UEFA Nations League facts for kids
 |
|
| Organising body | UEFA |
|---|---|
| Founded | 2018 |
| Region | Europe |
| Number of teams | 55 |
| Current champions |  Portugal (2nd title) |
| Most successful team(s) | Portugal (2 titles) |
The UEFA Nations League is a super exciting football tournament for men's national teams in Europe. It happens every two years! All the teams are members of UEFA, which is like the main group that organizes football in Europe. This competition was created to replace many of the international friendly matches. Friendly matches are games that don't really count for much. The Nations League means teams play more important games against other European teams that are at a similar skill level.
The very first Nations League tournament started in September 2018. The best four teams from the top group (League A) got to play in the finals. These first finals were held in Portugal in June 2019. Portugal, playing in their home country, beat the Netherlands in the final game. This made them the first-ever champions of the Nations League! The most recent champions are Portugal, who won their second title in the 2025 final by defeating Spain.
Contents
- Why Was the Nations League Created?
- How Does the Nations League Work?
- How the Nations League Connects to Big Tournaments
- The Nations League Trophy
- The Nations League Anthem
- When Are the Games Played?
- Results
- Records and Statistics
- What Do People Think of the Nations League?
- Did Other Places Copy the Idea?
- Awards
- See Also
Why Was the Nations League Created?
For a long time, people at UEFA wanted to make international football more exciting. Teams wanted more games that really mattered. They also hoped new kinds of games could bring in more money for football.
In October 2013, Yngve Hallén, who was in charge of Norway's football group, said they were seriously talking about a new big tournament. This would be another major competition, like the famous FIFA World Cup and the UEFA European Championship (often called the Euros).
The big idea was to sort all of UEFA's national teams into different leagues. This sorting would be based on how well they had played recently. Teams could move up to a higher league (get promoted) if they did well. They could also move down to a lower league (get relegated) if they didn't. These games would happen when friendly matches used to be played. This way, it wouldn't mess with the World Cup or the Euros.
In March 2014, Gianni Infantino, a top official at UEFA, said this new league would be great for smaller football nations. It would help them get more chances to play important games. Finally, on March 27, 2014, all 54 countries in UEFA agreed to start the Nations League. Everyone voted yes!
How Does the Nations League Work?
The First Setup of Leagues
When it started, all 55 European national teams were split into four main divisions. These were called "Leagues":
- League A: This was for the top 12 teams.
- League B: This was for the next 12 teams.
- League C: This was for the next 15 teams.
- League D: This was for the remaining 16 teams.
Each League was then split into smaller groups of three or four teams. In these groups, every team played against each other team twice. They played once at home and once away.
Changes from the 2020–21 Season
After the first Nations League, UEFA changed the setup a bit. This was for the 2020–21 season. The new plan was:
- Leagues A, B, and C: Each would have 16 teams.
- League D: Would have 7 teams.
UEFA made these changes because all the national football groups wanted even fewer friendly matches. They wanted more real competitions. This meant more exciting games for fans!
Winning the Trophy, Moving Up, and Moving Down
The Finals
In League A, the very best league, the winners of each of the four groups get to play in the Nations League Finals. This is a mini-tournament with:
- Two semi-final matches.
- A match to decide who comes third and fourth.
- The grand final match to crown the UEFA Nations League champion!
Starting with the 2024–25 season, there's an extra step. The teams that finish first and second in League A groups will play in quarter-finals. These are two-legged matches, meaning one game at home and one away. The winners of these quarter-finals then go to the Nations League Finals.
Promotion and Relegation (Moving Leagues)
Teams can also move between leagues. This is called promotion (moving up) and relegation (moving down).
- Moving Up (Promotion): If a team wins its group in League B, C, or D, it automatically moves up to the next league. This started in the 2020–21 season.
- Moving Down (Relegation): If a team finishes last in its group in League A or B, it automatically moves down to the league below.
New Play-Offs from 2024–25
Starting with the 2024–25 season, there are more changes. New promotion/relegation play-offs have been added. These are extra matches to decide who moves leagues. For example, third-place teams from League A play against second-place teams from League B. The winners move to the higher league, and the losers go to the lower league.
