UEFA Nations League

History & evolution

Origins and motivation

The UEFA Nations League was officially founded in 2018 as a tournament for the top men’s national teams of UEFA. Its main goal was to replace international friendlies, which often have low stakes, with more meaningful matches between well-matched teams. All UEFA member nations take part, which gives nations of all rankings regular competitive games.

Initial format (2018-19 season)

In its first season, all UEFA national teams were split into four leagues: A, B, C, and D. They were then placed into groups and played home and away matches. The winners of the groups in League A would go to a finals tournament to decide the Nations League champion. Promotion and relegation between leagues were based on how teams performed in their groups.

Changes starting 2020-21 season

After the first season, UEFA changed the league structure. From the 2020-21 season, Leagues A, B, and C each had 16 teams, and League D had 7 teams. This change was made to increase the number of competitive matches and further reduce friendlies.

Most recent format (2024-25 and onwards)

UEFA approved a new format for the Nations League, which began in September 2024.
– Leagues A, B, and C each have 16 teams, organised into four groups of four teams each.
– League D has six teams, split into two groups of three.

New knockout elements in League A

– The group winners and runners-up of League A now go into a two-legged, home-and-away quarter-final round.
– The winners of the quarter-finals then go into the Final Four (semi-finals, third-place match, and final) to decide the champion.

Promotion and relegation rules updated

– The teams that finish last in Leagues A and B are automatically relegated.
– In League C, the two lowest-ranked teams that finish last are relegated to League D.
– The group winners of Leagues B, C, and D are promoted to the next league up.

Competition structure & rules

Leagues and groups

In the 2024-25 competition, all UEFA national teams are split into four leagues: A, B, C, and D. Leagues A, B, and C each have 16 teams, which are put into four groups of four. League D has six teams, split into two groups of three. Teams are put into leagues based on their overall ranking from the previous Nations League tournament.

Group stage / league phase

Within each group, teams play a home-and-away round-robin format. This means that each team plays every other team in their group twice, once at home and once away. The matches take place across specified international windows, such as in September, October, and November.

Knockout / finals phase (league A)

Starting from the 2024-25 season, the winners and runners-up of the groups in League A go on to a two-legged quarter-final round. The winners of those matches then go into the Finals (the Final Four), which includes the semi-finals, a third-place match, and the final.

Promotion and relegation

– Teams that finish in the top spot in their group in Leagues B, C, and D are promoted to the next higher league.
– The teams that finish last in their groups in Leagues A and B are automatically relegated to the next lower league.
– In League C, a team that finishes last in their group might have to play in a “play-out” match to decide if they go down.

Tie-breaker criteria

If two or more teams in a group finish with the same number of points, the following rules are used to decide their ranking:
– The number of points obtained in matches played among the tied teams.
– Goal difference in those head-to-head matches.
– The number of goals scored in those head-to-head matches.
– If still tied, the above rules are reapplied just between the teams that are still tied.
– Goal difference in all group matches.
– The number of goals scored in all group matches.

Seeding and draws

The grouping of teams in each league is decided by a draw. The seeding for the draw is based on a team’s ranking.

Implications & incentives

Link to qualification for other tournaments

– European Championship (Euros) play-offs: The UEFA Nations League is linked to qualification for the European Championship. Teams that do not qualify through the normal process get a second chance through a play-off spot, which is decided by their Nations League performance.
– FIFA World Cup qualification: Performance in the Nations League can affect a team’s chances of getting into the World Cup play-offs. The overall Nations League ranking can also influence how the qualification draw pots are seeded. A good performance in the Nations League helps a team get a better seeding.

Financial rewards / prize money

– Base / participation fees: Every team that takes part in the Nations League gets a base amount of money just for being in their respective league. The amount depends on which league (A, B, C, or D) the team is in.
– Bonuses for group wins: Teams that win their group receive additional bonuses on top of the base fees.
– Extra rewards for finals: For the top league (A), there are extra financial rewards for reaching and finishing in the “Final Four,” which is a big incentive.

To give some numbers:
– The base payments for 2024-25 are: League A teams get about €2,250,000 each; League B teams get about €1,500,000; League C gets about €1,125,000; and League D gets about €750,000.
– The prize for the winner of the Nations League Finals is significantly higher than all other prize money combined.

Other incentives

– Seeding / ranking benefits: A good performance in the Nations League helps teams in future draws (for both the Nations League and qualifying for the Euros or World Cup) by giving them a better ranking or seeding. This has both sporting and strategic value.
– Promotion / relegation between leagues: Moving up a league not only brings prestige but also means entering a higher tier with bigger base payments, more visibility, and tougher opponents. In the same way, being in League A offers the chance to play in the finals and get the benefits that come with it.
– Sporting reputation / prestige: Winning or doing well in the Nations League brings a lot of prestige. It means being the champion of Europe in an official UEFA competition, which helps a national team get recognition and build momentum.

Criticism & controversies

Fixture congestion & player fatigue

Some critics argue that while the Nations League replaced friendlies, it has added more high-intensity matches during international breaks. This can lead to player fatigue, especially after a long club season. Players like Luka Modrić have said that some matches are scheduled too close to the end of the domestic season, leaving little time for rest.

“Meaningless” matches

Even with promotion and relegation, there are concerns that some group matches can become irrelevant for certain teams when the outcome of the group has already been decided. This is seen by critics as undermining the competitive purpose and making the games feel a bit like the friendlies they were meant to replace.

