2025 UEFA Women's Nations League

2025 UEFA Women's Nations League
Tournament details
DatesLeague phase:
February – June 2025
Nations League Finals and
promotion/relegation matches

October – December 2025
Teams53
Women's European Qualifiers
2025
2027
Women's Nations League
2027

The 2025 UEFA Women's Nations League will be the second season of the UEFA Women's Nations League, an international women's football competition contested by the senior women's national teams of the member associations of UEFA. The league phase of the competition will be played between February and June, with the finals tournament taking place between October and December. The results also determine the leagues for the FIFA Women's World Cup 2027 qualifying competition.

Format

[edit]

The competition will begin with the league stage, featuring the national teams split into three leagues (A, B, and C) according to the Women’s European Qualifiers overall phase rankings (based on the Women's Euro 2025 qualifying overall ranking, taking into consideration promotion/relegation at the conclusion of that competition).[1] Leagues A and B feature 16 teams in four groups of four teams, while League C consists of the remaining competition entrants split into groups of three or four teams. The teams in each group play against each other home-and-away in a round-robin format.

The four group winners of League A advance to the Nations League Finals, consisting of two semi-finals, a third place play-off, and a final, all played over two legs (this differs to the previous edition where all the Nations Leagues Finals matches were single-legged).[2] An open draw will determine the pairings and order of legs for the semi-final matches, as well as which semi-final pairing will have its teams host the first leg of the third-place play-off and final.[2]

In addition, the competition features promotion and relegation, taking effect in Women's World Cup 2027 qualifying (which uses an identical league structure). The group winners of Leagues B and C are automatically promoted, while the fourth-placed teams in Leagues A and B, as well as the lowest-ranked third-placed team in League B, are automatically relegated. Promotion/relegation play-offs will also be held on a home-and-away basis, taking place in parallel with the Nations League semi-finals, to determine which of the other teams will be promoted, relegated or remain in their respective leagues. The third-placed teams of League A play the runners-up of League B, while the three best-ranked third-placed teams in League B play the three best-ranked League C runners-up. The teams from the higher leagues are seeded, and play the second leg at home.

In all two-legged ties, the team that score more goals on aggregate is the winner. If the aggregate score is level, extra time will be played (the away goals rule will not apply). If the score remains level after extra time, a penalty shoot-out will be used to decide the winner.[2]

Tiebreakers

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Tiebreakers for group ranking

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If two or more teams in the same group are equal on points on completion of the league phase, the following tie-breaking criteria are applied:[2]

  1. Higher number of points obtained in the matches played among the teams in question;
  2. Superior goal difference in matches played among the teams in question;
  3. Higher number of goals scored in the matches played among the teams in question;
  4. If, after having applied criteria 1 to 3, teams still have an equal ranking, criteria 1 to 3 are reapplied exclusively to the matches between the teams in question to determine their final rankings.[a] If this procedure does not lead to a decision, criteria 5 to 11 apply;
  5. Superior goal difference in all group matches;
  6. Higher number of goals scored in all group matches;
  7. Higher number of away goals scored in all group matches;
  8. Higher number of wins in all group matches;
  9. Higher number of away wins in all group matches;
  10. Lower disciplinary points total in all group matches (1 point for a single yellow card, 3 points for a red card as a consequence of two yellow cards, 3 points for a direct red card, 4 points for a yellow card followed by a direct red card).
  11. Position in the Women's European Qualifiers overall phase ranking.[1]

Notes

  1. ^ When there are two or more teams tied on points, criteria 1 to 3 are applied. After these criteria are applied, they may define the position of some of the teams involved, but not all of them. For example, if there is a three-way tie on points, the application of the first three criteria may only break the tie for one of the teams, leaving the other two teams still tied. In this case, the tiebreaking procedure is resumed, from the beginning, for those teams that are still tied.

Criteria for league ranking

[edit]

Individual league rankings are established according to the following criteria:[2]

  1. Position in the group;
  2. Higher number of points;
  3. Higher goal difference;
  4. Higher number of goals scored;
  5. Higher number of goals scored away from home;
  6. Higher number of wins;
  7. Higher number of wins away from home;
  8. Lower disciplinary points total (1 point for a single yellow card, 3 points for a red card as a consequence of two yellow cards, 3 points for a direct red card, 4 points for a yellow card followed by a direct red card).
  9. Position in the Women's European Qualifiers overall phase ranking.[1]

When ranking teams in League C, due to differing group sizes, the results against the fourth-placed teams are not considered when comparing teams placed first, second, and third in their respective groups.[2]

Criteria for overall ranking

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After the conclusion of all group matches, the overall league rankings are established as follows:[2]

  1. The 16 League A teams are ranked 1st to 16th according to their league rankings.
  2. The 16 League B teams are ranked 17th to 32nd according to their league rankings.
  3. The League C teams are ranked 33rd onwards according to their league rankings.