How the Nations League Connects to Big Tournaments
A Second Chance for the Euros
The Nations League is smart because it also gives teams another way to qualify for the UEFA European Championship (the Euros). It's like a second chance!
For the Euros in 2020, there were special play-off matches based on Nations League results. The winners of these play-offs got some of the last spots in the Euros.
For UEFA Euro 2024 and future Euros, it's a bit different. If teams from Leagues A, B, or C haven't qualified for the Euros the normal way, some spots in the play-offs can be filled by Nations League teams.
A Path to the World Cup Too
The Nations League also plays a small part in helping European teams qualify for the FIFA World Cup.
For the 2022 FIFA World Cup, the normal qualifying had groups. Winners went straight to the World Cup. Teams that came second went to play-offs. They were joined by the two best Nations League group winners who hadn't already qualified. These play-offs decided a few more teams for the World Cup.
For the 2026 FIFA World Cup, it will be similar. After the main qualifying groups, the second-place teams will go to play-offs. They'll be joined by the four best-ranked Nations League group winners who haven't already made it. These play-offs will decide the last European teams going to the World Cup.
What About Teams from Other Continents?
There was some talk about inviting teams from CONMEBOL (the South American Football Confederation) to join the Nations League. This was seen as a way for UEFA and CONMEBOL to work more closely.
However, this big expansion didn't happen. CONMEBOL decided to stick with its usual way of qualifying for the World Cup. So, for now, the UEFA Nations League is just for European teams.
The Nations League Trophy
The special trophy for the UEFA Nations League was shown off for the first time in Lausanne, Switzerland. It's designed to look like it represents all 55 countries that are part of UEFA. The trophy is made of shiny sterling silver. It's quite heavy, weighing 7.5 kilograms (about 16.5 pounds). It stands 71 centimeters tall (about 28 inches).
The Nations League Anthem
The UEFA Nations League has its own official song, called an anthem! It was recorded by a famous orchestra and choir from the Netherlands. They sing it in Latin. The music is a cool mix of classical style and electronic sounds. You hear this anthem when the players walk onto the pitch before a game. You also hear it on TV and during special ceremonies. The music was written by Giorgio Tuinfort and Franck van der Heijden.
When Are the Games Played?
Each UEFA Nations League "season" usually follows a set pattern:
- Group Games: These happen in the autumn, mostly from September to November.
- Knockout Games:
- March: This is when the League A quarter-finals and the promotion/relegation play-offs take place.
- June: The exciting semi-finals and final for League A are played. A champion is crowned!
This means we get a new Nations League winner every two years.
There was one change to this schedule for the 2022–23 season. The group games were played earlier, in June and September 2022. This was because the 2022 FIFA World Cup was held in Qatar later that year.
Results
- Keys
- aet: result after extra time
- p: match won after penalty shoot-out
| Season | Finals host | Final | Third place play-off | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Winners | Score | Runners-up | Third | Score | Fourth | ||
| 2018–19 Finals |
 Portugal |
 Portugal |
1–0 |  Netherlands |
 England |
0–0 (aet) (6–5 p) |
 Switzerland |
| 2020–21 Finals |
 Italy |
 France |
2–1 |  Spain |
 Italy |
2–1 |  Belgium |
| 2022–23 Finals |
 Netherlands |
Spain |
0–0 (aet) (5–4 p) |
 Croatia |
Italy |
3–2 | Netherlands |
| 2024–25 Finals |
 Germany |
Portugal |
2–2 (aet) (5–3 p) |
Spain |
France |
2–0 |  Germany |
| 2026–27 Finals |
 TBD |
TBD | TBD | ||||
Final Tournament Appearances by Team
This table shows how many times each team has reached the Nations League Finals.
