CALENDAR
| 21 March 2019 to 19 November 2019 | - Euro 2020 qualifiers (20 teams to qualify) |
| 5-9 June 2019 | - Nations League finals |
| 1 December 2019 | - Euro 2020 finals draw |
| 21-31 March 2020 | - Euro 2020 playoffs (4 teams to qualify) |
| 12 June 2020 to 12 July 2020 | - Euro 2020 finals |
ENGLAND will face the Netherlands next summer in the inaugural Nations League finals in Portugal.
Gareth Southgate's side will contest their second semi final inside 12 months following a dramatic late win against their World Cup conquerors Croatia in November at Wembley.
The Three Lions trailed the Croatians with just 12 minutes left after Andrej Kramaric's shot had taken a wicked deflection past Jordan Pickford.
And the idiosyncrasies of the Nations League meant that England were faced with relegation from the elite tier even if they managed to get back on terms before the full time whistle.
Thankfully then, England scored twice. First, a long Joe Gomez throw was flicked on to Jesse Lingard who converted from barely a yard out.
Then, captain Harry Kane completed the comeback by sliding in Ben Chilwell's low free kick, again from close range.
In fairness, it was no more than England deserved after a display of attacking verve and indeed a collective composure which belied the pressure under which this refreshingly youthful team were operating.
Earlier, the Three Lions had set up the chance to qualify with an eerie 0-0 draw in a match staged behind closed doors in Croatia and a memorable 3-2 victory over Spain in Seville.
The latter result against the Spanish was probably England's finest performance under Southgate to date - even when taking into account the World Cup adventure last year.
A brace from Raheem Sterling and another from Marcus Rashford in the first half an hour left the Three Lions with enough room for error as the Spain, under new boss Luis Enrique, inevitably launched a comeback after the interval.
Meanwhile, England's Dutch opponents had a no less a dramatic journey to the finals having been placed in a group with the last two world champions, Germany and France.
It appeared as if the Oranje had done the hard work by beating the French in Rotterdam but - although surprisingly already relegated - old rivals Germany were still playing for pride and not about to go easy in the last game
Indeed, Joachim Löw's men looked to be in full control at 2-0 up in Gelsenkirchen - but, in keeping with the recent travails of the Nationalmannschaft, the Dutch produced an unlikely comeback to secure the point they needed.
Hosts Portugal were actually the only one of the remaining Nations League quartet who had ensured their place in the finals ahead of their final group game as they easily saw off the challenge of Italy and Poland.
But their opponents Switzerland stunned Belgium who once again flattered to deceive despite taking an early two-goal lead in Lucerne through a Thorgan Hazard brace.
That left the Swiss needing four - but Haris Seferović scored a scarcely believable hat-trick as they instead made certain by turning the tie completely around to win 5-2.
Overall then, the Nations League would seem to have produced enough moments of magic already to justify its place on the international football calendar, especially as it has come in lieu of friendlies.
The mini-groups usually mean there is something to play for heading into the last game - and, furthermore, this competition has opened up possibilities for teams lower down the European pecking order.
Certainly, one of the beneficiaries of the new format has been Scotland and, in particular, James Forrest.
Celtic winger Forrest scored five goals in four days as the Scots beat Albania 4-0 and then hung on for a momentous 3-2 win over Israel at Hampden Park in Glasgow.
The result meant Scotland are promoted from the depths of the third tier to the second level for the next edition of the Nations League.
Rather more crucially, after years in the wilderness, it gives a fallback option of the playoffs to Alex McLeish's men if, as third seeds, they fail to make it through their standard Euro 2020 qualifying group ahead of the likes of Belgium and Russia.
Wales have no such luxury having missed out on promotion to the top flight of the Nations League - and a Euro 2020 playoff - after a painful 2-1 home defeat to Denmark.
Nevertheless, the Welsh will fancy their chances of a top two placing as the second seeds in a group also featuring Croatia, Slovakia, Hungary, and Azerbaijan.
Basically, UEFA has designed its competitions in such a way that there is something for just about everyone.
Not quite, though. On either side of the Irish border, the Nations League did not exactly go to plan - and, worse than that, it actually went pretty disastrously for the two countries who were both relegated to the third tier.
Northern Ireland under Michael O'Neill went down without as much as a single point while the Martin O'Neill and Roy Keane era in Ireland came to a joyless and winless conclusion.
