Nations League: 4 Teams Promoted, 4 Relegated, Utility in Question

The Nations League starts amid doubts: four teams go up, four go down, and its value is debated

September 2018. The UEFA launches a national team tournament with a league and division format, and the initial reaction from the stands is not enthusiasm, but bewilderment. In League A, the most important one, France leads Group A1 with 4 points, Germany has 1 point from one fewer match, and the Netherlands closes with 0. Switzerland tops Group A2 after scoring six goals against Iceland. Italy leads Group A3 trinc a 1-1 draw with Poland, and Spain dominates Group A4 after winning 1-2 in England. Group winners will play a final four in June. That is the official narrative.

The problem starts when someone asks what it is for. The short answer: almost nothing. The long answer: to reduce friendlies, provide competitive incentive, and distribute playoff spots. Neither convinces those watching a Tuesday Portugal-Italy match with Cristiano Ronaldo absent and Balotelli back amidst controversy.

What is the UEFA Nations League and how it works

The format divides 55 European national teams into four divisions (A, B, C, and D) based on the UEFA ranking from October 2017. Within each division, there are groups of three or four teams that play home and away matches. The winners of each group in League A compete in a final four in June to decide the champion. Four teams are promoted and four are relegated per division, a figure that surprised many: most expected only one promotion and one relegation.

The group composition used the October 2017 ranking, not the results of the Russia World Cup. This explains why Iceland —whose local population barely noticed they were playing in the World Cup, according to circulating irony— appears in League A while Sweden, Russia, or Denmark, who had a good tournament, are left out. The UEFA's criteria are what they are, and they are not revised.

The calendar and spots for the European Championship and World Cup

The most repeated question on sports radio was the same as in any bar: does this give a spot for the European Championship? The answer is yes, but indirectly. Group winners from each division who have not qualified through the normal route obtain a playoff spot. In other words, the Nations League acts as a safety net for national teams that fail in the traditional qualifying phase.

This has a practical consequence: being in a higher division increases playoff chances. And another political consequence: teams with assured spots can afford to experiment. Hence, some coaches take the opportunity to try players and systems without the cost of an official match.

The debate on the tournament's real interest

Some argue that the tournament is stronger and more entertaining than a World Cup or European Championship, because in League A you face three top-level rivals in home and away matches, with no weak teams. Against this weighs the argument that a tournament without history, tradition, or a recognizable trophy —the trophy design was compared to a roller in more than one comment— does not generate the same tension.

The case of Cristiano Ronaldo is illustrative. The forward was not called up for the debut, and his absence was interpreted as distancing himself from the tournament. In Italy, Balotelli's return caused controversy: Arrigo Sacchi criticized his call-up, arguing that players who are "intelligent" should be selected. The spectacle, meanwhile, suffered.

The matches that were worth it

Not everything was disappointment. The Spain-Croatia match in Elche ended 3-0 with goals from Saúl, Asensio, and Carrasco. The Spain-England match at Wembley was resolved 1-2 with a goal from Rodrigo. And the Spain-Germany match in the final phase, with more at stake, showed that the tournament can produce high-level matches when teams take it seriously.

The paradox is that the best moments of the tournament came when it mattered least. The Nations League functions like old friendlies, but with the label of official competition. True, old friendlies did not have a final four or playoffs.

The evolution of the format and persistent criticisms

Over time, the format expanded. For the 2026 World Cup, the playoffs include the twelve group runners-up from European qualification plus the four best-ranked group winners from the Nations League who did not finish first or second. The 16 national teams are divided into four playoffs with single-match semifinals and finals.

This gives the tournament a relevance it lacked in 2018. But the underlying criticism has not disappeared: it remains a tournament that does not offer a direct spot to anything, played in uncomfortable dates, and competing with the traditional qualifying phase. The question of whether it serves any purpose still lacks an answer that convinces everyone.

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The exact point where the analysis gets stuck: the Nations League has proven it can produce high-level matches, but it has not resolved the legitimacy problem. A tournament that needs to explain its own value every time it is played has a structural problem. And that problem is not solved by a final four.