England will face Italy twice next year in a repeat of this summer’s European Championship final after Gareth Southgate’s team were also drawn with old foes Germany and familiar opponents Hungary in the UEFA Nations League.
Four of the six games will take place between June 2-14, at the conclusion of the club campaign, with the final two fixtures in September. The finals are scheduled to take place in the summer of 2023. Exact dates and kick-off times are expected to be announced tomorrow morning.
The group stage will serve as a vital opportunity for Southgate to make key decisions in the buildup to the Qatar World Cup, which begins next November, as well as a chance to seek revenge or dredge up some recent nightmares from July’s penalty shootout defeat.
The FA is expected to arrange a couple of friendlies against high-level opponents this March but were waiting to learn of their opponents in this competition before confirming plans.
Scotland and Republic of Ireland were paired together in League B in a group also featuring Ukraine and Armenia, while Northern Ireland were drawn with the winner of a Cyprus vs Estonia game in March, Kosovo and Greece in League C.
LEAGUE A
A1: Austria, Croatia, Denmark, France
A2: Czech Republic, Switzerland, Portugal, Spain
A3: Hungary, England, Germany, Italy
A4: Wales, Poland, Netherlands, Belgium
LEAGUE B
B1: Armenia, Republic of Ireland, Scotland, Ukraine
B2: Albania, Israel, Russia, Iceland
B3: Montenegro, Romania, Finland, Bosnia-Herzegovina
B4: Slovenia, Serbia, Norway, Sweden
LEAGUE C
C1: Faroe Islands, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Turkey
C2: Winner of Cyprus/Estonia, Kosovo, Greece, Northern Ireland
C3: Winner of Kazakhstan/Moldova, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Slovakia
C4: Gibraltar, Georgia, North Macedonia, Bulgaria
LEAGUE D
D1: Latvia, Andorra, loser of Kazakhstan/Moldova, Liechtenstein
D2: San Marino, loser of Cyprus/Estonia, Malta
