2019 UEFA Nations League Finals
The 2019 UEFA Nations League Finals was the final tournament of the 2018–19 edition of the UEFA Nations League, the inaugural season of the international football competition involving the men's national teams of the 55 member associations of UEFA.[2] The tournament was held in Portugal from 5 to 9 June 2019,[3] and was contested by the four group winners of Nations League A. The tournament consisted of two semi-finals, a third place play-off, and final to determine the inaugural champions of the UEFA Nations League.
| Fase Final da Liga das Nações da UEFA de 2019 (in Portuguese) | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Tournament details | |
| Host country | Portugal |
| Dates | 5–9 June |
| Teams | 4 |
| Venue(s) | 2 (in 2 host cities) |
| Final positions | |
| Champions |  |
| Runners-up |  |
| Third place |  |
| Fourth place |  |
| Tournament statistics | |
| Matches played | 4 |
| Goals scored | 9 (2.25 per match) |
| Attendance | 127,067 (31,767 per match) |
| Top scorer(s) | |
| Best player(s) | |
| Best young player | |
Portugal won the final 1–0 against the Netherlands to become the first champions of the UEFA Nations League.
Format
The Nations League Finals took place in June 2019 and was contested by the four group winners of League A. The four teams were each drawn into a five-team group (rather than a six-team group) for the UEFA Euro 2020 qualifying group stage, thereby leaving the June 2019 window available for the Nations League Finals.[4]
The competition was played in a knockout format, consisting of two semi-finals, a third place play-off, and a final. The semi-final pairings, along with the administrative home teams for the third place play-off and final, were determined by means of an open draw on 3 December 2018.[5]
The tournament took place over five days, with the first semi-final (which features the host team) on 5 June, the second semi-final on 6 June, and the third place play-off and final on 9 June.[6] The winners of the final was crowned as the inaugural champions of the UEFA Nations League.[7]
The Nations League Finals were played in single-leg knockout matches. If the scores were level at the end of normal time, 30 minutes of extra time are played, where each team is allowed to make a fourth substitution.[8] If the score is still level, the winner is determined by a penalty shoot-out. All matches in the tournament will utilise the goal-line technology system.[9] On 3 December, UEFA confirmed that the video assistant referee (VAR) system will be used for the Nations League Finals.[10]
Qualified teams
The four group winners of League A qualified for the Nations League Finals.[11]
| Group | Winners | Date of qualification |
UNL Rankings November 2018 |
FIFA Rankings April 2019 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| A1 | |
19 November 2018 | 3 | 16 |
| A2 | |
18 November 2018 | 1 | 8 |
| A3 | |
17 November 2018 | 2 | 7 |
| A4 | |
18 November 2018 | 4 | 4 |
Host selection
Portugal was confirmed as the host country by the UEFA Executive Committee during their meeting on 3 December 2018 in Dublin, Republic of Ireland.[12][13] Only League A teams could bid for the Nations League Finals, and only one of the four participants could be selected as hosts. The Nations League Finals was held in two stadiums, each with a seating capacity of at least 30,000. Ideally, the stadiums would have been located in the same host city or up to approximately 150 kilometres (93 mi) apart.[14][15]
On 9 March 2018, UEFA announced that Italy, Poland and Portugal expressed interest in bidding prior to the deadline. The deadline to submit their dossiers was 31 August 2018. As all three associations formed Group A3, the group winner was in line to be appointed as the host, provided that the associations submit bids which meet UEFA's requirements.[16] Poland were relegated from Group A3 on 14 October 2018, leaving Italy and Portugal as potential hosts.[17] On 17 November 2018, Portugal won Group A3 and advanced to the Finals,[18] thereby automatically winning hosting rights, which were confirmed by the UEFA Executive Committee on 3 December 2018, the same day as the Nations League Finals draw.[3]
Venues
In their bid dossier, the Portuguese Football Federation proposed Estádio do Dragão in Porto and Estádio D. Afonso Henriques in Guimarães as the venues.[3]
| Porto | Guimarães | |
|---|---|---|
| Estádio do Dragão | Estádio D. Afonso Henriques | |
| Capacity: 50,033 | Capacity: 30,000 | |
 |
 |
Draw
The draw took place on 3 December 2018, 14:30 CET (13:30 local time) at the Shelbourne Hotel in Dublin, Republic of Ireland.[19][20][21] No seeding was applied in the draw. The first two balls drawn were allocated as the administrative home teams for each semi-final pairing, with the next two balls drawn allocated as their opponents. For scheduling purposes, the semi-final pairing involving the host team was considered to be semi-final 1. The administrative home team for both the third place play-off and final were then drawn between semi-final 1 and 2.[5]
Squads
