Nations League group stage & AFCON qualifiers: the results of the international break!
by Cydias Aujard | by Cydias Aujard
Nations League: League A results
Since September, our Nations League prediction has been at the heart of the footballing news. For some, the international break has been too much to bear, but for fans of the French national team there has been plenty to keep them busy, especially with the final match against our neighbours Italy.
And, as a reminder, this edition of the Nation's League is being played under a new format. Whereas before it was known as the Final Four, with only the top finishers in each pool qualifying for the title, the runners-up now have the opportunity to lift the trophy with the introduction of the quarter-finals. Whereas previously the second and third-placed teams played nothing after the group matches, the third-placed team is now out of the running and will have to play off against the League B runners-up to stay up!
Now that the group phase is over and the rest of the competition takes place in March, find out below who has qualified for the quarter-finals, the teams who finished third and therefore had to play off to stay up, and the last teams in each group, who are officially relegated to League B.
They have qualified for the quarter-finals
- Group 1: Portugal and Croatia
- Group 2: France and Italy
- Group 3: Germany and the Netherlands
- Group 4: Spain and Denmark
They will play off for survival
- Scotland
- Belgium
- Hungary
- Serbia
They are relegated to League B
- Poland
- Israel
- Bosnia-Herzegovina
- Switzerland
France's first-place finish on the final matchday means they can look forward to an easier draw on paper, and will play Croatia, the Netherlands or Denmark. Beware, though, as these are all opponents with certain qualities that have not always suited Les Bleus in recent years.
In the end, there were no huge surprises in the results, apart from the last place occupied by Switzerland, in a group that was not easy but from which much better was expected after a very successful Euro 2024, and which also has a squad brimming with talent.
Nations League: what about the other three divisions?
It's not just League A that counts in this Nations League! This tournament puts smaller nations in the spotlight, and gives them the opportunity to play matches that count against bigger teams. Find out more about the results in Leagues B, C and D below.
League B
In League B, the first-placed team goes straight up to the top flight, while the second-placed team plays a play-off against a third-placed team from League A in a bid to move up. The third-placed team plays a League C runner-up in a bid to stay in the second division, while the last-placed team in each pool is automatically relegated to the third division. Here are the overall results:
- They are going up: Czech Republic, England, Norway, Wales
- They will play in an accession play-off: Ukraine, Greece, Austria, Turkey
- They are playing in a play-off for survival: Georgia, Ireland, Slovenia, Iceland
- They are going down : Albania, Finland, Kazakhstan, Montenegro
League C
In League C, the principle is similar to that just described for the second division for the first two places: there is therefore an ascent and a play-off for promotion to League B. But the third-placed team does not play in the play-off. But the third-placed team plays nothing and remains in the third division, while the two best fourth-placed teams will have the opportunity to play a play-off against a League D nation, while the two worst fourth-placed teams are officially relegated. Here are the results for each country:
- They are moving up: Sweden, Romania, Northern Ireland, Northern Macedonia
- They will play in an accession play-off: Slovakia, Kosovo, Bulgaria, Armenia
- They will remain in League C: Estonia, Cyprus, Belarus, Faroe Islands
- They are playing in a play-off for survival: Latvia and Luxembourg
- They are going down : Azerbaijan and Lithuania
League D
Finally, League D is the only one with just 2 pools (instead of 4), and 3 participants in each (instead of 4). Here, the winner goes straight up, while the runner-up has the chance to move up to League C via an accession play-off. Here's how things stand:
- They go up: San Marino and Moldova
- They will play in an accession play-off: Gibraltar and Malta
