The UEFA Nations League has become one of the most attractive competitions in soccer. UEFA created this tournament in 2018, which is a league in which national teams compete and was made to replace the international friendlies, allowing national teams to play against teams of the same level.
The Nations League has four divisions. The 55 teams are divided into divisions A, B, C, and D. They are selected according to their UEFA ranking, and according to the team´s performance in the previous years’ competitions.
That is why the best teams compete against the best teams for the title, while the weakest teams compete against the weakest to fight for promotion. The Nations League has it all. Promotion, relegation, and a champion. In Group 2 of League B, Iceland, Russia, Albania, and Israel were paired. But Russia will not be able to play any matches. Find out here why the match between Russia and Iceland was canceled.
Why was the game between Russia and Iceland canceled?
On February 24, 2022, Russia invaded Ukraine and triggered a war between the two countries. For that reason, the UEFA Executive Committee sanctioned the Russian Football Federation and excluded it from international competitions.
Russia will not participate in Group 2 of League B and will be automatically ranked as the bottom team in the group. Consequently, at the end of the group stage, they will be relegated to 16th and last place in League B. Furthermore, will most likely be relegated to the C division.
By the same measure, Russian teams could not compete in any competition organized by UEFA, be it the Champions League, the Europa League, or the Conference League. In addition, UEFA rejected Russia’s bid to host the men’s UEFA European Championship in 2028 and 2032.