- Keys
- * denotes host of final tournament
| Team | Winners | Runners-up | Third place | Fourth place | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Portugal |
2 (2019*, 2025) | 2 | |||
 Spain |
1 (2023) | 2 (2021, 2025) | 3 | ||
 France |
1 (2021) | 1 (2025) | 2 | ||
 Netherlands |
1 (2019) | 1 (2023*) | 2 | ||
 Croatia |
1 (2023) | 1 | |||
 Italy |
2 (2021*, 2023) | 2 | |||
 England |
1 (2019) | 1 | |||
 Switzerland |
1 (2019) | 1 | |||
 Belgium |
1 (2021) | 1 | |||
 Germany |
1 (2025*) | 1 |
Records and Statistics
Top Goalscorers
| Season | League A | League B | League C | League D | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Player | Goals | Player | Goals | Player | Goals | Player | Goals | |
| 2018–19 |  Haris Seferovic |
5 |  Edin Džeko Patrik Schick |
3 |  Aleksandar Mitrović |
6 |  Yura Movsisyan Stanislaw Drahun |
5 |
| 2020–21 | Romelu Lukaku Ferran Torres |
6 |  Erling Haaland |
6 |  Sokol Cikalleshi Rauno Sappinen Stevan Jovetić Haris Vučkić |
4 |  Klæmint Olsen |
4 |
| 2022–23 | Michy Batshuayi Luka Modrić Steven Bergwijn Memphis Depay |
3 | Erling Haaland Aleksandar Mitrović |
6 |  Khvicha Kvaratskhelia Vedat Muriqi |
5 |  Vladislavs Gutkovskis |
5 |
| 2024–25 | Cristiano Ronaldo |
8 | Erling Haaland |
7 |  Viktor Gyökeres |
9 |  Liam Walker Nicola Nanni |
2 |
How Teams Have Done Over The Seasons
This big table shows how each national team has performed in every Nations League season. Here's what the symbols and colors mean:
- 1 – Champions: They won the whole thing!
- 2 – Runners-up: They came in second place.
- 3 – Third place: They finished third.
- 4 – Fourth place: They finished fourth.
- 5–8 – Quarter-finals: They reached the quarter-finals (this started from the 2024–25 season).
The table also shows if teams moved leagues:
– Promoted: Moved up to a higher league.
– No movement: Stayed in the same league.
– Relegated: Moved down to a lower league.- * – Play-offs: They played in the special promotion/relegation matches.
– Promoted due to format change: Moved up because the rules of the leagues changed.- – Stayed up due to format change: They avoided relegation because the rules changed.
- Q – Qualified for Finals: They've booked their spot in the upcoming Nations League Finals.
- P/R – Qualified for Play-offs: They're going to be in the upcoming promotion/relegation play-offs.
- – Host Country: This country hosted the Nations League Finals for that season.
The table columns show:
- Lg: Which League (A, B, C, or D) the team was in.
- Rk: Their overall rank out of all 55 teams that season.
- M: Their movement at the end of the season (promoted, relegated, or stayed put).
| National team | Seasons in league | Season | |||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2018–19 | 2020–21 | 2022–23 | 2024–25 | 2026–27 | |||||||||||||||
| A | B | C | D | Lg | Rk | M | Lg | Rk | M | Lg | Rk | M | Lg | Rk | M | Lg | Rk | M | |
| Albania |
— | 2 | 3 | — | C | 34 | |
C | 35 | |
B | 27 | |
B | 29 | |
C | ||
 Andorra |
— | — | — | 5 | D | 53 | |
D | 55 | |
D | 53 | |
D | 54 | |
D | ||
| Armenia |
— | 1 | 3 | 1 | D | 45 | |
C | 36 | |
B | 31 | |
