By admin 
While the likes of England and Wales have their sights firmly set on their respective qualifying campaigns for the 2026 World Cup, elsewhere there remains the small matter of the Nations League.
This season’s competition is still to be decided, with the quarter-finals and play-off matches – both two-legged – currently under way.
As things stand in the last eight – comprised of the teams who finished first and second in each of the four League A groups – holders Spain meet the Netherlands in Valencia on Sunday with the tie level at 2-2.
In a repeat of the 2018 World Cup final, France host Croatia looking to overturn a two-goal deficit from the first-leg, while Denmark carry a slender 1-0 advantage going into their game with Portugal.
📸 Final practice session before departure to 🇫🇷!#NationsLeague #Vatreni❤️🔥 pic.twitter.com/gkeR3NCDAS
— HNS (@HNS_CFF) March 22, 2025
Germany and Italy, meanwhile, go head to head in Dortmund with the score 2-1 in Germany’s favour after the first game.
The semi-final draw has already been made, with the winners of Italy and Germany facing either Denmark or Portugal, while the victors from Netherlands against Spain progressing to play Croatia or France.
The semi-final matches are scheduled for Wednesday 4 and Thursday 5 June, with the final taking place on Sunday 8 June, hosted by Italy or Germany.
Running at the same time as the quarter-finals are the Nations League play-offs.
These ties are contested between the teams who finished third in League A and second-placed sides from League B, with the winner securing a place in League A next season.
Similarly, the third-place teams in League B will face second-placed teams in League C, with the winners earning a spot in League B next term.
The two nations who finished bottom in League C with the best record will play the runners-up of League D.
Both Scotland and the Republic of Ireland feature in the play-offs, where a penalty from Scott McTominay helped the Scots claim a 1-0 first-leg victory over Greece in Athens.
Half-way there.
Go behind the scenes for the first time this year with Scotland: embedded, from the Karaiskakis Stadium.#GRESCO pic.twitter.com/j62ktdJGQR
— Scotland National Team (@ScotlandNT) March 22, 2025
Meanwhile, the Republic of Ireland secured a 2-1 win away in Bulgaria courtesy of goals from Finn Azaz and Matt Doherty.
The full play-off second-leg fixture list is as follows:
Georgia (3) v Armenia (0)
Slovenia (0) v Slovakia (0)
Iceland (1) v Kosovo (2)
Republic of Ireland (2) v Bulgaria (1)
Serbia (1) v Austria (1)
Scotland (1) v Greece (0)
Hungary (1) v Turkey (3)
Belgium (1) v Ukraine (3)
The Nations League does have a direct link to World Cup qualification. Four teams will qualify for a play-off to reach the 2026 tournament in Canada, Mexico and the USA via the Nations League.
They are the four best-ranked group winners who do not go on to finish in the top two of their World Cup qualifying group.