Former boss Mick McCarthy - who led the Irish to the 2002 World Cup where he clashed with Keane - has taken the reins temporarily again ahead of the appointment of Stephen Kenny in 2020.
McCarthy then will be tasked with plotting a path past Switzerland, Denmark, Georgia, and Gibraltar to the finals, though there is some extra motivation for his beleaguered team.
Regardless of whether they qualify or not, Ireland are one of the 12 hosts of Euro 2020 listed below - but it would, naturally, be so much better if the city of Dublin had a home team at the championships to support.
The same motivation applies for England and Scotland, of course - and Wembley has the additional privilege of providing hosting duties for the Euro 2020 Final itself and the semis.
Sadly, Northern Ireland appear unlikely to make it to the finals at all. Having been relegated in the Nations League, the Northern Irish needed a kind draw in their Euro 2020 qualifying group.
Instead, the Belfast boys drew out two European heavyweights in the Netherlands and Germany who will quickly reacquaint themselves after the Nations League and will fully expect to take the two qualifying spots.
Similarly, England will expect to ease their way past the Czech Republic, Bulgaria, Montenegro, and Euro debutants Kosovo.
But, even if the Three Lions suffer a shocking failure, they - like the Scottish - have a second chance in the playoffs, if need be.
So, England's next fixtures are against the Czechs at home and Montenegro away at the end of March.
It would only be natural, though, if Southgate and the others are already looking ahead to the tie with the Netherlands on 6 June in Guimarães
Once again, success feels so close that England can almost taste it. Almost.
EURO 2020 QUALIFIERS
Top two teams from each group qualify directly for the Euro 2020 finals
| GROUP A | GROUP B | GROUP C | GROUP D |
| ENGLAND | PORTUGAL | NETHERLANDS | SWITZERLAND |
| CZECH REP | UKRAINE | GERMANY | DENMARK |
| BULGARIA | SERBIA | NORTHERN IRELAND | IRELAND |
| MONTENEGRO | LITHUANIA | ESTONIA | GEORGIA |
| KOSOVO | LUXEMBOURG | BELARUS | GIBRALTAR |
| GROUP E | GROUP F | GROUP G | GROUP H |
| CROATIA | SPAIN | POLAND | FRANCE |
| WALES | SWEDEN | AUSTRIA | ICELAND |
| SLOVAKIA | NORWAY | ISRAEL | TURKEY |
| HUNGARY | ROMANIA | SLOVENIA | ALBANIA |
| AZERBAIJAN | FAROE ISLANDS | FYR MACEDONIA | MOLDOVA |
| MALTA | LATVIA | ANDORRA | |
| GROUP I | GROUP J | ||
| BELGIUM | ITALY | ||
| RUSSIA | BOSNIA-HERZ | ||
| SCOTLAND | FINLAND | ||
| CYPRUS | GREECE | ||
| KAZAKHSTAN | ARMENIA | ||
| SAN MARINO | LIECHTENSTEIN |
SEEDING POTS Based upon the overall rankings from the 2018 UEFA Nations League
(*Nations League finalists are guaranteed a five-team qualifying group)
Pot 1 Switzerland*, Portugal*, Netherlands*, England*, Belgium, France, Spain, Italy, Croatia, Poland
Pot 2 Germany, Iceland, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Ukraine, Denmark, Sweden, Russia, Austria, Wales, Czech Republic
Pot 3 Slovakia, Turkey, Ireland, Northern Ireland, Scotland, Norway, Serbia, Finland, Bulgaria, Israel