Complexity of the format

Some fans and commentators find the league’s structure confusing. The system of leagues, groups, promotion, relegation, and play-offs, along with its link to qualifying for the Euros and other competitions, can complicate things and make the qualification paths hard to follow.

Qualification equity

There is a debate about whether it is fair for weaker teams to be able to qualify for major tournaments through the Nations League play-offs, effectively bypassing the standard qualification process. This criticism is sometimes based on the idea that a strong performance in a lower league can give a team a better chance of qualifying than a weak team in a higher league.

Criticism from coaches / high-profile figures

Jurgen Klopp has called the Nations League “ridiculous,” and other players like Kevin De Bruyne and Virgil van Dijk have said that some matches feel “unimportant” or forced.

Controversies over officiating / technology

There have been incidents where VAR or semi-automatic offside decisions have caused arguments in high-stakes Nations League matches. Fans and media have, at times, questioned the transparency or consistency of these decisions. Refereeing decisions are heavily scrutinised, especially in the knockout and finals phases.

Financial / commercial concerns

Some people argue that the Nations League is more about commercial revenue and television rights than it is about sporting merit. Critics say that UEFA benefits financially from the tournament, perhaps at the expense of player welfare and scheduling. There have also been concerns about the cost or accessibility for fans due to more matches and higher broadcasting fees.

Political / social issues

Matches can occasionally have tensions that come from fan behaviour or political identities. For example, a match between Kosovo and Romania was disrupted when Kosovo players walked off the pitch due to pro-Serbia chants from the crowd.

Statistics & records

All-time records & leaders

– Most Nations League titles (team): Portugal has won the most titles with two (in 2019 and 2025).
– Most Nations League games played: Spain has played the most games, with about 30 matches.
– Top goalscorer overall: Erling Haaland of Norway is the top scorer with 19 goals across all Nations League matches.
– Other top scorers: Aleksandar Mitrović of Serbia and Cristiano Ronaldo of Portugal are close behind, both with 15 goals.
– Most goals in the final tournament: Cristiano Ronaldo has scored the most goals in the Nations League finals, with five goals.
– Youngest player to win the Nations League: Gavi of Spain became the youngest winner at about 18 years and 317 days old in 2023.
– Oldest player to win the Nations League: Cristiano Ronaldo won the Nations League in 2025 at about 40 years and 123 days old.

Notable match & scoring records

– Highest-scoring match: Spain beat France 5-4 in the semi-finals of 2025.
– Biggest margin of victory: Germany beat Bosnia & Herzegovina 7-0 in the league phase.
– Most high-scoring draws: There have been several 3-3 draws, for example, Spain 3-3 Netherlands in a quarter-final.

Player records & interesting facts

– Most appearances: The record is shared by players like Gianluigi Donnarumma of Italy and Bernardo Silva of Portugal, with about 26 matches each.
– Hat-tricks: 18 players have scored a hat-trick in the Nations League.
– Consecutive match scoring streaks: Aleksandar Mitrović of Serbia and Benjamin Šeško of Slovenia have both scored in five consecutive Nations League games.

Sportmonks: Data support for the UEFA Nations League

Sportmonks is a football-data provider whose APIs are directly relevant for documenting and analysing the UEFA Nations League.

What Sportmonks offers

– Nations League data: Our Nations League Data endpoint provides information specifically for this competition, including live scores, predictions, the tournament structure, and team and player statistics.
– Historical data: Our Football API includes endpoints for leagues, seasons, and fixtures. These allow you to get historical and current Nations League data, such as group outcomes and promotion and relegation.
– Documentation: Our documentation provides details on league divisions and group standings, which are important for tracking how the competition has changed over time.
– Coverage: Sportmonks also has a “Coverage” page that lets users see which leagues and tournaments are included and what data features are available for those leagues.

Important Nations League data & Sportmonks coverage

Why detailed Nations League data matters

– Track format changes: As the Nations League has changed from its original structure to the new 2024-25 format, having data on group compositions and promotion or relegation rules helps clarify these changes.
– Measure team & player performance: Data on league tables, goals, assists, and statistics for tie-breakers shows which teams are dominating or struggling and highlights individual player contributions.
– Understand outcomes & implications: Getting up-to-date data on which teams were promoted or relegated and how they qualified for other tournaments is essential for understanding the results.

What Sportmonks provides for Nations League

Sportmonks’ football API, especially version 3.0, includes all the features you need for detailed Nations League information:
– Live scores, fixtures, and match events: Get real-time updates on goals, cards, and substitutions.
– Standings & league structure endpoints: Information about group tables, divisions, and which teams were promoted or relegated.
– Historical data: Results from past seasons, including formats, group sizes, and where promotion or relegation happened.
– Advanced data features (in API 3.0): More detailed statistics, coach and referee stats, predictive line-ups, and more detailed player positions.

Analyse the UEFA Nations League with Sportmonks

The UEFA Nations League has quickly become a major competition on the international stage, offering meaningful matches, new rivalries, and a direct link to European Championship and World Cup qualification. With Sportmonks, you can track every stage of the tournament in detail, from live scores and group standings to player stats, historical data, and predictive insights. Our Football API makes it easy to follow promotions, relegations, and knockout rounds while offering developers reliable, real-time data. Start using the Sportmonks Football API today and bring the Nations League to life for your audience.