What is the UEFA Nations League? And how can I watch it on TV?
The new international football tournament is set to begin this September – find out who England, Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales will be playing and how it works here
The international breaks are set to look a little different this season with the introduction of the new Uefa Nations League.
The Premier League usually takes a break in September and October for international football friendlies, but this time countries in Europe will be taking part in a new competitive tournament.
Find out more about the Uefa Nations League below, including full TV coverage details and fixtures.
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What is the Uefa Nations League?
In effect, this is a new international tournament from Uefa, played during what would normally be slots reserved in the football calendar for international friendlies.
The tournament is meant to make international football more competitive, while also adding an extra summer competition in to fit in around years where there is no World Cup or European Championships.
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Four Euro 2020 places are also up for grabs for nations who perform in the new tournament.
How will the Uefa Nations League work?
The format will see all 55 Uefa nations competing across four leagues (A, B, C, D), with the leagues decided based on international rankings.
Within each league, sides will be split into four groups: teams will play each other twice across the course of the season.
At the end of the tournament the group winners will be promoted and the bottom teams relegated. However, the top four teams in League A will go on to compete in a 'Final Four' knockout tournament in the summer to decide the overall champion.
When will the Uefa Nations League matches be played?
The Nations League will be played over six match days between September and November 2018, with the Final Four tournament taking place in June 2019. For a full guide to all the fixtures, Click here or scroll to the bottom of the page. Check out the fixtures for England, Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales below.
England
8th September: England v Spain
12th October: Croatia v England
15th October: Spain v England
18th November: England v Croatia
Northern Ireland
8th September: Northern Ireland v Bosnia and Herzegovina
12th October: Austria v Northern Ireland
15th October: Bosnia and Herzegovina v Northern Ireland
18th November: Northern Ireland v Austria
Scotland
10th September: Scotland v Albania
11th October: Israel v Scotland
17th November: Albania v Scotland
20th November: Scotland v Israel
Wales
6th September: Wales v Republic of Ireland
9th September: Denmark v Wales
16th October: Republic of Ireland v Wales
16th November: Wales v Denmark
How can I watch the Uefa Nations League on TV?
All the matches featuring England, Wales, Scotland, Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland will be live on Sky Sports and Now TV.
The Final Four tournament in the summer will also be broadcast live on Sky Sports.
Who is playing in the Uefa Nations League, and what are the groups?
England is drawn in the top tier of the Uefa Nations League, so will be competing in League A.
Wales, Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland are in League B, and Scotland are in League C.
Check out all the groups below.
League A
Group A1: Germany, France, Netherlands
Group A2: Belgium, Switzerland, Iceland
Group A3: Portugal, Italy, Poland
Group A4: Spain, England, Croatia
League B
Group B1: Slovakia, Ukraine, Czech Republic
Group B2: Russia, Sweden, Turkey
Group B3: Austria, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Northern Ireland
Group B4: Wales, Republic of Ireland, Denmark
League C
Group C1: Scotland, Albania, Israel
Group C2: Hungary, Greece, Finland, Estonia
Group C3: Slovenia, Norway, Bulgaria, Cyprus
Group C4: Romania, Serbia, Montenegro, Lithuania
League D
Group D1: Georgia, Latvia, Kazakhstan, Andorra
Group D2: Belarus, Luxembourg, Moldova, San Marino
Group D3: Azerbaijan, Faroe Islands, Malta, Kosovo
Group D4: FYR Macedonia, Armenia, Liechtenstein, Gibraltar
Uefa Nations League – full fixture guide
Thursday 6 September
League A
Group A1: Germany v France
League B
Group B1: Czech Republic v Ukraine
Group B4: Wales v Republic of Ireland
League C
Group C3: Slovenia v Bulgaria, Norway v Cyprus
League D
Group D1: Kazakhstan v Georgia, Latvia v Andorra
Group D4: Armenia v Liechtenstein, Gibraltar v FYR Macedonia
