Robert Pires at the Nations League draw
The draw was made on 16 December in Nyon, Switzerland

The home nations of the Uefa Nations League will be in action over the next two weeks.

The gap was created by the World Cup moving to November.

England and Northern Ireland play four group games, while Wales play four group games and the World Cup play-off final.

The Republic of Ireland will face Scotland in Dublin in a Nations League match.

In its third edition, the Nations League is a biennial competition. France beat Spain in the 2021 final to win the title for the second year in a row.

What is the format and what is the point?

  • England and Wales get tough group draws
France celebrate winning the 2020-21 Nations League
Karim Benzema and Kylian Mbappe scored as France came from 1-0 down to beat Spain 2-1 in the 2020-21 final

How does it work?

The 2022-23 competition has three leagues of 16 teams and a fourth of seven.

Leagues A, B and C are divided into four groups of four, while League D is made up of a group of four and three.

The winners of each group in League A qualify for the finals tournament next year, while the winners of each group in League B, C and D are promoted to the next league up.

The teams that finish bottom of their groups in League A and B will be demoted, and the teams that finish in League C will be demoted.

Russia has been placed bottom of Group B2.

Nations League draw
There are 55 Uefa nations, all of whom are in the Nations League, but Russia are not allowed to play their games

When are the games?

There are four rounds of games between June and September.

The final and third-place play-off will take place on 18 June, 2023.

Wales, Belgium, the Netherlands, and Poland have applied to host the finals.

Who are the British and Irish teams playing?

Wales have been promoted to the top division for the first time, but Northern Ireland are in the third section for the first time.

Scotland and the Republic of Ireland are both in League B.

A3A4B1C2
ItalyBelgiumUkraineNorthern Ireland
GermanyNetherlandsScotlandGreece
EnglandPolandRepublic of IrelandKosovo
HungaryWalesArmeniaCyprus

On Wednesday, 1 June.

Poland is playing Wales.

On Thursday, 2 June.

Greece v Northern Ireland.

Saturday, 4 June.

Hungary is playing England.

The Republic of Ireland vs. Armenia is underway.

On Sunday, 5 June.

Cyprus plays Northern Ireland.

On Tuesday, 7 June.

Germany is playing England.

On Wednesday, 8 June.

Wales is playing the Netherlands.

The Republic of Ireland is playing Ukraine.

Scotland is playing Armenia.

On Thursday, 9 June.

Kosovo plays Northern Ireland.

On Saturday, 11 June.

England is playing Italy.

Wales is playing Belgium.

The Republic of Ireland is playing Scotland.

On Sunday, 12 June.

Northern Ireland plays Cyprus.

On Tuesday, 14 June.

England is playing Hungary.

The game is between Armenia and Scotland.

Republic of Ireland vs. Ukraine

The times are subject to change.

What other games are worth following?

All of Europe's powerhouses are playing each other over the next few days.

Spain and Portugal will play on 2 and 4 June, respectively, while Italy will play Germany on 4 June. The reverse fixture is in Monchengladbach.

On 3 June, the Netherlands and Belgium will host each other.

How does this impact Euro 2024 qualifying?

We don't know.

The first Nations League produced all the play-off sides for Euro 2020 and the second edition provided two play-off places for the World Cup.

The format of Euro 2024 will be announced in June.

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