C | 40 | * |
C | ||
 Austria |
1 | 4 | — | — | B | 18 | |
B | 18 | |
A | 13 | |
B | 22 | * |
B | ||
 Azerbaijan |
— | — | 3 | 2 | D | 46 | |
C | 43 | |
C | 38 | |
C | 47 | |
D | ||
| Belarus |
— | — | 4 | 1 | D | 43 | |
C | 38 | |
C | 46 | |
C | 41 | |
C | ||
| Belgium |
5 | — | — | — | A | 5 | |
A | 4 | |
A | 7 | |
A | 12 | * |
A | ||
| Bosnia and Herzegovina |
2 | 3 | — | — | B | 13 | |
A | 15 | |
B | 18 | |
A | 16 | |
B | ||
 Bulgaria |
— | 1 | 4 | — | C | 29 | |
B | 31 | |
C | 40 | |
C | 39 | * |
C | ||
| Croatia |
5 | — | — | — | A | 9 | |
A | 12 | |
A | 2 | |
A | 8 | |
A | ||
 Cyprus |
— | — | 5 | — | C | 36 | |
C | 46 | * |
C | 45 | |
C | 43 | |
C | ||
| Czech Republic |
2 | 3 | — | — | B | 20 | |
B | 19 | |
A | 14 | |
B | 20 | |
A | ||
 Denmark |
4 | 1 | — | — | B | 15 | |
A | 7 | |
A | 5 | |
A | 7 | |
A | ||
| England |
4 | 1 | — | — | A | 3 | |
A | 9 | |
A | 15 | |
B | 17 | |
A | ||
| Estonia |
— | — | 4 | 1 | C | 37 | |
C | 47 | * |
D | 49 | |
C | 44 | |
C | ||
| Faroe Islands |
— | — | 3 | 2 | D | 50 | |
D | 50 | |
C | 41 | |
C | 42 | |
C | ||
 Finland |
— | 3 | 2 | — | C | 28 | |
B | 21 | |
B | 21 | |
B | 32 | |
C | ||
| France |
5 | — | — | — | A | 6 | |
A | 1 | |
A | 12 | |
A | 3 | |
A | ||
| Georgia |
— | 2 | 2 | 1 | D | 40 | |
C | 42 | |
C | 33 | |
B | 26 | * |
B | ||
| Germany |
5 | — | — | — | A | 11 | |
A | 8 | |
A | 10 | |
A | 4 | |
A | ||
| Gibraltar |
— | — | 1 | 3 | D | 49 | |
D | 49 | |
C | 48 | * |
D | 52 | P/R | |||
 Greece |
1 | 1 | 3 | — | C | 33 | |
C | 37 | |
C | 34 | |
B | 21 | * |
A | ||
 Hungary |
2 | 2 | 1 | — | C | 31 | |
B | 20 | |
A | 8 | |
A | 11 | * |
B | ||
 Iceland |
2 | 2 | 1 | — | A | 12 | |
A | 16 | |
B | 23 | |
B | 27 | * |
C | ||
 Israel |
1 | 3 | 1 | — | C | 30 | |
B | 25 | |
B | 17 | |
A | 14 | |
B | ||
| Italy |
5 | — | — | — | A | 8 | |
A | 3 | |
A | 3 | |
A | 5 | |
A | ||
 Kazakhstan |
— | 1 | 3 | 1 | D | 47 | |
C | 45 | * |
C | 36 | |
B | 31 | |
C | ||
| Kosovo |
— | 1 | 3 | 1 | D | 42 | |
C | 44 | |
C | 39 | |
C | 38 | * |
B | ||
| Latvia |
— | — | 1 | 3 | D | 51 | |
D | 53 | |
D | 50 | |
C | 45 | P/R | |||
 Liechtenstein |
— | — | — | 5 | D | 52 | |
D | 51 | |
D | 55 | |
D | 53 | |
D | ||
 Lithuania |
— | — | 4 | 1 | C | 39 | |
C | 41 | |
C | 47 | * |
C | 48 | |
D | ||
 Luxembourg |
— | — | 3 | 1 | D | 44 | |
C | 39 | |
C | 37 | |
C | 46 | P/R | |||
 Malta |
— | — | — | 4 | D | 54 | |
D | 52 | |
D | 52 | |
D | 51 | P/R | |||
 Moldova |
— | — | 2 | 3 | D | 48 | |
C | 48 | * |
D | 51 | |
D | 49 | |
C | ||
| Montenegro |
— | 2 | 3 | — | C | 35 | |
C | 34 | |
B | 28 | |
B | 30 | |
C | ||
| Netherlands |
5 | — | — | — | A | 2 | |
A | 6 | |
A | 4 | |
A | 6 | |
A | ||
 Macedonia |
— | 1 | 3 | 1 | D | 41 | |
C | 40 | |
C | 42 | |
C | 35 | |
B | ||
 Northern Ireland |
— | 3 | 2 | — | B | 24 | |
B | 32 | |
C | 44 | |
C | 36 | |
B | ||
| Norway |
1 | 3 | 1 | — | C | 26 | |
B | 22 | |
B | 24 | |
B | 18 | |
A | ||
 Poland |
4 | 1 | — | — | A | 10 | |
A | 10 | |
A | 11 | |
A | 13 | |
B | ||
| Portugal |
5 | — | — | — | A | 1 | |
A | 5 | |
A | 6 | |
A | 1 | |
A | ||
 Republic of Ireland |
— | 5 | — | — | B | 23 | |
B | 28 | |
B | 26 | |
B | 28 | * |
