Nations League: Northern Ireland will face Austria, Norway and Romania

Northern Ireland have been drawn alongside Austria, Norway and Romania in Group B1 in the UEFA Nations League.
By Sports Desk
Published 3rd Mar 2020, 18:06 BST
Updated 3rd Mar 2020, 18:10 BST
Rafael van Der Vaart (right) draws Northern Ireland during the UEFA Nations League 2020/21 draw at the Beurs van Berlage Conference Centre, Amsterdam.Rafael van Der Vaart (right) draws Northern Ireland during the UEFA Nations League 2020/21 draw at the Beurs van Berlage Conference Centre, Amsterdam.
Rafael van Der Vaart (right) draws Northern Ireland during the UEFA Nations League 2020/21 draw at the Beurs van Berlage Conference Centre, Amsterdam.

The group matches will be played between September and November this year.

The competition also provides a back door to qualification for the 2022 World Cup.

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The two highest-ranked Nations League group winners who do not either win their World Cup qualifying group or finish as runners-up will enter a 12-team play-off to secure the final three European places at the finals in Qatar.

England will take on Belgium, Denmark and Iceland in the UEFA Nations League.

The Three Lions faced Roberto Martinez’s Belgium side twice at the 2018 World Cup, once at the end of the group phase and again in the third-place play-off, losing on both occasions.

They are due to face the Danes in a friendly later this month – coronavirus permitting – while they famously lost to Iceland in Nice at Euro 2016.

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Wales and the Republic of Ireland will meet again after they were drawn in the same group.

Ryan Giggs’ men will take on the Irish in Group Four of League B in UEFA’s competition, which was a big success in its inaugural edition in 2018-19.

The sides met in that first competition too, with Wales winning both encounters.

The other sides in Group B4 are first-time Euro finalists Finland and Bulgaria.

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Scotland, who are due to take on Israel in a Euro 2020 qualification play-off later this month, will also face them in the 2020-21 Nations League.

Steve Clarke’s men will also face the Czech Republic and Slovakia in Group B2.

France and Croatia, who met in the 2018 World Cup final, were paired together in Group A3, while Spain and Germany go head to head in A4.

The group winners from League A will contest the Nations League finals in June 2021, with one of them being selected to host it.

Related topics:NorwayWalesIcelandEnglandBelgium