4 Teams That Have Shone in the UEFA Nations League Since Its Creation

Since its inception in 2018, the UEFA Nations League has provided a compelling stage for national teams across Europe. While the competition was initially met with skepticism, with many of the continent's elite not deeming it a genuine tournament worth winning, there can be no denying that UEFA's newest competition has already proved its doubters wrong.

It has successfully abolished the lackluster international friendlies, with every game played now a competitive fixture. It has also ensured that smaller nations have something to play for, with lowly nations such as Armenia, Malta, and Moldova all fighting to secure promotion and avoid relegation.

The inaugural tournament was won by Portugal, with Cristiano Ronaldo inspiring his team to victory against Switzerland and the Netherlands in the semifinals and final respectively back in 2019. France and Spain have since gone on to the two most recent editions of the tournament, and the latest odds on the tournament from sports betting online at Bovada make them contenders this time around as well. Both Les Bleus and the newly minted European Champions are currently the +350 joint favorites, and it remains to be seen which of them will shine brightest over the next few months.

While the usual suspects have emerged victorious over the first three installments of the tournament, plenty of nations have managed to impress. Here are the three that have impressed us the most.

Scotland

Scotland's journey in the UEFA Nations League has been nothing short of transformative. They were initially placed in League C for the inaugural tournament, the third of four tiers within the competition. They were positioned alongside Israel and Albania and managed to immediately gain promotion to League B, as well as using their spot at the summit of the mini-league to secure qualification for UEFA Euro 2020, their first major tournament appearance since the 1998 World Cup.

But the Scots weren't finished there. They consolidated their status in League B in 2020/21 finishing behind the Czech Republic, just two points adrift of a second successive promotion. They used that disappointment to fuel them in the following campaign, topping their group ahead of Ukraine and the Republic of Ireland to reach Group A for the first time. Now, they have been drawn alongside Portugal, Croatia, and Poland, and Andy Robertson and Co. will be aiming to preserve their top-tier status against difficult opposition.

Israel

Israel is another team that has risen from League C to League A over the last five years. In their initial campaign, they finished behind Scotland on goal difference but still managed to secure promotion to League B as UEFA revamped the tournament slightly to have four-team groups. But anyone who thought the Israelis were undeserving of their spot in the second tier was immediately forced to think again.

A stunning Erhan Zahavi hat trick secured a come-from-behind 3-2 victory away at Slovakia in their 2021/22 campaign, while a 1-0 win on the final day against Scotland sealed survival. Then, they would shockingly build on that. They finished the 2022/23 campaign with two wins and two draws to win promotion from the second tier, ahead of Iceland, Albania and the banned Russians. Now, they have been thrust into League A and must find a way to finish ahead of either France, Italy, or Belgium to survive.

Bosnia and Herzegovina

Bosnia and Herzegovina entered the UEFA Nations League with a reputation for being a formidable side in Eastern Europe. Their journey has been a rollercoaster of highs and lows, marked by moments of brilliance and difficult challenges. But ultimately, they were challenges that The Dragons ultimately overcame.

The highest point in Bosnia's history came when a star-studded side consisting of Edin Dzeko, Miralem Pjanic and Sejad Salihović qualified for the 2014 World Cup. They haven't managed to make their way to a major tournament since, but they have shone in the UEFA Nations League.

In the inaugural tournament, they managed to top League B ahead of Austria and Northern Ireland, winning three of their four games and drawing the other. The aforementioned Dzeko was the star of the show, netting three times en route to promotion, but their initial foray amongst the elite was a difficult one. Bosnia finished rock bottom of their League A group with just two points from six games against Italy, the Netherlands and Poland.

However, they wouldn't let that disappointment get them down. A revamped side led by Stuttgart striker Ermedin Demirovic and Sheffield United defender Anel Ahmedhodzic secured an immediate return to the top flight. They won three and drew two of their six games in 2022/23 to top their group, eventually finishing three points clear of Finland. Now, they are once again fighting it out with the big boys, and they will be hoping that their clashes with Germany, the Netherlands, and Hungary yield better results than last time around.