The main question ahead of the start of the UEFA Nations League 2024/25 is how much the results of this tournament will impact the qualification for the 2026 World Cup. The answer is that winning a Nations League group can indeed help in World Cup qualification.
How does the Nations League affect WC-2026 qualification?
First of all, the number of World Cup slots for European teams has increased to 16, four more than in previous tournaments. The main qualification for the World Cup will consist of 12 groups, with 4-5 teams in each group. Only the group winners will qualify directly for the World Cup. However, the remaining 4 spots will be contested in a mini-tournament, which promises to be more intense than the World Cup itself.
What is the mini-tournament for the remaining spots?
In this mini-tournament, 16 countries will fight for the 4 remaining places. These teams will include the second-placed teams from the World Cup qualification groups, as well as the four best Nations League group winners from teams that did not finish in the top two of their qualifying group.
What does this mean for Nations League group winners?
The Nations League consists of 18 groups, which means that 18 group winners will have a chance to continue competing for a place at the World Cup. This is especially important for teams in Division C, as the group winners in Divisions A and B will likely secure top positions in the World Cup qualifiers and will not participate in the additional qualification.
There is a 90% probability that every Division C group winner will get a chance to compete in the final stage of the qualification process.
How do Nations League victories affect the FIFA ranking?
Another important point is that winning matches in the Nations League helps improve a team’s position in the FIFA rankings. The FIFA ranking directly affects a team’s position during the World Cup qualification draw. Therefore, success in the Nations League not only increases the chances of participating in additional qualifiers but can also lead to a more favorable draw in the main qualification.
Each team will have six matches in total to gather the necessary points and improve their ranking.
Nations League 2024/25 match schedule for Armenia:
- September 7 — Armenia vs Latvia
- September 10 — North Macedonia vs Armenia
- October 10 — Faroe Islands vs Armenia
- October 13 — Armenia vs North Macedonia
- November 14 — Armenia vs Faroe Islands
- November 17 — Latvia vs Armenia
Thus, the Nations League is not just a tournament but a real opportunity for teams like Armenia to secure a place in the 2026 World Cup, improve their rankings, and provide an additional path to the tournament.
