England find out 2022-23 UEFA Nations League opponents

England will face Germany, Italy and Hungary in the 2022-23 UEFA Nations League.

The draw for the third edition of the competition was made by World Cup winner Robert Pires and former Spain international Gaizka Mendieta this evening at UEFA’s headquarters in Nyon, Switzerland.

And the Three Lions were drawn against fellow EURO 2020 finalists Italy, the side they defeated in the last 16, Germany, and their recent Word Cup qualifying opponents Hungary. 

England finished the inaugural 2018-19 Nations League in third place, before having to settle for ninth position two years later.

With the 2022-23 draw having only taken place tonight, the exact fixtures are yet to be decided but should be announced tomorrow morning.

There will be 55 teams taking part across the four Leagues, with England among the leading 16 teams in League A, which is then split into four groups.

All teams in a group play each other home and away, with four games taking place in June 2022 and the other two in September 2022.

The ultimate goal for sides is to finish top of one of the four League A groups and reach the four-team Finals in June 2023.

Find out more about the 2022-23 Nations League below.

When will the UEFA 2022-23 Nations League fixtures be?

Matches 1 and 2: 2–8 June 2022
Matches 3 and 4: 8–14 June 2022
Matches 5 and 6: 22–27 September 2022
Finals draw: TBC
Semi-finals: 14 and 15 June 2023
Final and third-place match: 18 June 2023
Play-outs: 21–23 and 24–26 March 2024

How does the 2022-23 Nations League draw work?

The 55 UEFA member nations are divided into four leagues based on the 2022-23 UEFA Nations League Access List, which is determined by the results from the previous Nations League tournament. 

The top three divisions, so League A, B and C, will have 16 teams and League D will include the remaining seven.

England are in League A, which was then divided into four pots for tonight’s 2022-23 Nations League draw.

Pot 1 included the four best-ranked teams from the 2020-21 competition, so winners France, runners-up Spain and the two other sides at the Finals, Italy and Belgium.

Pot 2 included the teams ranked fifth to eighth, Pot 3 was ninth to 12th and Pot 4 was 13th to 16th.

League B, C and D follow a similar draw format to League A.

What Nations League Pot were England in?

With England finishing the 2020-21 UEFA Nations League in 9th position, having come third in their League A group behind Belgium and Denmark, it meant Southgate’s men went into tonight’s draw in Pot 3 alongside Poland, Switzerland and Croatia.

How does the UEFA Nations League work?

The four group winners from League A will compete in the 2022-23 UEFA Nations League Finals in June 2023. The semi-finals are scheduled for 14 and 15 June 2023, with the Final and third-place match taking place on 18 June 2023.

In the past, the host of the Finals has been one of four competing teams.

The four teams who finish bottom of their group in League A and B will be relegated to the division below, with the four teams on the bottom of the groups in League C taking part in a play-out, where the bottom two will move down to League D.

The sides relegated are then replaced by teams promoted from the Leagues below.

Does the Nations League impact UEFA EURO 2024 qualifying?

In the past the Nations League has provided teams an additional chance to qualify for the European Championship via the play-offs but UEFA state the format of the EURO 2024 qualifying has yet to be confirmed.

The rules around UEFA EURO 2024 qualification are expected by June 2022.

2022/23 UEFA Nations League draw in full

Group A1
France
Denmark
Croatia
Austria

Group A2
Spain
Portugal
Switzerland
Czech Republic

Group A3
Italy
Germany
England
Hungary

Group A4
Belgium
Netherlands
Poland
Wales

Group B1
Ukraine
Scotland
Republic of Ireland
Armenia

Group B2
Iceland
Russia
Israel
Albania

Group B3
Bosnia and Herzegovina
Finland
Romania
Montenegro

Group B4
Sweden
Norway
Serbia
Slovenia

Group C1
Turkey
Luxembourg
Lithuania
Faroe Islands

Group C2
Northern Ireland
Greece
Kosovo
Cyprus/Estonia

Group C3
Slovakia
Belarus
Azerbaijan
Kazakhstan/Moldova

Group C4
Bulgaria
North Macedonia
Georgia
Gibraltar

Group D1
Liechtenstein
Kazakhstan/Moldova
Andorra
Latvia

Group D2
Malta
Cyprus/Estonia
San Marino