Pot 4 Hungary, Romania, Greece, Albania, Montenegro, Cyprus, Estonia, Slovenia, Lithuania, Georgia
Pot 5 Macedonia, Kosovo, Belarus, Luxembourg, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan, Moldova, Gibraltar, Faroe Islands
Pot 6 Latvia, Liechtenstein, Andorra, Malta, San Marino
EURO 2020 VENUES
Euro 2020 will be hosted in 12 venues across the continent of Europe
| Capacity | Package | |||
| Denmark | Copenhagen | Parken Stadium | 38,065 | - Group stage and a R16 match |
| Hungary | Budapest | Ferenc Puskás Stadium | 68,000* | - Group stage and a R16 match |
| Ireland | Dublin | Aviva Stadium | 51,700 | - Group stage and a R16 match |
| Netherlands | Amsterdam | Johan Cruyff Arena | 54,990 | - Group stage and a R16 match |
| Romania | Bucharest | Arena Națională | 55,600 | - Group stage and a R16 match |
| Scotland | Glasgow | Hampden Park | 52,063 | - Group stage and a R16 match |
| Spain | Bilbao | San Mamés | 53,332 | - Group stage and a R16 match |
| Azerbaijan | Baku | Olympic Stadium | 68,700 | - Group stage and a QF match |
| Germany | Munich | Allianz Arena | 75,000 | - Group stage and a QF match |
| Italy | Rome | Stadio Olimpico | 72,698 | - Group stage and a QF match |
| Russia | Saint Petersburg | Krestovsky Stadium | 68,134 | - Group stage and a QF match |
| England | London | Wembley Stadium | 90,000 | - Group stage and a R16 match - Both semi finals and the FINAL |
UEFA NATIONS LEAGUE FINALS
| Portugl | SF1 | Switzerl'd | Holland | SF2 | England | Loser SF1 | 3/4 | Loser SF2 | Winner SF1 | F | Winner SF2 |
3/4 9 June (2pm, Guimarães) F 9 June (7.45pm, Porto)
LEAGUE A
| A1 | A2 | A3 | A4 | ||||||||||||
| Germany | 0-0 | France | Switzerl'd | 6-0 | Iceland | Italy | 1-1 | Poland | England | 1-2 | Spain | ||||
| France | 2-1 | Holland | Iceland | 0-3 | Belgium | Portugal | 1-0 | Italy | Spain | 6-0 | Croatia | ||||
| Holland | 3-0 | Germany | Belgium | 2-1 | Switzerl'd | Poland | 2-3 | Portugal | Croatia | 0-0 | England | ||||
| France | 2-1 | Germany | Iceland | 1-2 | Switzerl'd | Poland | 0-1 | Italy | Spain | 2-3 | England | ||||
| Holland | 2-0 | France | Belgium | 2-0 | Iceland | Italy | 0-0 | Portugal | Croatia | 3-2 | Spain | ||||
| Germany | 2-2 | Holland | Switzerl'd | 5-2 | Belgium | Portugal | 1-1 | Poland | England | 2-1 | Croatia |
(Q) Netherlands, Switzerland, Portugal, England
(R) Germany, Iceland, Poland, Croatia
Top scorer (5 goals) Haris Seferović (SUI)
LEAGUE B
| B1 | B2 | B3 | B4 | ||||||||||||
| Czech R | 1-2 | Ukraine | Turkey | 1-2 | Russia | N Ireland | 1-2 | Bosnia-H | Wales | 4-1 | Ireland | ||||
| Ukraine | 1-0 | Slovakia | Sweden | 2-3 | Turkey | Bosnia-H | 1-0 | Austria | Denmark | 2-0 | Wales | ||||
| Slovakia | 1-2 | Czech R | Russia | 0-0 | Sweden | Austria | 1-0 | N Ireland | Ireland | 0-0 | Denmark | ||||
| Ukraine | 1-0 | Czech R | Russia | 2-0 | Turkey | Bosnia-H | 2-0 | N Ireland | Ireland | 0-1 | Wales | ||||
| Slovakia | 4-1 | Ukraine | Turkey | 0-1 | Sweden | Austria | 0-0 | Bosnia-H | Wales | 1-2 | Denmark | ||||
| Czech R | 1-0 | Slovakia | Sweden | 2-0 | Russia | N Ireland | 1-2 | Austria | Denmark | 0-0 | Ireland |