Friday 7 September
League A
Group A3: Italy v Poland
League B
Group B2: Turkey v Russia
League C
Group C1: Albania v Israel
Group C4: Lithuania v Serbia, Romania v Montenegro
League D
Group D3: Azerbaijan v Kosovo, Faroe Islands v Malta
Saturday 8 September
League A
Group A2: Switzerland v Iceland
Group A4: England v Spain
League B
Group B3: Northern Ireland v Bosnia and Herzegovina
League C
Group C2: Finland v Hungary, Estonia v Greece
League D
Group D2: Belarus v San Marino, Luxembourg v Moldova
Sunday 9 September
League A
Group A1: France v Netherlands
League B
Group B1: Ukraine v Slovakia
Group B4: Denmark v Wales
League C
Group C3: Bulgaria v Norway, Cyprus v Slovenia
League D
Group D1: Georgia v Latvia
Group D4: FYR Macedonia v Armenia, Liechtenstein v Gibraltar
Monday 10 September
League A
Group A3: Portugal v Italy
League B
Group B2: Sweden v Turkey
League C
Group C1: Scotland v Albania
Group C4: Serbia v Romania, Montenegro v Lithuania
League D
Group D1: Andorra v Kazakhstan
Group D3: Kosovo v Faroe Islands, Malta v Azerbaijan
Tuesday 11 September
League A
Group A2: Iceland v Belgium
Group A4: Spain v Croatia
League B
Group B3: Bosnia and Herzegovina v Austria
League C
Group C2: Hungary v Greece, Finland v Estonia
League D
Group D2: San Marino v Luxembourg, Moldova v Belarus
Thursday 11 October
League A
Group A3: Poland v Portugal
League B
Group B2: Russia v Sweden
League C
Group C1: Israel v Scotland
Group C4: Lithuania v Romania, Montenegro v Serbia
League D
Group D3: Faroe Islands v Azerbaijan, Kosovo v Malta
Friday 12 October
League A
Group A2: Belgium v Switzerland
Group A4: Croatia v England
League B
Group B3: Austria v Northern Ireland
League C
Group C2: Greece v Hungary, Estonia v Finland
League D
Group D2: Belarus v Luxembourg, Moldova v San Marino
Saturday 13 October
League A
Group A1: Netherlands v Germany
League B
Group B1: Slovakia v Czech Republic
Group B4: Republic of Ireland v Denmark
League C
Group C3: Norway v Slovenia, Bulgaria v Cyprus
League D
Group D1: Georgia v Andorra, Latvia v Kazakhstan
Group D4: Armenia v Gibraltar, FYR Macedonia v Liechtenstein
Sunday 14 October
League A
Group A3: Poland v Italy
League B
Group B2: Russia v Turkey
League C
Group C1: Israel v Albania
Group C4: Romania v Serbia, Lithuania v Montenegro
League D
Group D3: Azerbaijan v Malta, Faroe Islands v Kosovo
Monday 15 October
League A
Group A2: Iceland v Switzerland
Group A4: Spain v England
League B
Group B3: Bosnia and Herzegovina v Northern Ireland
League C
Group C2: Estonia v Hungary, Finland v Greece
League D
Group D2: Belarus v Moldova, Luxembourg v San Marino
Tuesday 16 October
League A
Group A1: France v Germany
League B
Group B1: Ukraine v Czech Republic
Group B4: Republic of Ireland v Wales
League C
Group C3: Norway v Bulgaria, Slovenia v Cyprus
League D
Group D1: Kazakhstan v Andorra, Latvia v Georgia
Group D4: Armenia v FYR Macedonia, Gibraltar v Liechtenstein
Thursday 15 November
League A
Group A2: Belgium v Iceland
Group A4: Croatia v Spain
League B
Group B3: Austria v Bosnia and Herzegovina
League C
Group C2: Greece v Finland, Hungary v Estonia
League D
Group D1: Kazakhstan v Latvia, Andorra v Georgia
Group D2: San Marino v Moldova, Luxembourg v Belarus
Friday 16 November
League A
Group A1: Netherlands v France
League B
Group B1: Slovakia v Ukraine
Group B4: Wales v Denmark
League C
Group C3: Cyprus v Bulgaria, Slovenia v Norway
League D
Group D4: Liechtenstein v FYR Macedonia, Gibraltar v Armenia
Saturday 17 November
League A
Group A3: Italy v Portugal
League B
Group B2: Turkey v Sweden
League C
Group C1: Albania v Scotland
Group C4: Serbia v Montenegro, Romania v Lithuania
League D
Group D3: Azerbaijan v Faroe Islands, Malta v Kosovo
Sunday 18 November
League A
Group A2: Switzerland v Belgium
Group A4: England v Croatia
League B
Group B3: Northern Ireland v Austria
League C
Group C2: Hungary v Finland, Greece v Estonia
League D
Group D2: San Marino v Belarus, Moldova v Luxembourg
Monday 19 November
League A
Group A1: Germany v Netherlands
League B
Group B1: Czech Republic v Slovakia
Group B4: Denmark v Republic of Ireland
League C
Group C3: Cyprus v Norway, Bulgaria v Slovenia
League D
Group D1: Andorra v Latvia, Georgia v Kazakhstan
Group D4: Liechtenstein v Armenia, FYR Macedonia v Gibraltar
Tuesday 20 November
League A
Group A3: Portugal v Poland
League B
Group B2: Sweden v Russia
League C
Group C1: Scotland v Israel
Group C4: Serbia v Lithuania, Montenegro v Romania
League D
Group D3: Kosovo v Azerbaijan, Malta v Faroe Islands
