League of Nations: instructions for the second edition - France 24

Paris (AFP)

The League of Nations, a tournament launched in 2018 by UEFA to replace the friendly match windows, is organizing its second edition from this week.

Manual.

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Format:

Fifty-five nations are divided into four "Leagues", divisions classified by level.

From A, the best League with notably France, Portugal, Spain, Germany, to D, the weakest.

In each League there are several groups (four in League A, B and C, two in League D), whose teams compete in two-way matches between September and November 2020.

The last of each group of League A and B is relegated to the lower division for the next edition (2022-23);

the first of each League group B, C and D is promoted to the next step.

The first division group winners (League A) will compete for the honorary trophy in a final phase (semi-final, match for third place and final) scheduled for June 2021.

The last four of the League C group will play a round-trip play-off in March 2022, the two losers of these play-offs being relegated to League D.

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Calendar:

Day 1: September 3-5, 2020

Day 2: September 6-8, 2020

Day 3: October 10-11, 2020

Day 4: October 13-14, 2020

Day 5: November 14-15, 2020

Day 6: November 17-18, 2020

Final phase: date to be specified in 2021

League C relegation play-offs (provided that the four play-off teams are not involved in the play-offs of the 2022 World Cup in the same period): 24, 25, 28, 29 March 2022.

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Stake:

The stake remains meager, with mainly an honorary title awarded during the final phase between the best teams of Ligue A.

But that's not all: a good performance in the competition can offer a chance to play the World Cup-2022 in Qatar.

Thus, the two best selections of the League of Nations which will not have qualified for the World Cup via the traditional playoffs will be drafted and transferred to the play-offs in the Europe zone for the World Cup, scheduled for March 2022. They will join the teams there. ten runners-up in the qualifiers, ie twelve teams who will compete for only three World Cup tickets, via two knockout matches.

© 2020 AFP