December 8 – UEFA has set the seedings for the inaugural Nations League draw on January 24 with Germany, Portugal, Belgium and Spain in Pot 1 of League A. England are in Pot 2 of the same league.The inaugural Nations League will take place over six match days during the international breaks in September, October and November 2018. UEFA designed the new competition to infuse international football with more competition in a bid to halt what was perceived as a decline of the international game as club competitions have gained in strength and international support.
Four qualification places for Euro 2020 are the rewards for strong performance in the Nations League.
The 55 participating nations were allocated to the four leagues based on their position in the UEFA National Team Coefficient Rankings following the end of the European Qualifiers for the 2018 FIFA World Cup, excluding the play-offs in November.
The 12 top tier teams will play in League A. The next 12 teams are in League B, the next 15 in League C and the remaining 16 in League D, including those teams traditionally dubbed minnows. Scotland, in League C, are the lowest ranked of the British home nations.
The four group winners from League A, including England, advance to the Nations League Finals, set for June 2019. One of the nations that reaches the finals will be chosen as the host for the mini-tournament, which will feature semi-finals, a third-place match and a final.
There are four leagues across the competition, with each league being split into a series of groups. As a universal rule, the winners of each group in League B, C and D are promoted into the league above, while the losers in A, B and C are relegated.
League A
Pot 1: Germany, Portugal, Belgium, Spain
Pot 2: France, England, Switzerland, Italy
Pot 3: Poland, Iceland, Croatia, Netherlands
League B
Pot 1: Austria, Wales, Russia, Slovakia
Pot 2: Sweden, Ukraine, Republic of Ireland, Bosnia and Herzegovina
Pot 3: Northern Ireland, Denmark, Czech Republic, Turkey
League C
Pot 1: Hungary, Romania, Scotland, Slovenia
Pot 2: Greece, Serbia, Albania, Norway
Pot 3: Montenegro, Israel, Bulgaria, Finland
Pot 4: Cyprus, Estonia, Lithuania
League D
Pot 1: Azerbaijan, FYR Macedonia, Belarus, Georgia
Pot 2: Armenia, Latvia, Faroe Islands, Luxembourg
Pot 3: Kazakhstan, Moldova, Liechtenstein, Malta
Pot 4: Andorra, Kosovo, San Marino, Gibraltar
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