2024–25 UEFA Nations League A

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2024–25 UEFA Nations League A
Tournament details
DatesLeague phase:
5 September – 19 November 2024
Quarter-finals:
20–23 March 2025
Nations League Finals:
4–8 June 2025
Teams16
2026–27 →

The 2024–25 UEFA Nations League A is the top division of the 2024–25 edition of the UEFA Nations League, the fourth season of the international football competition involving the men's national teams of the 55 member associations of UEFA. League A will begin with the league phase in September 2024, and will culminate with the Nations League Finals in June 2025 to determine the champions of the competition.

For the first time, a quarter-final round will be contested in League A by the group winners and runners-up, with the winners advancing to the Nations League Finals.

Spain are the defending champions, having won the 2023 finals.

Format[edit]

League A consists of the 16 top-ranked UEFA members in the 2024–25 UEFA Nations League access list, split into four groups of four. Each team will play six matches within their group, using the home-and-away round-robin format on double matchdays in September, October and November 2024.[1]

On 25 January 2023, the UEFA Executive Committee approved a modified format for the Nations League after the league phase, with the following changes being implemented in League A:[2][3]

  • A new quarter-final round to be played in March 2025 was introduced, thus creating continuity between the league phase ending in November 2024 and the Nations League Finals in June 2025.
  • The winners and runners-up of each group will advance to the quarter-finals, unlike previous editions where only the group winners advanced to the finals.
  • The four third-placed teams of League A will face the four runners-up of League B in the relegation play-offs, which were also introduced starting this season.

The last-placed teams of each group will continue to be relegated directly to League B, while the third-placed teams will compete against the runners-up of League B to determine their permanence in the League A for the next season or their relegation to the 2026–27 UEFA Nations League B. The relegation play-offs will be played home-and-away over two legs in March 2025, with the League A third-placed teams hosting the second leg.

The quarter-finals will also be played home and away over two legs. In each tie, group winners will face a runner-up from a different group, with the group winner hosting the second leg. The four quarter-final winners will advance to the Finals.

The Nations League Finals retain its previous format, which is played in a knockout format in June 2025, consisting of the semi-finals, third place play-off, and final. The semi-final pairings will be determined using an open draw. The host country will be selected by the UEFA Executive Committee, preferably hosted by one of the participating teams, with the winners of the final crowned as the champions of the UEFA Nations League.

In all two-legged ties, the team that scores more goals on aggregate is the winner. If the aggregate score is level, extra time is played without the away goals rule. If the score remains level after extra time, a penalty shoot-out is used to decide the winner.[4]

Teams[edit]

The 16 League A teams includes the top 12 teams from the 2022–23 League A overall ranking and four promoted teams from the 2022–23 League B.

Team changes[edit]

The following were the team changes in League A from the 2022–23 season:[5]

Incoming
Promoted from
Nations League B
Outgoing
Relegated to
Nations League B

Bosnia and Herzegovina returned to League A, after a one-season absence, by securing first place in their 2022–23 League B group with a 1–0 victory over Montenegro on 23 September 2022.[6][7] Israel, Scotland and Serbia reached the top flight of the UEFA Nations League for the first time, all three following similar paths, starting in League C in the inaugural edition and spending two seasons in League B before their promotion to League A.[8][9]

Seeding[edit]

In the 2024–25 access list, UEFA ranked teams based on the 2022–23 Nations League overall ranking, considering promotion and relegation between the leagues and the results of the 2023 UEFA Nations League Finals.[10] The seeding pots for the league phase were confirmed on 2 December 2023,[11] and were based on the access list ranking.[4]

Pot 1
Team Rank
 Spain (title holders) 1
 Croatia 2
 Italy 3
 Netherlands 4
Pot 2
Team Rank
 Denmark 5
 Portugal 6
 Belgium 7
 Hungary 8
Pot 3
Team Rank
  Switzerland 9
 Germany 10
 Poland 11
 France 12
Pot 4
Team Rank
 Israel 13
 Bosnia and Herzegovina 14
 Serbia 15
 Scotland 16

The draw for the league phase took place at the Maison de la Mutualité in Paris, France, on 8 February 2024, 18:00 CET.[12][13] Each group contained one team from each pot.

