group A3. This got them automatically relegated to League B.
Now, even if the Three Lions can’t bag a victory in this league, their aim is to chase the much-anticipated promotion to League A by topping their group. They will also have a chance for qualification even if they are the runners-up of their group. They will battle in the group stage against the Republic of Ireland, Finland and Greece from September to November.
After Gareth Southgate’s retirement, Lee Carsley, previous head coach of England men’s U21 team, will take over his managerial duties as interim head coach. “I feel privileged to be in the position. It’s something I’m really looking forward to with the challenge ahead in September and the games that are in front of us,” Lee told England Football.
England will kick off the Nations League against the Republic of Ireland on September 7, at an away match in Dublin, Aviva Stadium. Lee has announced his 26-man squad and here are all the selected players.
Goalkeepers: Dean Henderson, Jordan Pickford, Nick Pope
Defenders: Trent Alexander-Arnold, Levi Colwill, Marc Guehi, Ezri Konsa, Rico Lewis, Tino Livramento, Harry Maguire, John Stones
Midfielders: Phil Foden, Conor Gallagher, Morgan Gibbs-White, Angel Gomes, Kobbie Mainoo, Cole Palmer, Declan Rice
Forwards: Jarrod Bowen, Eberechi Eze, Anthony Gordon, Jack Grealish, Harry Kane, Noni Madueke, Bukayo Saka, Ollie Watkins
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