Football NewsThe GuardianUnverified source· 28 Sept 2026
Nations League proves critics wrong after skeptical start
Once dismissed as a pointless addition, the Nations League has become a welcome example of soccer done well.


Nations
team
Introduced
2018
England 2022
2-1 win at Italy
England 2018
2-1 loss to Spain
England 2014
1-0 win over Norway
What happened. The UEFA Nations League was met with skepticism when it launched in 2018, but it has since shown that administrators can get things right.
- England's first post-World Cup games often felt like anticlimaxes.
- The tournament provides competitive matches after major tournaments.
- It has gained acceptance as a worthwhile addition to the calendar.
The Nations League continues to offer meaningful competition, proving its initial doubters wrong.
In this story
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