Groups[edit]

The fixture list was confirmed by UEFA on 9 February 2024, the day following the draw.[14][15][16]

Times are CET/CEST,[note 1] as listed by UEFA (local times, if different, are in parentheses).

Group 1[edit]

Pos Team
 Pld W D L GF GA GD Pts Qualification or relegation Croatia Portugal Poland Scotland
1  Croatia 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 Qualification for quarter-finals — 18 Nov 8 Sep 12 Oct
2  Portugal 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 5 Sep — 15 Nov 8 Sep
3  Poland 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 Qualification for relegation play-offs 15 Oct 12 Oct — 18 Nov
4  Scotland 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 Relegation to League B 15 Nov 15 Oct 5 Sep —
First match(es) will be played: 5 September 2024. Source: UEFA
Rules for classification: Tiebreakers
Portugal v Croatia
Report
Scotland v Poland
Report
Croatia v Poland
Report
Portugal v Scotland
Report
Croatia v Scotland
Report
Poland v Portugal
Report
Poland v Croatia
Report
Scotland v Portugal
Report
Portugal v Poland
Report
Scotland v Croatia
Report
Croatia v Portugal
Report
Poland v Scotland
Report

Group 2[edit]

Pos Team
 Pld W D L GF GA GD Pts Qualification or relegation Italy Belgium France Israel
1  Italy 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 Qualification for quarter-finals — 10 Oct 17 Nov 14 Oct
2  Belgium 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 14 Nov — 14 Oct 6 Sep
3  France 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 Qualification for relegation play-offs 6 Sep 9 Sep — 14 Nov
4  Israel 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 Relegation to League B 9 Sep 17 Nov 10 Oct —
First match(es) will be played: 6 September 2024. Source: UEFA
Rules for classification: Tiebreakers
Belgium v Israel
Report
France v Italy
Report
France v Belgium
Report
Israel v Italy
Report
Israel v France
Report
Italy v Belgium
Report
Belgium v France
Report
Italy v Israel
Report
Belgium v Italy
Report
France v Israel
Report
Israel v Belgium
Report
Italy v France
Report

Group 3[edit]

Pos Team
 Pld W D L GF GA GD Pts Qualification or relegation Netherlands Hungary Germany Bosnia and Herzegovina
1  Netherlands 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 Qualification for quarter-finals — 16 Nov 10 Sep 7 Sep
2  Hungary 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 11 Oct — 19 Nov 10 Sep
3  Germany 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 Qualification for relegation play-offs 14 Oct 7 Sep — 16 Nov
4  Bosnia and Herzegovina 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 Relegation to League B 19 Nov 14 Oct 11 Oct —
First match(es) will be played: 7 September 2024. Source: UEFA
Rules for classification: Tiebreakers
Germany v Hungary
Report
Netherlands v Bosnia and Herzegovina
Report
Hungary v Bosnia and Herzegovina
Report
Netherlands v Germany
Report
Bosnia and Herzegovina v Germany
Report
Hungary v Netherlands
Report
Bosnia and Herzegovina v Hungary
Report
Germany v Netherlands
Report
Germany v Bosnia and Herzegovina
Report
Netherlands v Hungary
Report
Bosnia and Herzegovina v Netherlands
Report
Hungary v Germany
Report

Group 4[edit]

