On Thursday, world Champions France help kick off the inaugural UEFA Nations League against Germany, the start of a six days of action that also includes England v Spain and Portugal V Italy.

UEFA crated the Nations League to replace friendlies with competitive matches, allowing nations to play equally ranked teams. The four group winners of the top-ranked League A qualify for the UEFA Nations League finals in June 2019. For the remaining sides, there is promotion and relegation to play for, not to mention a potential route to UEFA EURO 2020.

The qualifying campaign for Euro 2020 will produce 20 of its 24 offspring within nine months, from Immaculate Conception in March 2019 to cigars all round in November. There’ll be 10 groups of five or six teams and the top two will qualify: simplicity itself. And June of that year will no longer see fans deprived of an international tournament. Even with no World Cup or European Championship, we’ll be watching the finals of the UEFA Nations League.

The 55 associations were split into four Leagues according to their position in the UEFA National Team Coefficient Rankings. A draw was held in Lausanne on 24 January to further divide each League into groups of three or four. Teams play each other home and away in September, October and November. The group winners in Leagues B, C and D gain promotion and those who finish bottom of the groups in Leagues A, B and C are relegated. The next season is 2020/21.

The four group winners of League A qualify for the UEFA Nations League finals next June. The knockout tournament will be hosted by one of the quartet, with the draw in early December 2018.

Leagues and groups

League A

Group 1: France, Germany, Netherlands

Group 2: Belgium, Iceland, Switzerland

Group 3: Italy, Poland, Portugal

Group 4: Croatia, England, Spain

League B

Group 1: Czech Republic, Slovakia, Ukraine

Group 2: Russia, Sweden, Turkey

Group 3: Austria, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Northern Ireland

Group 4: Denmark, Republic of Ireland, Wales

League C

Group 1: Albania, Israel, Scotland

Group 2: Estonia, Finland, Greece, Hungary

Group 3: Bulgaria, Cyprus, Norway, Slovenia

Group 4: Lithuania, Montenegro, Romania, Serbia

League D

Group 1: Andorra, Georgia, Kazakhstan, Latvia

Group 2: Belarus, Luxembourg, Moldova, San Marino

Group 3: Azerbaijan, Faroe Islands, Kosovo, Malta

Group 4: Armenia, Macedonia, Gibraltar Liechtenstein

When do the matches and finals take place?

Matchday 1: 6–8 September 2018

Matchday 2: 9–11 September 2018

Matchday 3: 11–13 October 2018

Matchday 4: 14–16 October 2018

Matchday 5: 15–17 November 2018

Matchday 6: 18–20 November 2018

Finals draw: tbc

Finals: 5–9 June 2019

UEFA EURO 2020 play-off draw: 22 November 2019

UEFA EURO 2020 play-offs: 26–31 March 2020