UEFA Nations League 2020-21 Group Standings and Draw Details
The draw for the 2020-2021 UEFA Nations League, a tournament for national teams initiated by UEFA in the 2018-2019 season, took place in Amsterdam, the capital of the Netherlands. The Turkish National Team was placed in League B Group 3 along with Hungary, Serbia, and Russia.
The draw ceremony, held at the Beurs van Berlage Conference Centre, was attended by TFF President Nihat Özdemir, TFF 1st Vice President and UEFA Executive Committee Member Servet Yardımcı, Management and Executive Board Member Hamit Altıntop, General Secretary Kadir Kardaş, and Turkish National Team Head Coach Şenol Güneş.
All 55 UEFA member federations participated in the draw, where countries were distributed into four leagues based on their points earned in the 2018-2019 Nations League season. Leagues A, B, and C, each consisting of 16 teams, were divided into four groups of four, while League D, with 7 teams, was divided into two groups of four and three teams.
UEFA Nations League Groups:
| League A | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Group 1 | Group 2 | Group 3 | Group 4 |
| Poland | Iceland | Croatia | Germany |
| Bosnia and Herzegovina | Denmark | Sweden | Ukraine |
| Italy | Belgium | France | Spain |
| Netherlands | England | Portugal | Switzerland |
| League B | |||
| Group 1 | Group 2 | Group 3 | Group 4 |
| Romania | Israel | Hungary | Bulgaria |
| Northern Ireland | Slovakia | Turkey | Republic of Ireland |
| Norway | Scotland | Serbia | Finland |
| Austria | Czech Republic | Russia | Wales |
| League C | |||
| Group 1 | Group 2 | Group 3 | Group 4 |
| Azerbaijan | Armenia | Moldova | Kazakhstan |
| Luxembourg | Estonia | Slovenia | Lithuania |
| Cyprus | North Macedonia | Kosovo | Belarus |
| Montenegro | Georgia | Greece | Albania |
| League D | |||
| Group 1 | Group 2 | ||
| Malta | San Marino | ||
| Andorra | Liechtenstein | ||
| Latvia | Gibraltar | ||
| Faroe Islands |
Matches are scheduled to begin in September.
Group matches in the UEFA Nations League will be played in September, October, and November 2020. The finals, where the winner of the Nations League will be determined, will be held in June 2021, and the play-off matches are scheduled for March 2022.
2020-2021 UEFA Nations League Match Calendar:
Matchday 1: 3-5 September 2020
Matchday 2: 6-8 September 2020
Matchday 3: 8-10 October 2020
Matchday 4: 11-13 October 2020
Matchday 5: 12-14 November 2020
Matchday 6: 15-17 November 2020
Finals: 2, 3, 6 June 2021
Play-Offs: 24, 25, 28, 29 March 2022
2020-2021 UEFA Nations League Stats
In the groups, teams will play against each opponent both at home and away. At the end of the group matches, the 4 group leaders in League A will qualify for the UEFA Nations League finals (Semi-Finals, 3rd place match, and final). Teams that finish top of their groups in Leagues B, C, and D will be promoted to a higher league. Teams that finish last in their groups in Leagues A and B will be relegated to a lower league. In League C, the four last-placed teams will play play-out matches under a two-legged elimination system. The two teams that lose the play-out matches will be relegated to a lower league.
If the teams that are supposed to play play-out matches also qualify for the 2022 World Cup play-off matches, the teams ranked 47th and 48th in the overall ranking formed based on the points obtained after the 2020-2021 UEFA Nations League matches will be directly relegated to League D.
UEFA Nations League – 2022 World Cup Qualifiers Connection
There was no significant change in the format of the World Cup Qualifiers. The 10 teams that finish first in their groups will directly qualify for the finals to be held in Qatar. There were some changes to the format of the play-off matches. After the play-off matches, which will consist of two knockout rounds, 3 more teams will qualify for the finals. The 10 teams that finish second in their groups and the two teams with the best points that lead their UEFA Nations League groups but do not finish in the top two of the 2022 World Cup qualifying groups (total of 12 teams) will compete in these matches.
The UEFA Nations League, while separate from Euro 2021, provides an alternative pathway for national teams to qualify for major tournaments like the FIFA World Cup. The performance in the Nations League can impact seeding and play-off opportunities for World Cup qualification, adding another layer of competitive significance to the tournament beyond just continental rankings and pride. Fans eager to follow the progress of their favorite national teams can track the Euro /2021 Gruplar Puan Durumu (Euro 2021 groups standings) indirectly through the Nations League as it influences future qualification paths. Although the focus here is on the 2020-21 UEFA Nations League, understanding its structure and schedule is crucial for anticipating the broader European football calendar, which includes major events like Euro 2021 and the subsequent World Cup qualifiers.