Pos Team
 Pld W D L GF GA GD Pts Qualification or relegation Spain Denmark Switzerland Serbia
1  Spain 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 Qualification for quarter-finals — 12 Oct 18 Nov 15 Oct
2  Denmark 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 15 Nov — 5 Sep 8 Sep
3   Switzerland 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 Qualification for relegation play-offs 8 Sep 15 Oct — 15 Nov
4  Serbia 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 Relegation to League B 5 Sep 18 Nov 12 Oct —
First match(es) will be played: 5 September 2024. Source: UEFA
Rules for classification: Tiebreakers
Denmark v  Switzerland
Report
Serbia v Spain
Report
Denmark v Serbia
Report
Switzerland v Spain
Report
Serbia v  Switzerland
Report
Spain v Denmark
Report
Spain v Serbia
Report
Switzerland v Denmark
Report
Denmark v Spain
Report
Switzerland v Serbia
Report
Serbia v Denmark
Report
Spain v  Switzerland
Report

Quarter-finals[edit]

The draw for the quarter-finals will be held on 22 November 2024 in Nyon, Switzerland, along with the draw for the promotion/relegation play-offs.[18]

Summary[edit]

The first legs will be played on 20 March, and the second legs will be played on 23 March 2025.

Team 1 Agg.Tooltip Aggregate score Team 2 1st leg 2nd leg
Group runner-up 1 Group winner 20 Mar '25 23 Mar '25
Group runner-up 2 Group winner 20 Mar '25 23 Mar '25
Group runner-up 3 Group winner 20 Mar '25 23 Mar '25
Group runner-up 4 Group winner 20 Mar '25 23 Mar '25

Matches[edit]

Times are CET (UTC+1), as listed by UEFA (local times, if different, are in parentheses).

Group runner-upvGroup winner
Group winnervGroup runner-up
Group runner-upvGroup winner
Group winnervGroup runner-up
Group runner-upvGroup winner
Group winnervGroup runner-up
Group runner-upvGroup winner
Group winnervGroup runner-up

Nations League Finals[edit]

Main article: 2025 UEFA Nations League Finals

The host of the Nations League Finals will preferably be selected from the four qualified teams. The semi-finals pairings will be determined by means of an open draw. For scheduling purposes, the host team will be allocated to semi-final 1 as the administrative home team.

Bracket[edit]

 
Semi-finalsFinal
 
      
 
4 June – TBD
 
 
Winner quarter-final
 
8 June – TBD
 
Winner quarter-final
 
Winner Match 1
 
5 June – TBD
 
Winner Match 2
 
Winner quarter-final
 
 
Winner quarter-final
 
Third place play-off
 
 
8 June – TBD
 
 
Loser Match 1
 
 
Loser Match 2

Semi-finals[edit]

Winner quarter-finalMatch 1Winner quarter-final
Winner quarter-finalMatch 2Winner quarter-final

Third place play-off[edit]

Loser Match 1Match 3Loser Match 2

Final[edit]

Winner Match 1Match 4Winner Match 2

Overall ranking[edit]

Following the league phase, the 16 League A teams will be ordered 1st to 16th in an interim overall ranking for the 2024–25 UEFA Nations League according to the following rules:[4]

  • The teams finishing first in the groups will be ranked 1st to 4th according to the results of the league phase.
  • The teams finishing second in the groups will be ranked 5th to 8th according to the results of the league phase.
  • The teams finishing third in the groups will be ranked 9th to 12th according to the results of the league phase.
  • The teams finishing fourth in the groups will be ranked 13th to 16th according to the results of the league phase.
Rnk Grp Team
 Pld W D L GF GA GD Pts
1 Best group winner 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
2 2nd best group winner 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
3 3rd best group winner 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
4 Worst group winner 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
5 Best group runner-up 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
6 2nd best group runner-up 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
7 3rd best group runner-up 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
8 Worst group runner-up 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
9 Best group 3rd place 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
10 2nd best group 3rd place 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
11 3rd best group 3rd place 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
12 Worst group 3rd place 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
13 Best group 4th place 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
14 2nd best group 4th place 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
15 3rd best group 4th place 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
16 Worst group 4th place 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
First match(es) will be played: 5 September 2024. Source: UEFA
Rules for classification: Ranking criteria

A final overall ranking will also be compiled, though this is only used to rank teams within their new leagues for the following edition of the competition.[4]

