OneFootball
·12 February 2026
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·12 February 2026
Italy, still seeking qualification for the 2026 World Cup, approaches the Nations League draw without absolute certainties but with the awareness of remaining among the most competitive national teams in the European landscape.
The Azzurri, who finished second in their group in the last edition of the competition and were then eliminated in the quarter-finals by Germany, will be placed in the second tier alongside Netherlands, Croatia, and Denmark.
The first tier appears particularly formidable, with powerhouses like Portugal, Spain, France, and Germany, all top-level opponents. In the third tier, the main threats come from England and Norway, while Belgium and Serbia seem, at least on paper, more manageable. Completing the picture is the last tier, composed of Wales, Turkey, Czech Republic, and Greece, teams still capable of creating difficulties and not to be underestimated.
*The positions still in contention will be defined only after the Nations League 2024/25 playoffs, scheduled for March 2026.
The decisive pairings will see Latvia/Gibraltar and Luxembourg/Malta face off, matches that will determine the final composition of the respective groups.
The risk of a very challenging group is real. The worst-case scenario for Italy could be facing either Spain or France from the first tier, alongside England or Norway in the third, and completed by Wales or Turkey in the fourth. Conversely, the most favorable scenario would see the Azzurri placed in a group with Germany, Serbia, and Greece.
The rules remain clear: the teams ranked in first and second place advance to the quarter-finals, the third plays a playoff against a team from League B to maintain their category, while the last ranked is directly relegated.
The 54 federations involved in the UEFA Nations League 2026/27 will be divided into four different leagues.
The draws for Leagues A, B, and C will create four groups composed of four teams each. In these groups, each national team will play six total matches, facing the other three opponents both at home and away, for a total of three home and three away games.
League D, on the other hand, will have a different structure. The draw will form two groups of three teams each. In this case, each team will play four total matches, facing the other two national teams in the group with home and away games, thus two at home and two away.
This article was translated into English by Artificial Intelligence. You can read the original version in 🇮🇹 here.
📸 FABRICE COFFRINI - AFP or licensors
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