Each national team had to submit a squad of 23 players, three of whom had to be goalkeepers, at least ten days before the opening match of the tournament. If a player became injured or ill severely enough to prevent his participation in the tournament before his team's first match, he was replaced by another player.[9]
Bracket
| Semi-finals | Final | |||||
| 5 June – Porto | ||||||
| 3 | |||||
| 9 June – Porto | ||||||
| 1 | |||||
| 1 | |||||
| 6 June – Guimarães | ||||||
| 0 | |||||
| 3 | |||||
| 1 | |||||
| Third place play-off | ||||||
| 9 June – Guimarães | ||||||
| 0 (5) | |||||
| 0 (6) | |||||
Semi-finals
Portugal vs Switzerland
| Portugal | 3–1 | |
|---|---|---|
|
Report |
          Portugal[23]
|
 Switzerland[23]
|
|
 |
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|
Man of the Match:
Assistant referees:[23]
|
Netherlands vs England
| Netherlands | 3–1 (a.e.t.) | |
|---|---|---|
| Report |
     Netherlands[26]
|
    England[26]
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|
 |
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|
Man of the Match:
Assistant referees:[26]
|
Third place play-off
| Switzerland | 0–0 (a.e.t.) | |
|---|---|---|
| Report | ||
| Penalties | ||
| 5–6 | ||
   Switzerland[29]
|
England[29]
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 |
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|
Man of the Match:
Assistant referees:[29]
|
Final
| Portugal | 1–0 | |
|---|---|---|
|
Report |
Portugal[32]
|
     Netherlands[32]
|
|
 |
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|
Man of the Match:
Assistant referees:[34]
|
Statistics
Goalscorers
There were 9 goals scored in 4 matches, for an average of 2.25 goals per match.
3 goals
1 goal
1 own goal
Source: UEFA
Awards
- Team of the Tournament
The Team of the Tournament was selected by UEFA's technical observers, and includes at least one player from each of the four participants.[35]
| Goalkeeper | Defenders | Midfielders | Forwards |
|---|---|---|---|
|
|
|
|
UEFA also announced a team of the tournament based on the FedEx Performance Zone player rankings.[36]
| Goalkeeper | Defenders | Midfielders | Forwards |
|---|---|---|---|
|
|
|
|
- Player of the Tournament
The Player of the Tournament award was given to Bernardo Silva, who was chosen by UEFA's technical observers.
- Young Player of the Tournament
The SOCAR Young Player of the Tournament award was open to players born on or after 1 January 1996. The award was given to Frenkie de Jong, as chosen by UEFA's technical observers.
- Top Scorer
The "Alipay Top Scorer Trophy", given to the top scorer in the Nations League Finals,[37] was awarded to Cristiano Ronaldo, who scored a hat-trick in the semi-final against Switzerland.[38] The ranking was determined using the following criteria: 1) goals in Nations League Finals, 2) assists in Nations League Finals, 3) fewest minutes played in Nations League Finals, 4) goals in league phase 5) fewest yellow and red cards in Nations League Finals, 6) fewest yellow and red cards in league phase.[39]
| Rank | Player | Goals | Assists | Minutes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
 |
|
3 | 0 | 191 |
 |
|
1 | 1 | 101 |
 |
|
1 | 0 | 49 |
- Goal of the Tournament
The SOCAR Goal of the Tournament was decided by online voting. A total four goals were in the shortlist, chosen by UEFA's technical observers, from two players: Cristiano Ronaldo (all three goals against Switzerland) and Matthijs de Ligt (against England).[40][41] Ronaldo won the award for his second goal against Switzerland.[42]
| Rank | Goalscorer | Opponent | Score | Result | Round |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
|
|
2–1 | 3–1 | Semi-finals |
|
3–1 | ||||
|
1–0 | ||||
| 4 | |
|
1–1 | 3–1 (a.e.t.) | Semi-finals |
Discipline
A player is automatically suspended for the next match for receiving a red card, which may be extended for serious offences. Yellow card suspensions do not apply in the Nations League Finals.[9]
The following suspensions were served during the tournament:[43]
| Player | Offence(s) | Suspension(s) |
|---|---|---|
|
 |
Semi-finals vs Switzerland (5 June 2019) |
Prize money
The prize money to be distributed was announced in October 2018.[44] In addition to the €2.25 million solidarity fee for participating in the Nations League, the four participants will receive an additional €2.25 million for winning their groups and qualifying for the Nations League Finals.
In addition, the participants will receive payment based on performance:
- Winners: €6 million
- Runners-up: €4.5 million
- Third place: €3.5 million
- Fourth place: €2.5 million
This means that the maximum amount of solidarity and bonus fees for the UEFA Nations League winners is €10.5 million.
References
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- "UEFA Nations League receives associations' green light". UEFA.com. 27 March 2014.
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- "UEFA Nations League format and schedule approved". UEFA.com. 4 December 2014.
- "UEFA Nations League Finals: Draw Procedure" (PDF). UEFA.com. Union of European Football Associations. 27 September 2018. Retrieved 27 September 2018.
