For the second time in the history of the competition, the winner of the Nations League will be played. Questions and answers about the Final Four …
Which teams are taking part – and why is Germany not taking part?
Qualified are the winners of the four groups of League A: Italy (Group 1), Belgium (Group 2), France (Group 3) and Spain (Group 4). The German eleven finished second in Group 4 behind Spain and thus missed out on qualification for the final tournament. Before the last group matchday, the DFB team was still in first place – but then lost the direct duel in Spain with 0:6.
What mode of play will be used?
Two semi-finals, the final and a third-place match will be played. If one of the semi-finals or the final ends in a draw after regular playing time, extra time will be played. If there is still no decision, there will be a penalty shoot-out. There will be no extra time in the third-place match, which would go directly to a penalty shoot-out after 90 minutes.
Where will it be played?
The total of four games in the Final Four will be played at the Giuseppe Meazza Stadium in Milan and the Allianz Stadium in Turin. In addition to Italy, the Netherlands and Poland had also expressed interest in hosting the finals. The UEFA Executive Committee awarded the contract to Italy in December 2020.
When will which match take place?
The first semi-final between hosts Italy and Spain kicks off at the San Siro on Wednesday 6 October at 20:45. One day later (7 October, 20.45) Belgium and France will determine the second finalist in Turin. On Sunday, 10 October, the third-place match will be played in Turin at 3 p.m., followed by the final at 8.45 p.m.
What is there to win?
The winner will receive a 71-centimetre sterling silver trophy. The inside of the trophy is engraved with colourful flags, while the UEFA logo and the words “UEFA Nations League” are engraved on the outside.
Who are the defending champions?
The first Nations League winner was Portugal, who hosted the 2019 Final Four and beat the Netherlands 1-0 in the final in front of their home crowd. However, the defending champions finished second only to France in preliminary Group 3 of League A and thus failed to qualify for the Final Four – as did the three other teams that contested the 2019 finals: The Netherlands, England and Switzerland are each out, meaning the Final Four is entirely new.
Does the Final Four have an impact on World Cup qualification?
Not a big one. For the play-offs of the European World Cup qualification next year, the two best group winners of the Nations League who would not have made it on the “regular” way qualify. However, the final tables of the preliminary groups that finish at the end of 2020 are decisive, the outcome of the Final Four is irrelevant. The only effects already arose in the draw for the qualification groups: In order to create free dates for the participants, the four finalists were each drawn into a group of five.
Where will the matches be broadcast?
All four matches will be broadcast live by the streaming service DAZN. ARD and ZDF had secured the rights for a TV broadcast, but these only apply to the matches with German participation. However, since the DFB team have already been eliminated, the matches will only be shown on DAZN.