The UEFA Women's Nations League overall phase rankings are established after the conclusion of the promotion/relegation play-offs, and are used to determine the starting positions and seeding of the teams in Women's World Cup 2027 qualifying. The order of the teams in the overall phase rankings is based on the overall league rankings, with the following modifications:[2]

  1. The automatically promoted teams are ranked above teams from lower leagues that were promoted after their promotion/relegation matches
  2. The automatically relegated teams are ranked below teams from higher leagues that were relegated after their promotion/relegation matches

Schedule

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Below is the schedule for the 2025 UEFA Women's Nations League.[3]

Stage Round Dates
League phase Draw 7 November 2024
Matchday 1 21 February 2025
Matchday 2 25–26 February 2025
Matchday 3 4 April 2025
Matchday 4 8 April 2025
Matchday 5 30 May 2025
Matchday 6 3 June 2025
Promotion/relegation matches Draw 6 June 2025 (TBC)
First leg 22-28 October 2025
Second leg
Finals Draw 6 June 2025 (TBC)
Semi-finals
(Two legs)
20-28 October 2025
Third-place playoff
(Two legs)
26 November-2 December 2025
Final
(Two legs)

Seeding

[edit]
Teams league positions:
League A
League B
League C
Did not enter
Suspended by UEFA

The leagues were formed according to the Women’s European Qualifiers overall phase rankings,[1] and were seeded into pots based on the same rankings.[3][2]

Gibraltar and Liechtenstein entered the tournament for the first time, having not entered in the previous edition. This will be both women's teams' first official competitive international tournament.[4][5][6]

Russia were suspended indefinitely from all UEFA and FIFA competitions on 28 February 2022 due to their country's invasion of Ukraine.[7] On 30 September 2024, UEFA confirmed they will not be permitted to enter this edition of the Women's Nations League, or to enter Women's World Cup 2027 qualifying.[8]

San Marino did not submit an entry into the competition.

Key
Rise Promoted after UEFA Women's Euro 2025 qualifying
Fall Relegated after UEFA Women's Euro 2025 qualifying
League A
Pot Team Prv Rank
1  Spain 1
 Germany 2
 France 3
 Italy 4
2  Iceland 5
 Denmark 6
 England 7
 Netherlands 8
3  Sweden 9
 Norway 10
 Austria 11
 Belgium 12
4  Portugal Rise 13
 Scotland Rise 14
 Switzerland Rise 15
 Wales Rise 16
League B
Pot Team Prv Rank
1  Finland Fall 17
 Czech Republic Fall 18
 Republic of Ireland Fall 19
 Poland Fall 20
2  Serbia 21
 Ukraine 22
 Northern Ireland 23
 Turkey 24
3  Croatia 25
 Hungary 26
 Bosnia and Herzegovina 27
 Slovenia Rise 28
4  Romania Rise 29
 Belarus Rise 30
 Greece Rise 31
 Albania Rise 32
League C
Pot Team Prv Rank
1  Slovakia Fall 33
 Azerbaijan Fall 34
 Malta Fall 35
 Israel Fall 36
 Kosovo Fall 37
 Luxembourg 38
2  Montenegro 39
 Georgia 40
 Bulgaria 41
 Latvia 42
 Faroe Islands 43
 Armenia 44
3  North Macedonia 45
 Estonia 46
 Lithuania 47
 Kazakhstan 48
 Moldova 49
 Cyprus 50
4  Andorra 51
 Gibraltar 52
 Liechtenstein 53
Did not enter
Team Rank
 San Marino
Banned from entering
Team Rank
 Russia

Draw

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The draw took place on 7 November 2024 at 13:00 CET in Nyon, Switzerland.[3]

Teams were drawn from their seeding pots into groups for each league, starting with League C, then League B, and finally League A. In each league, all teams were drawn from Pot 1 and assigned to groups in ascending order until the pot was empty, then the draw continued with Pot 2 and so on.[3]

