PARIS (AP) — World Cup runners-up France, European champions Italy, Belgium and Israel were divided into a tough group Thursday for the men’s UEFA Nations League, which begins in September.
The Nations League is the next activity for UEFA member nations following this summer’s European Championship, where France, Italy and Belgium (all top 10 teams in the FIFA world rankings) qualified for the tournament in Germany. Israel will advance to the playoffs next month.
Nations League champions Spain will be joined by Denmark, Switzerland and Serbia, reviving their once strong rivalry. Switzerland’s victory is the driving force In the last two World Cup matches.
Germany, the host country for Euro 2024, is in the top group of the Nations League along with the Netherlands, Hungary and Bosnia and Herzegovina.
Croatia are the top seeds in a group with Portugal, Poland and Scotland.
England are ranked third by FIFA but will be relegated from the top group of the Nations League in 2022 to face Finland, Greece and Ireland. This will be the first official match between England and Ireland since 1991.
Manager Gareth Southgate said: “I’m sure everyone in England is extremely disappointed to have fallen to League B, but there are still difficult games ahead.”
Group stage matches at all four levels will be played from September to November.
In the top-tier League A, the top two teams in each group will advance to the quarter-finals in March 2025. Semi-finals and finals are mini-tournaments hosted by one of the opposing countries.
The Final Four is scheduled for June 4-8, 2025, before many players return to their clubs for the inaugural 32-team Club World Cup in the United States. His month-long FIFA tournament begins on June 15, 2025.
The path to qualifying for the 2026 World Cup will also be determined by the Nations League group standings in November.
The European playoffs for the next World Cup are scheduled for March 2026, and four players will be given the right to participate in the final tournament to be held across North America. The 16 teams participating in the playoffs in two years will include four spots based on the Nations League rankings.
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