Why Are England Not in Nations League?

Despite a strong showing in the UEFA Nations League, England will not be participating in the competition’s final stage.

Thomas Tuchel is set for his third game in charge of England as the Three Lions travel to face Andorra on Saturday in the 2026 FIFA World Cup qualifiers. After cruising past Albania and Latvia in March, England sit comfortably atop Group K and will be looking to maintain their perfect start against the world’s 173rd-ranked side.

With this being their only competitive fixture of the international window, Tuchel’s men will aim to take full advantage and strengthen their grip on top spot. England will also play a friendly against Senegal next week.

Despite a strong showing in the UEFA Nations League, England will not be participating in the competition’s final stage. The reason for this lies in the tournament’s structure and recent history.

First #ThreeLions away day of 2025 🦁

🆚 Andorra
🏆 @FIFAWorldCup 2026 qualifier
🕔 5pm (UK)
🏟️ RCDE Stadium
📺 @ITV pic.twitter.com/yYGwlwJ3Qy
— England (@England) June 7, 2025

Why Are England Not in Nations League?

The Three Lions did take part in the Nations League in the initial stages. They even topped their Group B2 with 15 points, finishing ahead of Greece, Ireland, and Finland. England dominated their group as they won five out of six matches. However, England did not play in the quarter-finals of the Nations League nor in the promotion/relegation play-offs.

This is because England were competing in League B of the Nations League. As a result, they were not eligible for the Nations League quarter-finals or finals stage. The Nations League quarter-finals only feature teams from League A. But since England were in League B, they weren’t able to participate in the knockout stages.

England will return to the top tier for the next edition, but for now, their Nations League campaign is complete. The Nations League was launched in 2018 to replace low-stake friendlies with competitive fixtures. It is split into four leagues (A to D), with promotion and relegation between them based on the group-stage performances. League A features Europe’s top-tier nations, with the top two teams from each of the four groups advancing to the quarter-finals.

England were relegated from League A to League B in the 2022–2023 edition after finishing bottom of a difficult group that included Italy, Germany, and Hungary. A humiliating 4-0 defeat to Hungary was part of a four-game losing streak, which sealed their drop to the second tier. This meant they were no longer eligible to qualify for the knockout stages in the current Nations League finals.

Also read: FIFA considering 64-team expansion for 2030 World Cup to mark 100-year anniversary

The eight teams that qualified for the Nations League quarter-finals were: Croatia, Denmark, France, Germany, Italy, Netherlands, Portugal, and Spain.

Therefore, England will have to wait for the next cycle to once again compete among Europe’s elite in League A. Their absence in this year’s knockout stage is a direct consequence of that disappointing campaign two years ago.

England

Nations League

Thomas Tuchel

UEFA Nations League

Abhinav Goel

soccer

I am a soccer writer at The PlayOffs, covering everything from match analysis to transfer buzz and tactical deep dives. Ever since I was a kid, soccer has been more than just a sport to me—it’s been an obsession. Playing and watching the game from a young age fueled my passion, eventually leading me into the world of sports media and betting. Now, I get to analyze the sport I love and bring the latest updates to fans worldwide.