For political reasons, Armenia and Azerbaijan, as well as Belarus and Ukraine, could not be drawn in the same group. Due to excessive travel restrictions, Kazakhstan could not be drawn into a group containing more than one of Andorra, Faroe Islands, Gibraltar, or Malta.[3]

League A

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Group A1

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Pos Team Pld W D L GF GA GD Pts Qualification or relegation Germany Netherlands Austria Scotland
1  Germany 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 Qualification for Nations League Finals 30 May 25 Feb 8 Apr
2  Netherlands 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 21 Feb 4 Apr 3 Jun
3  Austria 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 Qualification for relegation play-offs 3 Jun 8 Apr 21 Feb
4  Scotland 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 Relegation to League B 4 Apr 25 Feb 30 May
First match(es) will be played: 21 February 2025. Source: UEFA

Group A2

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Pos Team Pld W D L GF GA GD Pts Qualification or relegation France Iceland Norway Switzerland
1  France 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 Qualification for Nations League Finals 25 Feb 21 Feb 30 May
2  Iceland 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 3 Jun 4 Apr 8 Apr
3  Norway 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 Qualification for relegation play-offs 8 Apr 30 May 25 Feb
4  Switzerland 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 Relegation to League B 4 Apr 21 Feb 3 Jun
First match(es) will be played: 21 February 2025. Source: UEFA

Group A3

[edit]

Pos Team Pld W D L GF GA GD Pts Qualification or relegation Spain England Belgium Portugal
1  Spain 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 Qualification for Nations League Finals 3 Jun 21 Feb 8 Apr
2  England 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 26 Feb 4 Apr 30 May
3  Belgium 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 Qualification for relegation play-offs 30 May 8 Apr 26 Feb
4  Portugal 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 Relegation to League B 4 Apr 21 Feb 3 Jun
First match(es) will be played: 21 February 2025. Source: UEFA

Group A4

[edit]

Pos Team Pld W D L GF GA GD Pts Qualification or relegation Italy Denmark Sweden Wales
1  Italy 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 Qualification for Nations League Finals 25 Feb 30 May 21 Feb
2  Denmark 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 8 Apr 21 Feb 30 May
3  Sweden 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 Qualification for relegation play-offs 4 Apr 3 Jun 8 Apr
4  Wales 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 Relegation to League B 3 Jun 4 Apr 25 Feb
First match(es) will be played: 21 February 2025. Source: UEFA

Nations League Finals

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The pairings and order of legs will be determined via an open draw on approximately 6 June 2025.[3]

Bracket

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Semi-finalsFinal
 
          
 
20–28 Oct 2025
 
 
 
 
26 Nov – 2 Dec 2025
 
 
 
 
 
20–28 Oct 2025
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Third place play-off
 
 
26 Nov – 2 Dec 2025
 
 
 
 
 
 

League B

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Group B1

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Pos Team Pld W D L GF GA GD Pts Promotion, qualification or relegation Poland Northern Ireland Bosnia and Herzegovina Romania
1  Poland 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 Promotion to League A 21 Feb 4 Apr 3 Jun
2  Northern Ireland 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 Qualification for promotion play-offs 30 May 25 Feb 8 Apr
3  Bosnia and Herzegovina 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 Qualification for relegation play-offs or relegation to League C 8 Apr 3 Jun 21 Feb
4  Romania 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 Relegation to League C 25 Feb 4 Apr 30 May
First match(es) will be played: 21 February 2025. Source: UEFA

Group B2

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Pos Team Pld W D L GF GA GD Pts Promotion, qualification or relegation Republic of Ireland Turkey Slovenia Greece
1  Republic of Ireland 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 Promotion to League A 21 Feb 3 Jun 8 Apr
2  Turkey 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 Qualification for promotion play-offs 30 May 8 Apr 25 Feb
3  Slovenia 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 Qualification for relegation play-offs or relegation to League C 25 Feb 4 Apr 30 May
4  Greece 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 Relegation to League C 4 Apr 3 Jun 21 Feb
First match(es) will be played: 21 February 2025. Source: UEFA

Group B3

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Pos Team Pld W D L GF GA GD Pts Promotion, qualification or relegation Finland Serbia Hungary Belarus
1  Finland 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 Promotion to League A 3 Jun 8 Apr 4 Apr
2  Serbia 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 Qualification for promotion play-offs 21 Feb 30 May 25 Feb
3  Hungary 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 Qualification for relegation play-offs or relegation to League C 25 Feb 4 Apr 3 Jun
4  Belarus 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 Relegation to League C 30 May 8 Apr 21 Feb
First match(es) will be played: 21 February 2025. Source: UEFA