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- "UEFA Nations League regulations approved". UEFA.com. Union of European Football Associations. 20 September 2017. Retrieved 29 January 2018.
- "Italy, Poland, Portugal express interest in hosting Nations League Finals". UEFA.com. Union of European Football Associations. 9 March 2018. Retrieved 9 March 2018.
- "Italy relegate Poland as Russia near promotion". UEFA.com. Union of European Football Associations. 14 October 2018. Retrieved 15 October 2018.
- "Portugal hold Italy to reach Finals, Sweden win". UEFA.com. 17 November 2018.
- "UEFA Nations League Finals draw". UEFA.com.
- "2019 UEFA Nations League Finals draw press kit" (PDF). UEFA.com. Union of European Football Associations. 30 November 2018. Retrieved 2 December 2018.
- "Nations League Finals draw: Portugal v Switzerland, Netherlands v England". UEFA.com. Union of European Football Associations. 3 December 2018. Retrieved 3 December 2018.
- "Full Time Report – Semi-finals – Portugal v Switzerland" (PDF). UEFA.com. Union of European Football Associations. 5 June 2019. Retrieved 5 June 2019.
- "Tactical Line-ups – Semi-finals – Portugal v Switzerland" (PDF). UEFA.com. Union of European Football Associations. 5 June 2019. Retrieved 5 June 2019.
- Atkin, John (5 June 2019). "Portugal 3–1 Switzerland: Nations League at a glance". UEFA.com. Porto: Union of European Football Associations. Retrieved 5 June 2019.
- "Full Time Report – Semi-finals – Netherlands v England" (PDF). UEFA.com. Union of European Football Associations. 6 June 2019. Retrieved 6 June 2019.
- "Tactical Line-ups – Semi-finals – Netherlands v England" (PDF). UEFA.com. Union of European Football Associations. 6 June 2019. Retrieved 6 June 2019.
- Atkin, John (6 June 2019). "Netherlands 3–1 England: Nations League at a glance". UEFA.com. Guimarães: Union of European Football Associations. Retrieved 6 June 2019.
- "Full Time Report – Third-place match – Switzerland v England" (PDF). UEFA.com. Union of European Football Associations. 9 June 2019. Retrieved 9 June 2019.
- "Tactical Line-ups – Third-place match – Switzerland v England" (PDF). UEFA.com. Union of European Football Associations. 9 June 2019. Retrieved 9 June 2019.
- "England beat Switzerland on penalties in Nations League match for third place". UEFA.com. Union of European Football Associations. 9 June 2019. Retrieved 9 June 2019.
- "Full Time Report – Final – Portugal v Netherlands" (PDF). UEFA.com. Union of European Football Associations. 9 June 2019. Retrieved 9 June 2019.
- "Tactical Line-ups – Final – Portugal v Netherlands" (PDF). UEFA.com. Union of European Football Associations. 9 June 2019. Retrieved 9 June 2019.
- Atkin, John (9 June 2019). "Portugal 1–0 Netherlands: Nations League final at a glance". UEFA.com. Porto: Union of European Football Associations. Retrieved 9 June 2019.
- "Porto swansong for proud Undiano". UEFA.com. Union of European Football Associations. 7 June 2019. Retrieved 9 June 2019.
- "UEFA Nations League Finals: Team of the Tournament". UEFA.com. Union of European Football Associations. 10 June 2019. Retrieved 10 June 2019.
- UEFA [@UEFAEURO] (9 June 2019). "FedEx Performance Zone Team of the Tournament" (Tweet). Archived from the original on 10 June 2019. Retrieved 10 June 2019 – via Twitter.
- "Strikers compete for Alipay trophy at Nations League". UEFA.com. Union of European Football Associations. 30 May 2019. Retrieved 3 June 2019.
- UEFA [@UEFAEURO] (10 June 2019). "Alipay Top Scorer rankings" (Tweet). Archived from the original on 10 June 2019. Retrieved 10 June 2019 – via Twitter.
- "Alipay Top Scorer". UEFA.com. Union of European Football Associations. 9 June 2019. Archived from the original on 9 June 2019. Retrieved 9 June 2019.
- "SOCAR Goal of the Tournament". UEFA.com. Union of European Football Associations. 9 June 2019. Retrieved 10 June 2019.
- UEFA [@UEFAEURO] (9 June 2019). "SOCAR Goal of the Tournament" (Tweet). Archived from the original on 10 June 2019. Retrieved 10 June 2019 – via Twitter.
- "Goal of the Tournament: clean sweep for Ronaldo". UEFA.com. Union of European Football Associations. 10 June 2019. Retrieved 10 June 2019.
- "UEFA Nations League 2019: Booking List before semi-finals" (PDF). UEFA.com. Union of European Football Associations. 29 May 2019. Retrieved 2 June 2019.
- "Increased UEFA Nations League solidarity and bonus fees". UEFA.com. Union of European Football Associations. 10 October 2018. Retrieved 19 November 2018.