Germany meets Italy in the quarter-finals of the Nations League. It will be decided on December 16th whether the winner of the game will also be allowed to host the final tournament.
The draw at the UEFA headquarters in Nyon, Switzerland, at the end of November revealed that the German team would face Italy in the quarter-finals of the Nations League.
Could Germany host the final tournament?
The UEFA Executive Committee must decide on Monday (December 16) where the tournament with semi-finals and final will take place. Then the next meeting of the Executive Committee, of which DFB Vice President Hans-Joachim Watzke is a member, will take place in Lausanne. All associations that play in League A,”Those that can meet the stadium requirements must submit a proposal to host the final phase of the 2024/25 UEFA Nations League“, UEFA announced in January. It’s only logical that Germany would be considered as the host country.
Nagelsmann: We would be happy
“We try to do it, but in the end it is of course not only in our hands, but others decide” said Julian Nagelsmann on Friday: “We would be very happy if we could qualify and play in the Final Four hereNagelsmann did not say which venues would be considered. The Nations League final will take place on June 8th, and UEFA will host the Champions League final on May 31st in Munich.
National coach Julian Nagelsmann said he was looking forward to the duel: “Italy is a great opponent who, like us, has found its form again, but is not yet at the end of its journey. In general, we are looking forward to competing against the best possible opponents.” Nagelsmann said about the chances of reaching the semi-finals: “They’re good. But that’s what Italy will answer you too.”
The quarterfinals at a glance
Netherlands – Spain
Croatia – France
Denmark – Portugal
Italy – Germany
Possible semi-final against Portugal or Denmark
Should Germany survive the quarter-finals, the two possible opponents have already been determined: it will be against the winner of the game between Portugal and Denmark.
When do the games take place?
The quarterfinals will be played on March 20 and 23, 2025. The two semi-finals will take place on June 4th and 5th, the final and third place game on June 8th.
What does this have to do with World Cup qualification?
Holger Dahl, sports show, November 22nd, 2024 1:10 p.m
As group winners, Germany is automatically in pot 1 for the draw for the qualifying groups for the 2026 World Cup. What remains is the allocation to the groups. Only the four semi-finalists are guaranteed to get into one of the groups of four at the qualifying stage.
Background: Anyone who plays in a group of four has fewer match days in qualification and therefore time to take part in the final tournament of the Nations League. The result is that even on the first match day of the qualification, the composition of the groups will not be completely clear. Instead, some wildcards are drawn.
Playoffs drawn between leagues
The relegation games between the four leagues were also drawn, it’s about promotion and relegation:
These are the playoffs for leagues A and B:
Türkiye – Hungary
Ukraine – Belgium
Austria – Serbia
Greece – Scotland
These are the playoffs for leagues B and C:
Kosovo – Iceland
Bulgaria – Ireland
Armenia – Georgia
Slovakia – Slovenia
These are the playoffs for leagues C and D:
Gibraltar – Latvia
Malta – Luxembourg
How have the previous Nations League seasons gone?
The Nations League has been held three times so far. The previous winners:
- 2022/23: Spain (in the Netherlands)
- 2020/21: France (in Italy)
- 2018/19: Portugal (in Portugal)
In 2018/19, the Nations League was played in groups of three, and Germany came last in their group. A change in mode with a switch from groups of three to groups of four saved the DFB from relegation to League B. In 2020/21, Germany still took second place despite the 6-0 defeat in Spain and third place in 2022/23. The DFB has never qualified for the final tournament.