Group B4

[edit]

Pos Team Pld W D L GF GA GD Pts Promotion, qualification or relegation Czech Republic Ukraine Croatia Albania
1  Czech Republic 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 Promotion to League A 8 Apr 30 May 25 Feb
2  Ukraine 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 Qualification for promotion play-offs 4 Apr 25 Feb 30 May
3  Croatia 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 Qualification for relegation play-offs or relegation to League C 21 Feb 3 Jun 8 Apr
4  Albania 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 Relegation to League C 3 Jun 21 Feb 4 Apr
First match(es) will be played: 21 February 2025. Source: UEFA

Ranking of third-placed teams

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Pos Grp Team Pld W D L GF GA GD Pts Qualification or relegation
1 B1  Bosnia and Herzegovina 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 Qualification for relegation play-offs
2 B2  Slovenia 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
3 B3  Hungary 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 Relegation to League C
4 B4  Croatia 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
First match(es) will be played: 21 February 2025. Source: UEFA
Rules for classification: Tiebreakers

League C

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Group C1

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Pos Team Pld W D L GF GA GD Pts Promotion or qualification Slovakia Faroe Islands Moldova Gibraltar
1  Slovakia 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 Promotion to League B 21 Feb 25 Feb 30 May
2  Faroe Islands 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 Possible qualification for promotion play-offs 3 Jun 4 Apr 8 Apr
3  Moldova 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 8 Apr 30 May 21 Feb
4  Gibraltar 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 4 Apr 25 Feb 3 Jun
First match(es) will be played: 21 February 2025. Source: UEFA

Group C2

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Pos Team Pld W D L GF GA GD Pts Promotion or qualification Malta Georgia (country) Cyprus Andorra
1  Malta 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 Promotion to League B 8 Apr 30 May 25 Feb
2  Georgia 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 Possible qualification for promotion play-offs 4 Apr 3 Jun 21 Feb
3  Cyprus 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 21 Feb 25 Feb 4 Apr
4  Andorra 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 3 Jun 30 May 8 Apr
First match(es) will be played: 21 February 2025. Source: UEFA

Group C3

[edit]

Pos Team Pld W D L GF GA GD Pts Promotion or qualification Luxembourg Armenia Kazakhstan Liechtenstein
1  Luxembourg 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 Promotion to League B 30 May 21 Feb 25 Feb
2  Armenia 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 Possible qualification for promotion play-offs 4 Apr 25 Feb 21 Feb
3  Kazakhstan 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 3 Jun 8 Apr 30 May
4  Liechtenstein 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 8 Apr 3 Jun 4 Apr
First match(es) will be played: 21 February 2025. Source: UEFA

Group C4

[edit]

Pos Team Pld W D L GF GA GD Pts Promotion or qualification Azerbaijan Montenegro Lithuania
1  Azerbaijan 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 Promotion to League B 21 Feb 30 May
2  Montenegro 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 Possible qualification for promotion play-offs 8 Apr 25 Feb
3  Lithuania 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 4 Apr 3 Jun
First match(es) will be played: 21 February 2025. Source: UEFA

Group C5

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Pos Team Pld W D L GF GA GD Pts Promotion or qualification Israel Bulgaria Estonia
1  Israel 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 Promotion to League B 8 Apr 25 Feb
2  Bulgaria 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 Possible qualification for promotion play-offs 21 Feb 3 Jun
3  Estonia 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 30 May 4 Apr
First match(es) will be played: 21 February 2025. Source: UEFA

Group C6

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Pos Team Pld W D L GF GA GD Pts Promotion or qualification Kosovo Latvia North Macedonia
1  Kosovo 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 Promotion to League B 25 Feb 8 Apr
2  Latvia 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 Possible qualification for promotion play-offs 3 Jun 30 May
3  North Macedonia 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 21 Feb 4 Apr
First match(es) will be played: 21 February 2025. Source: UEFA

Ranking of second-placed teams

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Due to differing group sizes in League C, results against fourth-placed teams are not considered when comparing second-placed teams.[2]

Pos Grp Team Pld W D L GF GA GD Pts Qualification
1 C1  Faroe Islands 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 Qualification for promotion play-offs
2 C2  Georgia 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
3 C3  Armenia 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
4 C4  Montenegro 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
5 C5  Bulgaria 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
6 C6  Latvia 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
First match(es) will be played: 21 February 2025. Source: UEFA
Rules for classification: Tiebreakers