B | ||
 Romania |
— | 3 | 2 | — | C | 32 | |
B | 26 | |
B | 29 | |
C | 33 | |
B | ||
 Russia |
— | 2 | — | — | B | 17 | |
B | 24 | |
B | 32 | |
Suspended | |||||
| San Marino |
— | — | 1 | 4 | D | 55 | |
D | 54 | |
D | 54 | |
D | 50 | |
C | ||
 Scotland |
1 | 3 | 1 | — | C | 25 | |
B | 23 | |
B | 20 | |
A | 9 | * |
B | ||
| Serbia |
2 | 2 | 1 | — | C | 27 | |
B | 27 | |
B | 19 | |
A | 10 | * |
A | ||
 Slovakia |
— | 2 | 3 | — | B | 21 | |
B | 30 | |
C | 43 | |
C | 37 | * |
C | ||
| Slovenia |
— | 3 | 2 | — | C | 38 | |
C | 33 | |
B | 25 | |
B | 25 | * |
B | ||
| Spain |
5 | — | — | — | A | 7 | |
A | 2 | |
A | 1 | |
A | 2 | |
A | ||
| Sweden |
1 | 3 | 1 | — | B | 16 | |
A | 14 | |
B | 30 | |
C | 34 | |
B | ||
| Switzerland |
4 | 1 | — | — | A | 4 | |
A | 11 | |
A | 9 | |
A | 15 | |
B | ||
 Turkey |
1 | 3 | 1 | — | B | 22 | |
B | 29 | |
C | 35 | |
B | 23 | * |
A | ||
 Ukraine |
1 | 4 | — | — | B | 14 | |
A | 13 | |
B | 22 | |
B | 24 | * |
B | ||
 Wales |
2 | 3 | — | — | B | 19 | |
B | 17 | |
A | 16 | |
B | 19 | |
A | ||
Players
Winners
- Oldest player to win the UEFA Nations League
- 40 years, 123 days, Cristiano Ronaldo, Portugal, 2024–25
What Do People Think of the Nations League?
Why Many People Like It
UEFA created the Nations League mainly to get rid of many international friendly matches. Lots of football clubs and fans agreed with this idea. Friendly games often interrupted the main football season. These matches didn't feel very important. The Nations League gives teams, especially smaller countries, more chances to play meaningful games.
UEFA themselves said:
Fans know that most friendly games aren't very exciting or important. With the Nations League, they can see their teams in more competitive matches and a new tournament. It also gives teams another shot at qualifying for big events like the Euros. There will be fewer friendlies, especially the ones that don't mean much. But there will still be time for some friendlies, like warm-up games before big tournaments. UEFA also wants European teams to still be able to play against teams from other parts of the world.
—UEFA.
Did Other Places Copy the Idea?
Yes! The UEFA Nations League was so successful that other football groups liked the idea.
- CONCACAF, which is in charge of football in North America, Central America, and the Caribbean, quickly created its own CONCACAF Nations League. Their first tournament was in 2018.
- The AFC (for Asia) also started planning a similar competition. It was supposed to start in 2021, but it got delayed.
Awards
Awards are given for the best player and best goal in the UEFA Nations League Finals.
| Year | Best Player | Best Goal | Highest goalscorer | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2019 | Bernardo Silva |
Cristiano Ronaldo |
Aleksandar Mitrović |
|
| 2021 | Sergio Busquets |
Karim Benzema |
Romelu Lukaku Erling Haaland Ferran Torres |
|
| 2023 | Rodri |
Bruno Petković |
Erling Haaland Aleksandar Mitrović |
|
| 2025 | Nuno Mendes |
Viktor Gyökeres |
See Also
In Spanish: Liga de Naciones de la UEFA para niños
- CONCACAF Nations League
- UEFA Women's Nations League
