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On Thursday, World Cup runners-up France, European champions Italy, Belgium and Israel were drawn into a tough group for the men’s UEFA Nations League, which begins in September.
The Nations League is the next competition for UEFA member nations after this summer’s European Championship, with France, Italy and Belgium qualifying for the tournament in Germany, with Israel advancing to the play-offs next month.
Nations League champions Spain will be drawn in a group with Denmark, Switzerland and Serbia, reviving a powerful rivalry sparked by Switzerland’s victories in the past two World Cups.
Germany, the host country for Euro 2024, is in the top group of the Nations League along with the Netherlands, Hungary and Bosnia and Herzegovina.
Croatia are the top seeds in a group with Portugal, Poland and Scotland.
England will be relegated from the top group of the Nations League in 2022 and will face Erling Haaland’s Norway, Finland and Greece.
Group stage matches at all four levels will be played from September to November.
In the top-tier League A, the top two teams in each group will advance to the quarter-finals in March 2025. Semi-finals and finals are mini-tournaments hosted by one of the opposing countries.
The Final Four is scheduled for June 4-8, 2025, before many players return to their clubs for the inaugural 32-team Club World Cup in the United States.
The path to qualifying for the 2026 World Cup can also be found in the Nations League group standings in November.
The European playoffs for the next World Cup are scheduled for March 2026, and four players will be given the right to participate in the final tournament to be held across North America. The 16 teams participating in the playoffs in two years will include four spots based on the Nations League rankings.
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AP Soccer: https://apnews.com/hub/soccer
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