Promotion/relegation matches

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The pairings for the promotion/relegation matches will be determined using a draw on approximately 6 June 2025.[3]

League A vs League B

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Team 1 Agg.Tooltip Aggregate score Team 2 1st leg 2nd leg
Runner-up League B 1 Third place League A TBD TBD
Runner-up League B 2 Third place League A TBD TBD
Runner-up League B 3 Third place League A TBD TBD
Runner-up League B 4 Third place League A TBD TBD

League B vs League C

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Team 1 Agg.Tooltip Aggregate score Team 2 1st leg 2nd leg
Best or second-best runner-up League C 5 Best or second-best third place League B TBD TBD
Best or second-best runner-up League C 6 Best or second-best third place League B TBD TBD

Overall ranking

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The results of each team's league rankings will used to calculate the overall league rankings using the ranking criteria. These rankings, taking promotion and relegation into consideration, will be used to establish the overall phase rankings which will determine the leagues and seeding for the upcoming 2027 Women's World Cup qualifying competition.[2]

League A League B League C[a]

Rnk Team Pld Pts
1  Germany 0 0
2  France 0 0
3  Spain 0 0
4  Italy 0 0
5  Netherlands 0 0
6  Iceland 0 0
7  England 0 0
8  Denmark 0 0
9  Austria 0 0
10  Norway 0 0
11  Belgium 0 0
12  Sweden 0 0
13  Scotland 0 0
14  Switzerland 0 0
15  Portugal 0 0
16  Wales 0 0
First match(es) will be played: 21 February 2025.
Source: UEFA

Rnk Team Pld Pts
17  Poland 0 0
18  Republic of Ireland 0 0
19  Finland 0 0
20  Czech Republic 0 0
21  Northern Ireland 0 0
22  Turkey 0 0
23  Serbia 0 0
24  Ukraine 0 0
25  Bosnia and Herzegovina 0 0
26  Slovenia 0 0
27  Hungary 0 0
28  Croatia 0 0
29  Romania 0 0
30  Greece 0 0
31  Belarus 0 0
32  Albania 0 0
First match(es) will be played: 21 February 2025.
Source: UEFA

Rnk Team Pld Pts
33  Slovakia 0 0
34  Malta 0 0
35  Luxembourg 0 0
36  Azerbaijan 0 0
37  Israel 0 0
38  Kosovo 0 0
39  Faroe Islands 0 0
40  Georgia 0 0
41  Armenia 0 0
42  Montenegro 0 0
43  Bulgaria 0 0
44  Latvia 0 0
45  Moldova 0 0
46  Cyprus 0 0
47  Kazakhstan 0 0
48  Lithuania 0 0
49  Estonia 0 0
50  North Macedonia 0 0
51  Gibraltar 0 0
52  Andorra 0 0
53  Liechtenstein 0 0
First match(es) will be played: 21 February 2025.
Source: UEFA
  1. ^ Due to differing group sizes in League C, results against fourth-placed teams are not considered when comparing teams placed first, second, and third in their respective groups.[2]

References

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  1. ^ a b c d "2024 Women's European Qualifiers overall phase rankings" (PDF). uefa.com. UEFA. Retrieved 5 November 2024.
  2. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l "Regulations of the 2025 UEFA Women's Nations League and 2026 Women's European Qualifiers for the 2027 FIFA Women's World Cup". uefa.com. UEFA. Retrieved 26 October 2024.
  3. ^ a b c d e f g "Women's Nations League: League stage draw". uefa.com. UEFA. Retrieved 7 November 2024.
  4. ^ Gibraltar Women's National Team entered into UEFA Nations League Gibraltar Broadcasting Corporation. 22 October 2024. Retrieved 23 October 2024.
  5. ^ "Gibraltar Women's Football Gets Major Boost with Entry into Nations League". Gibraltar Chronicle. Retrieved 25 October 2024.
  6. ^ "Nations League für das Frauen Nationalteam". Radio Liechtenstein (in German). 8 October 2024. Retrieved 5 November 2024.
  7. ^ "FIFA/UEFA suspend Russian clubs and national teams from all competitions". UEFA.com. Union of European Football Associations. 28 February 2022. Retrieved 27 September 2022.
  8. ^ "2025 UEFA Women's Nations League and 2026 Women's European Qualifiers for the 2027 FIFA Women's World Cup" (ZIP). UEFA Circular Letter. No. 53/2024. UEFA. 30 September 2024. Retrieved 25 October 2024.