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 awarded berths in the play-offs, which decided 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)Serbia 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 were 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 were divided according to their UEFA national team coefficients after the conclusion of the 2018 FIFA World Cup qualifiers (play-off results were not included), with the highest-ranked teams playing in League A, etc.[6]

Each league was divided into four groups of three or four teams, so each team played 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 competed to become the UEFA Nations League champions. The four group winners of League A qualified for the Nations League Finals in June 2019, which was 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] Host country Portugal was 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 competed for promotion and relegation to a higher or lower league. In each league, the four group winners (except League A) were promoted, while the last-placed teams of each group (except League D) were initially to be relegated; the exception was in League C, where due to different sized groups, the three fourth-placed teams and the lowest-ranking third-placed team were initially to be relegated. However, due to a revamp of the format for the 2020–21 UEFA Nations League, no teams were eventually relegated, and some second-placed and third-placed teams were also promoted.

Tiebreakers for group ranking

If two or more teams in the same group were equal on points on completion of the league phase, the following tie-breaking criteria were 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 had an equal ranking, criteria 1 to 4 were reapplied exclusively to the matches between the teams in question to determine their final rankings.[note 1] If this procedure did not lead to a decision, criteria 6 to 10 applied;
  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 were discarded. The following criteria were 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 were 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 applied:[6]

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

The ranking of the top four teams in League A was determined by their finish in the Nations League Finals (first to fourth).[6]

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 were established as follows:[6]

  1. The 12 League A teams were ranked 1st to 12th according to their league rankings.
  2. The 12 League B teams were ranked 13th to 24th according to their league rankings.
  3. The 15 League C teams were ranked 25th to 39th according to their league rankings.
  4. The 16 League D teams were 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 was 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 ended in November 2019. The format remained largely the same, although only 20 of the 24 spots for the finals tournament were decided from the main qualifying process, leaving four spots still to be decided. The 55 teams were 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 was based on the overall rankings of the Nations League.[6] The qualifiers were played on double matchdays in March, June, September, October and November 2019.[4]

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

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

Schedule

Below was 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 participated in.
  League A
  League B
  League C
  League D

All 55 UEFA national teams were eligible to compete in the 2018–19 UEFA Nations League. The 55 members at the time were 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]

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, only one of Andorra, Faroe Islands, or Gibraltar could be drawn with Kazakhstan, while Gibraltar could not be with Azerbaijan if they had Kazakhstan.[19]

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] Netherlands France Germany
1  Netherlands 4 2 1 1 8 4 +4 7[lower-alpha 2] Qualification for 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] Switzerland Belgium Iceland
1   Switzerland 4 3 0 1 14 5 +9 9[lower-alpha 2] Qualification for 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] Portugal Italy Poland
1  Portugal 4 2 2 0 5 3 +2 8 Qualification for 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] England Spain Croatia
1  England 4 2 1 1 6 5 +1 7 Qualification for 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][20] 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
  • Ronaldo 25', 88', 90'
 Report
Attendance: 42,415[21]
Referee: Felix Brych (Germany)
Netherlands 3–1 (a.e.t.) England
 Report
Attendance: 25,711[22]

Third-place play-off
Switzerland 0–0 (a.e.t.) England
Report
Penalties
 5–6
Attendance: 15,742[23]

Final
Main article: 2019 UEFA Nations League final
Portugal 1–0 Netherlands
 Report
Attendance: 43,199[24]

Top goalscorers
League A top goalscorers
Rank Player Goals
1 Switzerland Haris Seferovic 5
2 Belgium Romelu Lukaku 4
3 England Marcus Rashford 3
Portugal Cristiano Ronaldo
Portugal André Silva
Spain Sergio Ramos
7 13 players 2
20 31 players 1

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] Ukraine Czech Republic Slovakia
1  Ukraine (P) 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
(P) Promoted
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] Sweden Russia Turkey
1  Sweden (P) 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
(P) Promoted
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] Bosnia and Herzegovina Austria Northern Ireland
1  Bosnia and Herzegovina (P) 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
(P) Promoted
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] Denmark Wales Republic of Ireland
1  Denmark (P) 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
(P) Promoted
Notes:
  1. Due to revamp of the format for the 2020–21 UEFA Nations League, no teams were eventually relegated.

Top goalscorers
League B top goalscorers
Rank Player Goals
1 Bosnia and Herzegovina Edin Džeko 3
Czech Republic Patrik Schick
3 Denmark Christian Eriksen 2
Russia Denis Cheryshev
Turkey Emre Akbaba
Ukraine Yevhen Konoplyanka
Wales Gareth Bale
8 32 players 1

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] Scotland Israel Albania
1  Scotland (P) 4 3 0 1 10 4 +6 9 Promotion to League B — 3–2 2–0
2  Israel (P) 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
(P) Promoted
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] Finland Hungary Greece Estonia
1  Finland (P) 6 4 0 2 5 3 +2 12 Promotion to League B — 1–0 2–0 1–0
2  Hungary (P) 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
(P) Promoted
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] Norway Bulgaria Cyprus Slovenia
1  Norway (P) 6 4 1 1 7 2 +5 13 Promotion to League B — 1–0 2–0 1–0
2  Bulgaria (P) 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
(P) Promoted
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] Serbia Romania Montenegro Lithuania
1  Serbia (P) 6 4 2 0 11 4 +7 14 Promotion to League B — 2–2 2–1 4–1
2  Romania (P) 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
(P) Promoted
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.

