Nations League review: Finalists, promotion, and relegation decided
The fourth installment of UEFA's Nations League is over after Tuesday's slate of matches. Here's a look at how promotion, relegation, and the eight spots in the Nations League quarterfinals were determined across the various tiers.
League A
Qualified for the quarterfinals
- Group A1: Portugal, Croatia
- Group A2: France, Italy
- Group A3: Germany, Netherlands
- Group A4: Spain, Denmark
Euro 2024 winner Spain, the teams it beat in the quarterfinals and semifinals of that tournament - Germany and France - and Portugal are seeded as group winners in Friday's quarterfinal draw. Germany, the top scorer of the league phase with 18 goals, is the only team in that quartet yet to win the Nations League.
Second-place teams Croatia, Italy, the Netherlands, and Denmark can't be pitted against an opponent they faced in the opening phase during the Nations League quarterfinals, which will take place in March. The semifinals and final will be played in June.
Relegated to League B
- Group A1: Poland
- Group A2: Israel
- Group A3: Bosnia and Herzegovina
- Group A4: Switzerland
Group A1 boasted the most dramatic finale when Scotland avoided automatic relegation and dropped its opponent Poland into League B with Andy Robertson's 92nd-minute winner Monday. Belgium - along with Scotland, Hungary, and Serbia - will compete in the League A/B playoffs after Domenico Tedesco's side finished above bottom-place Israel thanks to its superior head-to-head record.
League B
Promoted to League A
- Group B1: Czechia
- Group B2: England
- Group B3: Norway
- Group B4: Wales
The uncertainty over England's next coach barely impacted the Three Lions on their way to sealing automatic promotion under interim boss Lee Carsley. England will be joined by Norway, as Erling Haaland's seven goals helped the country secure a place in League A for the first time.
Czechia beat Georgia 2-1 and Wales thrashed Iceland 4-1 to confirm automatic promotion on the final day, leaving runners-up Ukraine, Greece, Austria, and Turkey to compete in the A/B playoffs in March.
Relegated to League C
- Group B1: Albania
- Group B2: Finland
- Group B3: Kazakhstan
- Group B4: Montenegro
Finland and Montenegro regressed big time this season, suffering relegation after amassing just three combined points. League B also proved too overwhelming for a Kazakhstan side that lost all of its games by a combined score of 15-0. The most compelling finish was in group B1, with Albania falling on the last day to lose its place in League B.
League C
Promoted to League B
- Group C1: Sweden
- Group C2: Romania
- Group C3: Northern Ireland
- Group C4: North Macedonia
Viktor Gyokeres' domestic domination carried over to the international stage, where he added nine goals - including the four he scored in Tuesday's 6-0 win over Azerbaijan - to help Sweden get promoted back to League B. Northern Ireland also booked a return to the second tier alongside a North Macedonia side that's never been higher than League C.
Romania won promotion after being awarded three points retroactively after its last Nations League match was abandoned because Kosovo players walked off the pitch before full-time.
Relegated to League D
Lithuania bowed out of League C after losing all six games, while Azerbaijan also failed to maintain its place in the third tier. Luxembourg and Latvia will play for League C survival in the C/D playoffs with League D's Malta and Gibraltar.
League D
Promoted to League C
- Group D1: San Marino
- Group D2: Moldova
In the most surprising story of this Nations League campaign, San Marino - a fixture at the bottom of the FIFA men's rankings - earned promotion after registering its first and second competitive wins in national team history against Liechtenstein. Moldova will join the microstate in League C after finishing above Malta and Andorra in Group D2.