The Nations League went through a format in the 2024-25 season with the top two from each group of League A qualifying for the new quarterfinal stage. Earlier, only the group winners moved into the knockout stage but the new format added more gloss to the competition. After the conclusion of an entertaining group stage in November 2024, all quarterfinalists are set with all the usual names qualifying without any major upsets. All the competition winners, namely Portugal, France and Spain, have made it to the next round while Germany and Denmark will make their Finals debut. The 2024-25 Nations League Finals will be played in March 2025 with the final scheduled for June. La Roja, also the Euro winners, are the defending champions.
Group A
Portugal (Pld - 6, W - 4, D - 2, L - 0, Pts - 14)
Previous appearance in Finals: 1 (2018-19) Best Finish: Winners (2018-19)
Shaking off their disappointing Euro campaign, Portugal became a vibrant force in their Nations League group and secured qualification to the Finals for the first time since the inaugural edition. The Selecao became the first-ever competition winners in the 2018-19 campaign and wish to repeat the feat this time having stayed unbeaten in the group stages. Roberto Martinez’s side collected 14 points from six games including four wins while they possessed the second-best defence in League A by conceding just five times. On the other hand, they pumped in 13 goals with Cristiano Ronaldo scoring most of them with five. This is an excellent revival considering the team struggled to find the back of the net in the Euros at Germany. Portugal has been handed an easier side of the draw in the quarterfinal with Denmark being their opposition but faces a strong challenge in the semis with either Italy or Germany crossing their path before the final. Irrespective of the opposition, they are desperate to keep their form intact next year.
Croatia (Pld - 6, W - 2, D - 2, L - 2, Pts - 8)
Previous appearance in Finals: 1 (2022-23) Best Finish: Finalists (2022-23)
Joining them are Croatia who had a wobbly ending to their group-stage campaign but still managed to finish in the top two. Despite losing their tournament opener to eventual group winners, Croatia took consecutive home wins against Poland and Scotland. However, the away trips did not go according to the plan as the last edition’s finalists drew 3-3 with the Pol before losing unexpectedly at Hampden Park. Still, the Croats had destiny in their hands and a 1-1 draw against Portugal in the final game at home helped them finish a point above Scotland, who grabbed the playoff spot, into the next round for consecutive times. Croatia did not have the best of times in 2024 and is set to face a stiff challenge in 2025 with France to face in the quarterfinals. Even if they get over that challenge, their opponents in the last edition’s semi-finalists Netherlands or defending champions Spain will knock on the door in the last-four.
Group B
France (Pld - 6, W - 4, D - 1, L - 1, GD - 6, Pts - 13)
Previous appearance in Finals: 1 (2020-21) Best Finish: Winners (2020-21)
The 2021 Nations League winners France were placed in a tough group with Italy and Belgium but they managed to top it with 13 points. Second-placed Italy also finished with the same points although they had an inferior goal difference than Les Bleus. Didier Deschamps’s side had an interesting campaign in the latest instalment of the Nations League, losing 3-1 to the Azzurri in the opener but coming back in style with wins against Belgium and a 4-1 mauling of Israel. While France was unexpectedly halted in the reverse fixture at home, the team made no mistake in the top-two clash with Italy by seeking revenge by the same scoreline and sealing the top spot. The two-time World Cup champions achieved it without star forward Kylian Mbappe in the last four games, displaying their depth of talent again. As usual, France will be a contender to win the Nations League trophy trying to be the first team to win it more than once.
Italy (Pld - 6, W - 4, D - 1, L - 1, GD - 5, Pts - 13)
Previous appearances in Finals: 2 (2020-21, 2022-23) Best Finish: Third-Place (2020-21, 2022-23)
Italy replaced their disappointing Euro title defence with an excellent Nations League campaign, where they qualified for the knockout stage for the third consecutive time. Luciano Spalleti’s side's only loss in the campaign came against France in the final group game while they won the reverse clash and beat the other opponents in the group as well. They lost the top post for conceding two more goals than group winners France but the Azzurri was bound to face a heavyweight opponent as prescribed by the competition. Finishing third in the previous two editions, Italy will be determined to go further into the competition this time, having lost just three times in all competitions in 2024. They do have to fend off Germany and either Denmark or Portugal to reach the final.
Group C
Germany (Pld - 6, W - 4, D - 2, L - 0, Pts - 14)
Previous appearances in Finals: Debut
Germany finally broke the shackles of their underperformance in the Nations League by making it to the Nations League Finals for the first time. Die Mannschaft was dominant in their group claiming four wins out of six matches and incurring no losses. They finished at least six points better than the Netherlands at the top, scoring a League A-high 18 goals and conceding merely four goals. Julian Nagelsmann’s side showed their ruthless attack with Florian Wirtz and Deniz Undav joint top-scorers for the side with three goals each while Jamal Musiala provided the goals with three assists. It resulted in Germany producing some eye-catching scorelines including a 5-0 and 7-0 hammering of Hungary and Bosnia & Herzegovina, both at home. With their only loss this year coming against eventual winners Spain in the Euros, the team will be confident of winning the Nations League to mark a significant transformation under Nagelsmann.
Netherlands (Pld - 6, W - 2, D - 1, L - 2, Pts - 9)
Previous appearances in Finals: 2 (2018-19, 2022-23) Best Finish: Finalist (2018-19)
Manager Ronald Koeman helped the Netherlands qualify for their second Nations League Finals and will lead the team for the third time in the round. However, the Dutch grabbed the second spot with an inconsistent form even though they lost just once. High-flying Germany was always the favourites to win the group and they did but Koeman’s side failed to provide a challenge to them by winning just twice and also getting some help from Hungary also slipping off at the end. The Netherlands eventually finished three points ahead of the Magyars in the second spot but remained concerned about their form ahead of the Finals. Their appearance in the final of the inaugural edition is the team's best performance in the Nations League, having finished fourth last time. Managing a better standing could be as they have been handed a tie against high-flying Spain in the quarterfinals.
Group D
Spain
Previous appearances in Finals: 2 (2020-21, 2022-23) Best Finish: Winners (2022-23)
Euro winners Spain showed their presence in the 2024-25 Nations League group stage, arguably being the best side in the competition. Despite their sensational nine-game winning streak ending in a surprising goalless draw with Serbia in their group stage opener, La Roja bossed the remaining five games including taking revenge on the Serbs with a 3-0 victory. Luis de la Fuente’s side smashed 13 goals and conceded just four after keeping clean sheets in their first three matches. Youngster Lamine Yamal lit up the show again with four assists and a strike to his name with Dani Olmo ending as the side's top scorer with three. Carrying a 16-game unbeaten and showing no signs of slowing down, the defending champions would like to become the first side to retain their trophy, making their third straight appearance in Nations League knockouts, to complete a magnificent three-peat. Relying on their impeccable form, Spain has to come across the Netherlands in the quarterfinals and either Croatia or former winners France to make it into the showpiece in June.
Denmark
Previous appearances in Finals: Debut
Like Germany, Denmark will debut in the Nations League Finals after coming second in their group to Spain. After a disastrous Euro campaign that saw Kasper Hjulmand stepping down from his role, the Dane looked to change their fortunes under interim coach Lars Knudsen and later permanent boss Brian Riemer. Despite starting the tournament with consecutive victories over Switzerland and Serbia, they remain winless in the last four games with losses to group winners Spain and sharing points in the reverse fixture with the other two. The goalless draw against the Serbs in the final group game helped them secure the second spot but they finished eight points behind La Roja at the top. Riemer knows work needs to be done for the side because they have been given a hard pathway with Portugal to face in the quarterfinal stage in March 2025.