(P) Ukraine, Sweden, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Denmark
(R) Slovakia, Turkey, Northern Ireland, Ireland
Top scorers (3 goals) Edin Džeko (BIH), Patrik Schick (CZE)
LEAGUE C
| C1 | C2 | C3 | C4 | ||||||||||||
| Albania | 1-0 | Israel | Finland | 1-0 | Hungary | Slovenia | 1-2 | Bulgaria | Lithunia | 0-1 | Serbia | ||||
| Scotland | 2-0 | Albania | Estonia | 0-1 | Greece | Norway | 2-0 | Cyprus | Romania | 0-0 | Montenegro | ||||
| Israel | 2-1 | Scotland | Hungary | 2-1 | Greece | Bulgaria | 1-0 | Norway | Serbia | 2-2 | Romania | ||||
| Israel | 2-0 | Albania | Finland | 1-0 | Estonia | Cyprus | 2-1 | Slovenia | Montenegro | 2-0 | Lithuania | ||||
| Albania | 0-4 | Scotland | Greece | 1-0 | Hungary | Norway | 1-0 | Slovenia | Lithuania | 1-2 | Romania | ||||
| Scotland | 3-2 | Israel | Estonia | 0-1 | Finland | Bulgaria | 2-1 | Cyprus | Montenegro | 0-2 | Serbia | ||||
| Estonia | 3-3 | Hungary | Norway | 1-0 | Bulgaria | Romania | 0-0 | Serbia | |||||||
| Finland | 2-0 | Greece | Slovenia | 1-1 | Cyprus | Lithuania | 1-4 | Montenegro | |||||||
| Hungary | 2-0 | Estonia | Cyprus | 1-1 | Bulgaria | Serbia | 2-1 | Montenegro | |||||||
| Greece | 1-0 | Finland | Slovenia | 1-1 | Norway | Romania | 3-0 | Lithuania | |||||||
| Hungary | 2-0 | Finland | Bulgaria | 1-1 | Slovenia | Serbia | 4-1 | Lithuania | |||||||
| Greece | 0-1 | Estonia | Cyprus | 0-2 | Norway | Montenegro | 0-1 | Romania |
(P) Scotland, Finland, Norway, Serbia
(R) Estonia, Cyprus, Slovenia, Lithuania
Top scorer (6 goals) Aleksandar Mitrović (SRB)
LEAGUE D
| D1 | D2 | D3 | D4 | ||||||||||||
| Kazak'n | 0-2 | Georgia | Belarus | 5-0 | S Marino | Azerbaijn | 0-0 | Kosovo | Armenia | 2-1 | Liechtns'n | ||||
| Latvia | 0-0 | Andorra | Luxemb'g | 4-0 | Moldova | Faroe Is | 3-1 | Malta | Gibraltar | 0-2 | Macedonia | ||||
| Georgia | 1-0 | Latvia | S Marino | 0-3 | Luxemb'g | Kosovo | 2-0 | Faroe Is | Macedonia | 2-0 | Armenia | ||||
| Andorra | 1-1 | Kazak'n | Moldova | 0-0 | Belarus | Malta | 1-1 | Azerbaijn | Liechtns'n | 2-0 | Gibraltar | ||||
| Georgia | 3-0 | Andorra | Belarus | 1-0 | Luxemb'g | Faroe Is | 0-3 | Azerbaijn | Armenia | 0-1 | Gibraltar | ||||
| Latvia | 1-1 | Kazak'n | Moldova | 2-0 | S Marino | Kosovo | 3-1 | Malta | Macedonia | 4-1 | Liechtns'n | ||||
| Kazak'n | 4-0 | Andorra | Belarus | 0-0 | Moldova | Azerbaijn | 1-1 | Malta | Armenia | 4-0 | Macedonia | ||||
| Latvia | 0-3 | Georgia | Luxemb'g | 3-0 | S Marino | Faroe Is | 1-1 | Kosovo | Gibraltar | 2-1 | Liechtns'n | ||||
| Kazak'n | 1-1 | Latvia | S Marino | 0-1 | Moldova | Azerbaijn | 2-0 | Faroe Is | Gibraltar | 2-6 | Armenia | ||||
| Andorra | 1-1 | Georgia | Luxemb'g | 0-2 | Belarus | Malta | 0-5 | Kosovo | Liechtns'n | 0-2 | Macedonia | ||||
| Andorra | 0-0 | Latvia | Moldova | 1-1 | Luxemb'g | Kosovo | 4-0 | Azerbaijn | Macedonia | 4-0 | Gibraltar | ||||
| Georgia | 2-1 | Kazak'n | S Marino | 0-2 | Belarus | Malta | 1-1 | Faroe Is | Liechtns'n | 2-2 | Armenia |
(P) Georgia, Belarus, Kosovo, FYR Macedonia
Top scorers (5 goals) Yura Movsisyan (ARM), Stanislaw Drahun (BLR)
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