Notes[edit]

  1. ^ CEST (UTC+2) for matchdays 1–4 (September and October 2024), CET (UTC+1) for matchdays 5–6 (November 2024).
  2. ^ a b c Due to the Israel–Hamas war, Israel are required to play their home matches at neutral venues until further notice.[17]

References[edit]

  1. ^ "2024/25 UEFA Nations League: All you need to know". UEFA.com. 30 January 2024. Retrieved 8 February 2024.
  2. ^ "New formats for UEFA men's national team competitions approved". UEFA. 25 January 2023. Retrieved 25 January 2023.
  3. ^ "Nations League set to expand with new knockout round from 2024/25". UEFA. 25 January 2023. Retrieved 26 January 2023.
  4. ^ a b c d "Regulations of the UEFA Nations League, 2024/25" (PDF). UEFA.com. Union of European Football Associations. 11 December 2023. Archived from the original on 8 February 2024. Retrieved 8 February 2024.
  5. ^ "Who reached the Nations League finals? Who was promoted? Who was relegated?". UEFA.com. Union of European Football Associations. 27 September 2022. Retrieved 8 February 2024.
  6. ^ "Liga nacija: BiH pobijedila Crnu Goru i plasirala se u Prvu diviziju" [Nations League: Bosnia and Herzegovina beat Montenegro and qualified for the First Division] (in Bosnian). Al Jazeera Balkans. 23 September 2022. Retrieved 23 December 2023.
  7. ^ "Koliko su Zmajevi zaradili plasmanom u A Ligu nacija: Gol Demirovića donio BiH nevjerovatnu cifru" [How much did the Dragons earn by placing in the Nations League A: Demirović's goal brought BiH an incredible figure] (in Bosnian). Radio Sarajevo. 24 September 2022. Retrieved 23 December 2023.
  8. ^ "אנחנו על המפה! נבחרת ישראל בדרך ליורו הכדורגל" [We are on the map! Israel's national team is on its way to the Euro Cup] (in Hebrew). Ice. 25 September 2022. Retrieved 23 December 2023.
  9. ^ "How did the Nations League finish? Scotland promoted, England & Wales relegated, NI survive". BBC Sport. 27 September 2022. Retrieved 23 December 2023.
  10. ^ "Overall rankings of the 2022/23 UEFA Nations League" (PDF). UEFA.com. Union of European Football Associations. 12 July 2023. Retrieved 8 February 2024.
  11. ^ "UEFA Nations League – League phase draw procedure" (PDF). UEFA.com. Union of European Football Associations. 2 December 2023. Retrieved 8 February 2024.
  12. ^ "2024/25 UEFA Nations League: League phase draw". UEFA.com. Union of European Football Associations. 8 February 2024. Retrieved 8 February 2024.
  13. ^ "2024/25 UEFA Nations League: League phase draw". UEFA.com. Union of European Football Associations. 2 February 2024. Retrieved 8 February 2024.
  14. ^ "2024/25 Nations League: All the league phase fixtures". UEFA.com. Union of European Football Associations. 9 February 2024. Retrieved 9 February 2024.
  15. ^ "UEFA Nations League 2024/25 – Fixture List: League Phase (by league)" (PDF). UEFA.com. Union of European Football Associations. 9 February 2024. Retrieved 9 February 2024.
  16. ^ "UEFA Nations League 2024/25 – Fixture List: League Phase (by matchday)" (PDF). UEFA.com. Union of European Football Associations. 9 February 2024. Retrieved 9 February 2024.
  17. ^ "European Qualifier match between Belgium and Sweden declared abandoned with half-time result confirmed as final". UEFA.com. Union of European Football Associations. 19 October 2023. Retrieved 23 November 2023.
  18. ^ "UEFA Nations League 2024/25 – information on competition start" (ZIP). UEFA Circular Letter. No. 08/2024. Union of European Football Associations. 25 February 2024. Retrieved 11 March 2024.

External links[edit]

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