Nations League 2022/23: When is the draw? Who could England face? When will games be played? | Football News

Following the re-draw for the Champions League last 16 earlier this week, UEFA will be hoping for a smooth procedure when the UEFA Nations League draw takes place on Thursday at 5pm.

A surprise turn of events saw the initial last-16 draw declared void after what UEFA called a “technical error” involving Atletico Madrid, Liverpool and Manchester United.

With the dust having barely settled on that embarrassment for European football’s governing body, its focus now turns to the start of the next Nations League adventure.

France were crowned champions following the culmination of the second competition to take place earlier this year when they defeated Spain 2-1 at the San Siro, and Didier Deschamps’ side will be among those in League A seeking to defend their title.

The first six matchdays of the group stages will take place in June and September, acting as World Cup warm-up matches for those nations who have already booked their place at next winter’s showpiece event in Qatar.

When does the Nations League draw take place?

The draw for the 2022/23 UEFA Nations League takes place at 5pm GMT at the House of European Football in Nyon, Switzerland.

How many teams are involved?

All of UEFA’s 55 member nations will go into the hat, with the draw dividing the teams into four leagues. Leagues A, B and C will have 16 teams, drawn into four groups of four. League D will comprise seven teams, split into two groups.

How can I follow the draw?

You can follow the UEFA Nations League draw with our dedicated live blog from 4.30pm and watch all the reaction to the draw on Sky Sports News.

Why is this competition important?

As in previous editions, the 2023/23 Nations League competition will have a big bearing on the next major tournament involving European nations.

For the nations who finish top of their respective groups, it may not only mean promotion to a higher league, but it could also act as a safety net for the bigger, under-performing countries when qualifying for Euro 2024 takes place.

Ahead of the 2022 World Cup, Austria and Czech Republic are involved in the European play-offs as a result of being the best two Nations League group winners outside the top two of their World Cup qualifying group.

When does the Nations League start?

The Nations League will begin in June 2022, with qualifiers to determine the make-up of League C and D to take place in March in a play-off round.

Who could England face?

England are in Pot 3 ahead of the League A side of the draw, meaning they could be drawn against world champions and Nations League holders France, winners of the inaugural Nations League Portugal and even Wales, who are in Pot 4.

How have they worked out the seeding?

The league ladder has been determined by the teams’ results in the 2020/21 Nations League.

Which countries are in which League?

League A

Four groups of four nations:

Pot 1: France, Spain, Italy, Belgium.

Pot 2: Portugal, Netherlands, Denmark, Germany.

Pot 3: England, Poland, Switzerland, Croatia.

Pot 4: Wales, Austria, Czech Republic, Hungary.

League B

Four groups of four nations:

Pot 1: Ukraine, Sweden, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Iceland.

Pot 2: Finland, Norway, Scotland, Russia.

Pot 3: Israel, Romania, Serbia, Ireland.

Pot 4: Slovenia, Montenegro, Albania and Armenia.

League C

Four groups of four nations:

Pot 1: Turkey, Slovakia, Bulgaria, Northern Ireland.

Pot 2: Greece, Belarus, Luxembourg, North Macedonia.

Pot 3: Lithuania, Georgia, Azerbaijan, Kosovo.

Pot 4: (2 play-out winners tbc in March 2022), Gibraltar, Faroe Islands.

Relegation Play-Outs

Thought the 2020/21 edition was over? Think again. In March next year, there will be a relegation play-out to determine which of the following nations will remain in League C and who will be relegated to League D.

The relegation play-outs of League C are scheduled on the same dates as the 2022 FIFA World Cup qualifying play-offs.

Moldova face Kazakhstan while Cyprus are up against Estonia. The first legs are on March 24 with the second legs on March 29.

League D

Seven teams split into two groups:

(2 play-out losers), Liechtenstein, Malta, Latvia, San Marino, Andorra

What are the dates for the UEFA Nations League games?

All group fixtures will be held in June and September 2022. The four group winners in League A will progress to the finals in June 2023.

The group winners from the other three leagues will be promoted for the 2024/25 season. Teams finishing fourth in the groups in Leagues A and B will be relegated.

Matchdays 1 & 2: 2-8 June 2022

Matchdays 3 & 4: 8-14 June 2022

Matchdays 5 & 6: 22-27 September 2022

Semi-finals: 14 & 15 June 2023

Final & third-place match: 18 June 2023

Play-outs for Euro 2024: 21-23 & 24-26 March 2024

Watch Nations League live on Sky Sports

The Nations League is back – and you will be able to watch all 162 group games, plus the semi-finals, third-place play-off and final live on Sky Sports.

From England’s quest to improve on their third-place finish in the inaugural competition to Wales’ first adventure in League A, Scotland’s bid to join the top table and Northern Ireland’s pursuit of promotion from League C, we will bring you all the twists and turns along the way.

As well as our live coverage, if you are out and about, you can follow all of those Home Nations games on the Sky Sports website and app, where we will have minute-by-minute updates and show you the goals as they go in.

We will also have highlights of every game involving the Home Nations and the best of the other Nations League fixtures available too.