What is the UEFA Women's Nations League? Fixtures, results, groups & how it works

The UEFA Women's Nations League begins with a league stage, UEFA splitting its member associations into three leagues (A-C) based on the latest coefficient rankings. Within these leagues, teams play in groups of three or four teams on a home and away basis.

The standings at the end of the league stage determine promotion and relegation between the tiers, as well as qualification for the Women's Nations League finals.

The four group winners in League A contest the Women's Nations League finals. There are two single-leg semi-finals, a third-place match and a final.

The group winners in Leagues B and C are promoted. The teams that finish bottom of the groups in Leagues A and B are relegated, as are the lowest-ranked third-placed team in League B.

Promotion and relegation matches are also played between the teams that finish third in each group in League A and the teams that finish second in each group in League B. These are two-legged ties, with the winners earning a place in League A.

Minus the aforementioned third-placed League B team that is automatically relegated, the third-placed teams in League B also face the three best second-placed teams in League C for spots in League B.

After those games are all complete, the promotions and relegations are reflected in the leagues for the European qualifying stage.

Following this, the Women's Nations League enters its qualification process for the 2025 Women's Euros, for which England will be the defending champions.

Another league stage takes place, with each team playing the others home and away. The four group winners and four runners-up from League A qualify directly for the final tournament. Two rounds of two-legged play-off ties then determine the remaining qualifiers.

The teams that finish third and fourth in the groups in League A enter the first play-off round via path one, which sees them play the five League C group winners and the three best second-placed teams. The eight winners of these ties progress to round two.

Path two of the play-offs sees the four group winners and two best runners-up in League B take on the two remaining runners-up and the four third-placed teams from the same league. The six winners of those ties progress to round two. There, the 14 teams are drawn into seven ties and the winners of those qualify for the 2025 Women's Euros.

No promotion and relegation matches are played at the end of this stage, but there is automatic promotion and relegation between the leagues which will be reflected in the next edition of the UEFA Women's Nations League.

That takes place across the 2025-26 season and decides which European teams qualify for the 2027 Women's World Cup. That qualifying process will have the same format, though it will feature an adjusted pathway due to a fewer number of qualifying slots available for the global tournament.

The 2023-24 Women's Nations League kicked off in September 2023, with the first two rounds of games taking place that month. There were two matchdays in October and one across the end of November and beginning of December, before the final matchday a few days later.

The qualifiers for the Euros start in April 2024, following the conclusion of the UEFA Women's Nations League.

League A features the top 16 ranked teams in Europe and they are divided into four groups of four. Among them are England, Germany, Spain, Netherlands and France.

You can see the breakdown of League A below, including the full list of fixtures.

Group 1 table

Group 1 fixtures

Group 2 table

Group 2 fixtures

Group 3 table

Group 3 fixtures

Group 4 table

Group 4 fixtures

League B is made up by the teams ranked from 17 to 32 and, like League A, they are divided into four groups of four. Some of the teams involved at this tier include the Republic of Ireland, Northern Ireland, Poland, Serbia and Finland.

You can see the breakdown of League B below, including the full list of fixtures.

Group 1

Group 1 fixtures

Group 2

Group 2 fixtures

Group 3

Group 3 fixtures

Group 4

Group 4 fixtures

League C features the next ranked 19 teams, with them split up into four groups of four and one group of three. This tier includes nations such as Malta, Turkey, Montenegro and Bulgaria.

You can see the breakdown of League C below, including the full list of fixtures.

Group 1

Group 1 fixtures

Group 2

Group 2 fixtures

Group 3

Group 3 fixtures

Group 4

Group 4 fixtures

Group 5

Group 5 fixtures

Spain were the winners of the inaugural Women's Nations League title, beating France in the final thanks to goals from Aitana Bonmati and Mariona Caldentey.

Not only was the first winner of the competition determined by these matches, though, but also the teams to fill the European spots in the Olympic women's football tournament in 2024.

As hosts of the Games, France were already assured of a spot and Spain secured their place by reaching the tournament final. Germany then claimed the second and final spot available when they beat the Netherlands 2-0 in the Nations League's third-place match.

There were also seven promotion/relegation play-off matches that took place in February and these, too, were confirmed in the draw on Monday December 11. These were two-legged ties played in a home and away format.

The four third-placed teams in League A faced the four League B runners-up, with a place in League A the prize for the winner. Three third-placed teams in League B, except the lowest-ranked one which suffered automatic relegation, also faced the three best League C runners-up, with the winner getting a place in League B.

Belgium, Iceland, Norway and Sweden were the four League A third-placed teams while Bosnia & Herzegovina, Croatia, Hungary and Serbia were the four League B runners-up.

Further down the pyramid, Northern Ireland, Slovakia and Ukraine battled to keep their places in League B, with Bulgaria, Latvia and Montenegro the three best runners-up in League C. Slovenia were the lowest-ranked third-place team in League B and have been relegated to League C as a result.

These play-off matches were played in February, during the same international break as the Nations League finals.