Germany will host the Nations League final tournament – if the team wins its quarter -finals against Italy. The games would take place in Stuttgart and Munich.
In December, the UEFA Executive Committee determined at its meeting in Lausanne in Switzerland that the winner of the encounter between Germany and Italy would organize the final tournament of the Nations League with semi-finals and final. The quarter-finals take place in the format. Italy welcomes Germany on March 20, 2025 in Milan, the second leg will take place on March 23 in Dortmund.
Stuttgart and Munich possible venues
At the final tournament there are four games to be organized: The two semi -finals take place on June 4 and 5, 2025, the final and the game for third place on June 8th.
If Germany organizes the tournament, the games would take place in Stuttgart and Munich, according to UEFA. On May 31, the UEFA in Munich will play the final of the Champions League anyway. In Italy, the two Turin stadiums of Juventus and FC Turin were the venues.
View of the stadium in Munich
In Munich there was initially displeasure. Mayor Dieter Reiter, who argued in 2021 at the European Championship with the UEFA for lighting the Munich stadium in rainbow colors, – as he called it – this did not want to support “Nation’s League there”. He later steered in. Accordingly, “constructive conversations” between the DFB, the UEFA and the state capital of Munich had led to rethinking.
Germany in the possible semi -finals against Portugal or Denmark
In the semifinals, the winners of the encounters 1 and 2 and 3 and 4 meet each other in one game. In addition to the final, a game for 3rd place is also planned.
If Germany survive the quarter -finals, Portugal or Denmark would be the possible opponents.
The encounters in the quarter -finals are:
- Netherlands – Spain (quarter -finals 1)
- Croatia – France (quarter -finals 2)
- Denmark – Portugal (quarter -finals 3)
- Italy – Germany (quarter -finals 4)
Nagelsmann: “We would be happy”
Germany had aggressively promoted the home tournament. “We strive for it, but of course it is not alone in our hands, but others decide on it“, said Julian Nagelsmann at a press conference:”We would be very happy if we qualify and the Final Four should be able to carry ourselves. “
All A-league teams basically had to apply
Basically, all teams of Liga A of the Nations League should submit their documents for the orientation of the tournament. All associations that play in League A, “Which can meet the stadium requirements must submit a proposal to align the final phase of the UEFA Nations League 2024/25“, the UEFA said in January. So logical that Germany is considered a host country.
What does that have with the World Cup qualification to do?
As a group winner of the Nations League, Germany was automatically in pot 1 for the draw for the groups of qualification for the 2026 World Cup. After the draw, there are two possible groups for Germany, depending on the outcome of the quarter -finals.
- Group A: winner Germany/ItalySlovakia, Northern Ireland, Luxembourg
- Group I: Loser Germany/ItalyNorway, Israel, Estonia, Republic of Moldova
Background: If you play in a group of four, you have fewer game days in qualifying and accordingly time to take part in the final tournament of the Nations League. Therefore, some placeholders were drawn. The result is that even on the first matchday of the qualification, the compilation of the groups will not yet be completely clear.
Playoffs drawn between the leagues
The relegation games between the four leagues were also drawn, it is about ascent and descent:
These are the playoffs of leagues A and B:
Türkiye – Hungary
Ukraine – Belgium
Austria – Serbia
Greece – Scotland
These are the playoffs of leagues B and C:
Kosovo – Island
Bulgaria – Ireland
Armenia – Georgia
Slovakia – Slovenia
These are the playoffs of the leagues C and D:
Gibraltar – Latvia
Malta – Luxembourg
How did the Nations League seasons so far go?
So far, the Nations League has been held three times. 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 still held in groups of three, Germany became the last in its group. A mode change with a change from groups of three on four groups saved the DFB before relegation in League B. 2020/21, despite the 0: 6 bankruptcy in Spain, still in second place and third place in 2022/23. The DFB has never qualified for the final tournament.