Two matches remain in the inaugural Women’s Nations League group stages with promotion, relegation and qualification for next year’s Olympics in Paris all on the line.
England still have an outside chance of winning Group A1, but Scotland and Wales are both battling to avoid relegation into League B.
Meanwhile, Republic of Ireland have already secured promotion to League A, while Northern Ireland can still go up via a play-off.
With two matches left in most of the groups, BBC Sport gives you the lowdown on how qualifying is shaping up.
How does the Women’s Nations League work?
The 2023-24 competition consists of two leagues of 16 teams and a third of 19.
League A – the top division – and League B are split into four groups of four, while League C is made up of four groups of four and one of three.
The winners of each group in League A advance to next year’s finals tournament, where the two finalists will qualify for Paris 2024.
If France, who have already qualified as hosts, are in the final, the winner of the third-placed play-off will reach the Olympics.
The winners of each group in Leagues B and C will be automatically promoted into the division above, with the fourth-placed finishers in Leagues A and B – and the worst-ranked third-placed side in League B – going straight down.
The second-placed sides in League B will meet the third-placed sides in League A in a two-legged promotion and relegation play-off for a spot in the top tier.
The three best-ranked runners-up in League C will also face the remaining three third-placed sides from the second tier in a play-off for a spot in League B.
| Group A1 | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Team | P | GD | PTS | |
| 1 | Netherlands | 4 | 5 | 9 |
| 2 | Belgium | 4 | 1 | 7 |
| 3 | England | 4 | 0 | 6 |
| 4 | Scotland | 4 | -6 | 1 |
Team GB will be at next summer’s Olympics if nominated nation England reach the Nations League final, or finish third in the finals tournament if France make the final.
But, after losses away to the Netherlands and Belgium, Sarina Wiegman’s team may not top Group A1 even if they win their final matches against the Netherlands and Scotland.
Scotland need to win their final two matches, and hope other results go their way, to avoid automatic relegation to League B. The side who finishes third in Group A1 will drop into the promotion and relegation play-offs in February.
| Group A2 | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Team | P | GD | PTS | |
| 1 | France | 4 | 4 | 10 |
| 2 | Austria | 4 | 1 | 7 |
| 3 | Portugal | 4 | -3 | 3 |
| 4 | Norway | 4 | -2 | 2 |
France will reach the Nations League finals if they beat Austria on 1 December. Herve Renard’s side can also advance with two draws regardless of Austria’s results.
Only Austria can topple France at the top of Group A2. Irene Fuhrmann’s team, Portugal and Norway are all in relegation contention.
| Group A3 | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Team | P | GD | PTS | |
| 1 | Denmark | 4 | 8 | 12 |
| 2 | Germany | 4 | 8 | 9 |
| 3 | Iceland | 4 | -6 | 3 |
| 4 | Wales | 4 | -10 | 0 |
The best Wales can hope for is a spot in the promotion and relegation play-offs. They face Iceland and Germany in home matches on 1 and 5 December respectively.
Denmark can reach the finals with a win over Germany on 1 December.
| Group A4 | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Team | P | GD | PTS | |
| 1 | Spain | 4 | 13 | 12 |
| 2 | Sweden | 4 | 1 | 7 |
| 3 | Italy | 4 | -1 | 4 |
| 4 | Switzerland | 4 | -13 | 0 |
World champions Spain need two more points to secure a spot in the Nations League finals. Only Sweden can overtake them at the top of Group A4.
Switzerland will go straight down to League B if they fail to pick up at least four points across their final two matches, and must rely on other results going their way.
| Group B1 | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Team | P | GD | PTS | |
| 1 | Republic of Ireland | 4 | 12 | 12 |
| 2 | Hungary | 4 | -3 | 5 |
| 3 | Northern Ireland | 4 | -3 | 4 |
| 4 | Albania | 4 | -6 | 1 |
In Group B1, Republic of Ireland secured promotion to League A with two matches to spare after beating Albania in October.
Wins over Albania and the Republic in their final two matches may not be enough for Northern Ireland to finish second and reach the play-offs for a place in League A.
