2023/24 UEFA Women's Nations League: League stage draw

The league stage draw for the new UEFA Women's Nations League has been made by UEFA managing director of women's football Nadine Kessler and former Spain captain Verónica Boquete.

With a similar format to the men's UEFA Nations League, the 51 participating teams were divided into three leagues (two of 16 and the other of 19) on the basis of their positions in the UEFA women's national team coefficient rankings issued after the conclusion of the group stage of the UEFA European Qualifying Competition for the 2023 FIFA Women's World Cup. They were then drawn into groups within their leagues.

The league stage will determine which four teams progress to the finals (which will also act as Europe's 2024 Olympic qualifiers) and also promotion and relegation between the leagues ahead of the European Qualifiers phase for UEFA Women's EURO 2025.

2023/24 UEFA Nations League calendar

League stage
Draw: 13:00 CET, 2 May 2023
Matchdays 1–2: 20–26 September 2023
Matchdays 3–4: 25–31 October 2023
Matchdays 5–6: 29 November–5 December 2023

Finals
Between 21 and 28 February 2024

Promotion/relegation matches
Between 21 and 28 February 2024

How do the groups work?

All matches in the league stage are played according to a league system, with each team playing one home match and one away match against each of the other teams in its group. Three points are awarded for a win, one for a draw, and none for a defeat.

Who plays in the UEFA Women's Nations League finals?

The four League A group winners qualify for the knockout finals.

Who is promoted or relegated or goes into play-offs?

League A

The top two teams in each group remain in League A for the European Qualifiers for UEFA Women's EURO 2025.

The four third-placed teams play off against against the second-placed teams in each group of League B. The winner of each match play in League A for the European Qualifiers phase; the defeated teams play in League B.

The fourth-placed teams are relegated to League B.

League B

The four group winners are promoted to League A.

The four second-placed teams play against the third-placed teams in League A. The winner of each match will play in League A; the defeated teams will play in League B.

The three best third-placed teams play off against the three best-ranked second-placed teams of League C. The winners will play in League B for the European Qualifiers phase; the defeated teams will play in League C.

The lowest ranked third-placed team and the four fourth-placed teams are relegated to League C.

League C

The five group winners are promoted to League B.

The third best-ranked second-placed teams play off against the three best third-placed teams of League B. The winners will play in League B for the European Qualifiers phase; the defeated teams will play in League C.

The remaining teams stay in League C.

How do the UEFA Women's Nations League finals work?

They will be played as single-leg games, with two semi-finals, a third-place play-off and a final. A draw will determine the semi-final ties and the home team in each of the matches.

The final winners are declared the UEFA Nations League winners.

Who qualifies from the UEFA Women's Nations League finals for the 2024 Olympics in France?

The two finalists qualify for the 2024 Women's Olympic Football Tournament, alongside hosts France.

If France are among the finalists, the third-placed team fills the remaining slot in the Olympic Games. If an association that has not been confirmed by FIFA as eligible to participate in the Women's Olympic Football Tournament qualifies, the next best-placed team that has not qualified takes their place.

Promotion/relegation matches

All matches are played over two legs, with ties determined by a draw. The third-placed teams are seeded for the draw and play their respective second-leg matches at home.

How the Women's Nations League draw worked

League A: Four groups of four teams

The teams in each league were seeded into four pots according to the UEFA women's national team coefficient rankings. Each group contains one team from each pot.

Pot 1: England, Germany, France, Sweden
Pot 2: Spain, Netherlands, Norway, Denmark
Pot 3: Italy, Belgium, Austria, Iceland
Pot 4: Switzerland, Wales, Portugal, Scotland

Due to winter venue restrictions, a maximum of two of Sweden, Norway and Iceland could be drawn in the same group.

The draw started with Pot 1, which contained four balls. Drawn teams were assigned to the groups in ascending order from A1 to A4, unless a draw condition applies:
• A first ball was drawn and the team assigned to Group A1
• A second ball was drawn and the team assigned to Group A2
• A third ball was drawn and the team assigned to Group A3
• The fourth ball was drawn and the team assigned to Group A4

The draw continued with Pot 2, Pot 3 and Pot 4 and followed the same rules as described above for Pot 1.

League B: Four groups of four teams

The teams in each league were seeded into four pots according to the UEFA women’s national team coefficient rankings. Each group contains one team from each pot.

Pot 1: Republic of Ireland, Poland, Czechia, Finland
Pot 2: Serbia, Slovenia, Northern Ireland, Romania
Pot 3: Ukraine, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Slovakia, Hungary
Pot 4: Greece, Croatia, Belarus, Albania

Based on UEFA Executive Committee decisions valid at the time of the draw, Ukraine and Belarus could be drawn in the same group.

The draw started with Pot 1, which contained four balls. The drawn teams were assigned to the groups in ascending order from B1 to B4, unless a draw condition applied:
• A first ball was drawn and the team assigned to Group B1
• A second ball was drawn and the team assigned to Group B2
• A third ball was drawn and the team assigned to Group B3
• The fourth ball was drawn and the team assigned to Group B4

The draw continued with Pot 2, Pot 3 and Pot 4 and followed the same rules as described above for Pot 1.

League C: Four groups of four teams and one group of three teams

The teams in each league were seeded into four pots according to the UEFA women’s national team coefficient rankings. Four groups contain one team from each pot, and the three-team group contains a team from each of the first three pots.

Pot 1: Malta, Israel, Azerbaijan, Türkiye, North Macedonia
Pot 2: Kosovo, Montenegro, Luxembourg, Estonia, Moldova
Pot 3: Lithuania, Kazakhstan, Latvia, Bulgaria, Cyprus
Pot 4: Faroe Islands, Georgia, Armenia, Andorra

Based on UEFA Executive Committee decisions valid at the time of the draw, Azerbaijan and Armenia could be drawn in the same group.

Due to winter venue restrictions, a maximum of two of Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania and Faroe Islands could be drawn in the same group.

To minimise teams' travel burden, Kazakhstan could be drawn in a group with only one of the following: Andorra, Faroe Islands and Malta.

The draw starts with Pot 1, which contained five balls. The drawn teams were assigned to the groups in ascending order from C1 to C5, unless a draw condition applied.
• A first ball was drawn and the team assigned to Group C1
• A second ball was drawn and the team assigned to Group C2
• A third ball was drawn and the team assigned to group C3
• A fourth ball was drawn and the team assigned to Group C4
• The fifth ball was drawn and the team assigned to Group C5

The draw continued with Pot 2 and Pot 3 and followed the same rules as described above for Pot 1.

The draw continued with Pot 4, which contained four balls. The drawn teams were assigned to the groups in ascending order from C1 to C4, unless a draw condition applied.
• A first ball was drawn and the team assigned to Group C1
• A second ball was drawn and the team assigned to Group C2
• A third ball was drawn and the team assigned to group C3
• A fourth ball was drawn and the team assigned to Group C4