Top goalscorers
League C top goalscorers
Rank Player Goals
1 Serbia Aleksandar Mitrović 6
2 Scotland James Forrest 5
3 Hungary Ádám Szalai 4
4 Finland Teemu Pukki 3
Montenegro Stefan Mugoša
6 Bulgaria Bozhidar Kraev 2
Norway Stefan Johansen
Norway Ola Kamara
Romania Nicolae Stanciu
Romania George Țucudean
Serbia Adem Ljajić
Slovenia Miha Zajc
13 50 players 1

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] Georgia (country) Kazakhstan Latvia Andorra
1  Georgia (P) 6 5 1 0 12 2 +10 16 Promotion to League C — 2–1 1–0 3–0
2  Kazakhstan (P) 6 1 3 2 8 7 +1 6 0–2 — 1–1 4–0
3  Latvia 6 0 4 2 2 6 −4 4[lower-alpha 2] 0–3 1–1 — 0–0
4  Andorra 6 0 4 2 2 9 −7 4[lower-alpha 2] 1–1 1–1 0–0 —
Source: UEFA
(P) Promoted
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.
  2. Tied on head-to-head results. Overall goal difference was used as the tiebreaker.

Group D2
Pos Team Pld W D L GF GA GD Pts Promotion[lower-alpha 1] Belarus Luxembourg Moldova San Marino
1  Belarus (P) 6 4 2 0 10 0 +10 14 Promotion to League C — 1–0 0–0 5–0
2  Luxembourg (P) 6 3 1 2 11 4 +7 10 0–2 — 4–0 3–0
3  Moldova (P) 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
(P) Promoted
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] Kosovo Azerbaijan Faroe Islands Malta
1  Kosovo (P) 6 4 2 0 15 2 +13 14 Promotion to League C — 4–0 2–0 3–1
2  Azerbaijan (P) 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
(P) Promoted
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] North Macedonia Armenia Gibraltar Liechtenstein
1  Macedonia (P) 6 5 0 1 14 5 +9 15 Promotion to League C — 2–0 4–0 4–1
2  Armenia (P) 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
(P) Promoted
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 (P) 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.
(P) Promoted

Top goalscorers
League D top goalscorers
Rank Player Goals
1 Armenia Yura Movsisyan 5
Belarus Stanislaw Drahun
3 Georgia (country) Giorgi Chakvetadze 4
Kosovo Arbër Zeneli
5 Belarus Anton Saroka 3
Faroe Islands René Joensen
Kosovo Benjamin Kololli
Luxembourg Danel Sinani
North Macedonia Ezgjan Alioski
North Macedonia Ilija Nestorovski
North Macedonia Aleksandar Trajkovski
Moldova Radu Gînsari
13 14 players 2
27 49 players 1

Overall ranking

The overall ranking after the league phase was used for seeding in the UEFA Euro 2020 qualifying group stage draw.[25]

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.[26] 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.[27]

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 failed in the UEFA Euro 2020 qualifying group stage could still qualify for the final tournament via the play-offs. Each league in the UEFA Nations League was allocated one of the four remaining UEFA Euro 2020 places. Four teams from each league who had not already qualified for the European Championship finals competed in the play-offs of their league, which were played in October and November 2020. The play-off berths were first allocated to each group winner, and if any of the group winners had 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 competed in the play-offs based on a set of criteria.[28] Teams in bold 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 at the time of the draw
  3.   Team advanced to play-offs
  4.   Team qualified directly to final tournament

Notes
  1. When there were two or more teams tied in points, criteria 1 to 4 were applied. After these criteria were applied, they may have defined the position of some of the teams involved, but not all of them. For example, if there was a three-way tie on points, the application of the first four criteria could only break the tie for one of the teams, leaving the other two teams still tied. In this case, the tiebreaking procedure was resumed, from the beginning, for those teams that were still tied.
  2. If two or more associations had the same reference period coefficient, the following criteria were 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 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". UEFA.com. Union of European Football Associations. 9 March 2018. Archived from the original on 11 May 2021. Retrieved 11 May 2021.
  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. "UEFA Nations League 2018/19 League Phase draw". UEFA.com. Union of European Football Associations. 24 January 2018. Retrieved 24 January 2018.
  19. "UEFA Nations League 2018/19 – League Phase Draw Procedure" (PDF). UEFA.com. Union of European Football Associations. 7 December 2017. Retrieved 8 December 2017.
  20. "UEFA Nations League Finals draw". UEFA.com. 3 December 2018.
  21. "Full Time Report – Semi-finals – Portugal v Switzerland" (PDF). UEFA.com. Union of European Football Associations. 5 June 2019. Retrieved 5 June 2019.
  22. "Full Time Report – Semi-finals – Netherlands v England" (PDF). UEFA.com. Union of European Football Associations. 6 June 2019. Retrieved 6 June 2019.
  23. "Full Time Report – Third-place match – Switzerland v England" (PDF). UEFA.com. Union of European Football Associations. 9 June 2019. Retrieved 9 June 2019.
  24. "Full Time Report – Final – Portugal v Netherlands" (PDF). UEFA.com. Union of European Football Associations. 9 June 2019. Retrieved 9 June 2019.
  25. "2018/19 UEFA Nations League rankings" (PDF). UEFA.com. Union of European Football Associations. 20 November 2018. Retrieved 21 November 2018.
  26. "UEFA Nations League solidarity and bonus fees". UEFA.com. Union of European Football Associations. 23 March 2018. Retrieved 4 April 2018.
  27. "Increased UEFA Nations League solidarity and bonus fees". UEFA.com. Union of European Football Associations. 10 October 2018. Retrieved 10 October 2018.
  28. "2018/19 UEFA Nations League rankings" (PDF). UEFA.com. Union of European Football Associations. 20 November 2018. Archived (PDF) from the original on 22 November 2018. Retrieved 21 November 2018.
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