The attention of all French footballers is already focused on Euro 2024, which will begin on June 14 in Germany, but we will have to turn away from it for a few hours this Thursday evening. At around 6 p.m., UEFA will proceed to the draw for the group stage of the 2024-2025 Nations League, and will therefore reveal the opponents of the Blues, winners of the event in 2021, during the international windows of September, October and November 2024.
Narrowly saved from relegation to League B during the previous edition, thanks in particular to its victory against Austria, the French team therefore remains in the elite for this third League of Nations. Placed in hat 3, alongside Germany, Poland and Switzerland, Didier Deschamps’ players could face tough challenges from the group stage. Because in hat 1 are the four semi-finalists of the 2022-2023 edition: Spain, Croatia, Italy and the Netherlands.
In hat 2, we find the second group, namely Portugal, Denmark, Belgium and Hungary. Finally, the promoted players were placed in hat 4. These are Israel, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Serbia and Scotland.
Quarter-finals for the first time
As usual, 4 groups from 4 teams will be drawn. The rest of the competition was, however, slightly modified. After this first phase, played in September, October and next November, the quarter-finals will be played for the first time, in the form of two-way duels between the first and second in the group in March 2025. The four nations The victorious teams will then meet for the traditional Final Four (June 4 to 8, 2025).
The changes also concern relegations since the third group, like France in 2022-2023, were so far spared. They will now have to emerge victorious in a play-off against a runner-up in the League B group to maintain their place among the elite.
In addition to the possibility of winning a trophy, and succeeding Spain as winner of the competition, this League of Nations also provides an additional chance of qualifying for the next World Cup. Thus, the first four best groups in this competition, who have not yet obtained their ticket for the World Cup or the play-offs, will be able to participate in the latter and, perhaps, fly to Canada, Mexico and the United States, where the competition will take place in the summer of 2026.