Two defeats could mean Tanya Oxtoby’s side finish fourth and drop straight down into League C.
| Group B2 | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Team | P | GD | PTS | |
| 1 | Finland | 4 | 10 | 12 |
| 2 | Slovakia | 4 | 1 | 7 |
| 3 | Croatia | 4 | -8 | 3 |
| 4 | Romania | 4 | -3 | 1 |
Finland are on the cusp of promotion to League A, and will reach it if they beat winless Romania on 30 November.
Romania will be relegated unless they win at least one of their final two matches. Croatia, on three points, are in danger of automatically going down as the worst-ranked third-placed side in League B.
| Group B3 | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Team | P | GD | PTS | |
| 1 | Poland | 4 | 4 | 10 |
| 2 | Serbia | 4 | 4 | 7 |
| 3 | Ukraine | 4 | -2 | 3 |
| 4 | Greece | 4 | -6 | 3 |
It’s still all to play for in Group B3. Only Poland have guaranteed a spot in the promotion play-offs.
Serbia may still leapfrog them into first. But, such is the competitiveness of the group, they could yet slide in the opposite direction and finish fourth.
| Group B4 | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Team | P | GD | PTS | |
| 1 | Bosnia & Herzegovina | 4 | 2 | 8 |
| 2 | Czech Republic | 4 | 2 | 7 |
| 3 | Slovenia | 4 | -2 | 3 |
| 4 | Belarus | 4 | -2 | 2 |
Group B4 is equally as tight. Incredibly, fourth-placed Belarus could still finish first and gain automatic promotion into League A.
It would take a remarkable set of results to happen though. Bosnia and Herzegovina will top the group if they win both of their final fixtures.
| Group C1 | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Team | P | GD | PTS | |
| 1 | Malta | 4 | 11 | 12 |
| 2 | Latvia | 4 | 8 | 7 |
| 3 | Andorra | 4 | -11 | 3 |
| 4 | Moldova | 4 | -8 | 1 |
Moldova are already out of promotion contention from Group C1, while the best Andorra can hope for is a spot in the play-offs.
| Group C2 | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Team | P | GD | PTS | |
| 1 | Turkey | 4 | 10 | 12 |
| 2 | Luxembourg | 4 | -3 | 4 |
| 3 | Lithuania | 4 | -1 | 4 |
| 4 | Georgia | 4 | -6 | 2 |
Turkey have already been promoted automatically into League B. Luxembourg are ahead of Lithuania in second because of head-to-head results.
| Group C3 | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Team | P | GD | PTS | |
| 1 | Azerbaijan | 4 | 5 | 10 |
| 2 | Cyprus | 4 | 0 | 7 |
| 3 | Montenegro | 4 | -1 | 6 |
| 4 | Faroe Islands | 4 | -4 | 0 |
Azerbaijan, Cyprus and Montenegro can all still be promoted automatically from Group C3 into League B. The Faroe Islands are out of promotion contention.
| Group C4 | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Team | P | GD | PTS | |
| 1 | Israel | 3 | 7 | 7 |
| 2 | Estonia | 4 | 2 | 7 |
| 3 | Khazakstan | 4 | -1 | 5 |
| 4 | Armenia | 3 | -8 | 0 |
All teams left in Group C4 could still mathematically achieve automatic promotion to League B. Israel and Armenia both have three games left to play.
| Group C5 | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Team | P | GD | PTS | |
| 1 | Kosovo | 3 | 4 | 7 |
| 2 | Bulgaria | 2 | 1 | 4 |
| 3 | North Macedonia | 3 | -5 | 0 |
And in Group C5, North Macedonia are already eliminated from promotion contention. Bulgaria and Moldova face each other on 1 December in a crucial fixture.
How do the finals in the Nations League work?
A draw will decide the semi-final ties between the group winners from League A, as well as the home team in each of the matches.
The matches, which will take place between 21 and 28 February 2024, will be played as single-leg games, with two semi-finals, a third-place play-off and a final.
