The UEFA Nations League has changed international football in Europe. UEFA started the competition in 2018 to give national teams more competitive matches instead of regular friendlies. Teams play in different leagues based on their level. Promotion and relegation make many games more important.

The first Nations League started in September 2018. Portugal became the first champions after they beat the Netherlands 1-0 in the final at home. Six years later, Portugal won the title again. They became the first team to win the Nations League twice after they beat Spain on penalties in the 2024-25 final.

UEFA Nations League Winners 

Four Nations League editions had finished by 2025. Portugal won two titles, while France and Spain won one each.

Portugal have had great success in the competition. Spain have also performed well. They reached the final in three straight editions from 2020-21 to 2024-25.

The finals have also brought exciting moments. Portugal and France won their finals in 90 minutes. Spain needed extra time and penalties in 2022-23 and 2024-25.

UEFA Nations League Winners and Final Results 

What the table shows: Portugal are the only team to win the Nations League more than once. Spain have reached the final three times, while France have reached it only once, winning in 2021.

Spain Have Reached the Most Nations League Finals

Spain have reached the Nations League final three times, more than any other team. Their first final came in 2020-21, when France beat them 2-1. Spain reached the final again in 2022-23 and won the trophy after beating Croatia on penalties.

Spain reached their third straight final in 2024-25 against Portugal. The game ended 2-2 after extra time, but Portugal won the penalty shoot-out 5-3.

Spain have been one of the most consistent teams in Nations League history. They have reached three straight finals and won the title once.

The 2024-25 edition also set another record. Spain beat France 5-4 in the semi-final, making it the highest-scoring match in Nations League history. Spain also scored 25 goals in 10 matches, which is another record for one edition.

Who Is the All-Time Top Scorer?

Norway’s Erling Haaland is the top scorer in Nations League history with 19 goals. Cristiano Ronaldo and Aleksandar Mitrović are next with 15 goals each. Haaland scored his 19 goals in just 16 Nations League games, giving him an impressive scoring rate.

Ronaldo has also made history in the competition. He has played in every edition of the Nations League and scored many important goals. One of his best performances came in the first Finals, when he scored a hat-trick against Switzerland.

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Top 5 All-Time Nations League Goal Scorers

A key point: These numbers cover all stages of the Nations League. They are not only goals scored in the final tournament.

Top Scorer in Each Nations League Season

Different players have been the top scorers in different Nations League editions. Aleksandar Mitrović finished as the top scorer in the first edition. In 2020-21, Haaland, Lukaku and Ferran Torres shared the top spot.

The 2024-25 season set a new record. Sweden’s Viktor Gyökeres scored nine goals, one more than Ronaldo, who scored eight. UEFA counts goals from the league phase, play-offs and Finals when it calculates the seasonal scoring totals.

Gyökeres’ nine goals are even more impressive because he scored in five of Sweden’s six group games.

How Has the Nations League Format Changed?

The first Nations League included all 55 UEFA national teams. They were split into four leagues. League A and League B had 12 teams each, League C had 15 teams, and League D had 16 teams.

The format has changed and expanded over time. In the 2024-25 edition, Leagues A, B and C each had 16 teams, while League D had six teams.

League A now has a quarter-final stage. The four group winners and four runners-up move on to two-legged quarter-finals. The semi-finals, third-place match and final are then played as single matches.

This format makes promotion and relegation a key part of the competition. Group winners in Leagues B, C and D can move to a higher league, while teams at the bottom of the higher leagues can move down. The 2024-25 edition also added promotion and relegation play-offs.

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Third-Place Teams in Every Nations League Edition

The third-place matches have also produced some exciting games. England finished third in 2018-19 after beating Switzerland 6-5 on penalties. Italy then finished third in two straight editions. They beat Belgium 2-1 in 2020-21 and the Netherlands 3-2 in 2022-23.

In 2024-25, France beat Germany 2-0 to finish third.

Players of the Tournament

The Nations League has also produced many top individual players. Bernardo Silva won the Player of the Tournament award in 2018-19 after helping Portugal win the first title.

Spain’s Sergio Busquets won the award in 2020-21. Rodri then received it in 2022-23 after another strong season with the champions.

In 2024-25, Portugal’s left-back Nuno Mendes won the Player of the Finals award. He played all 10 matches for Portugal, made six assists and scored in the final against Spain. He won the Nations League just eight days after winning the UEFA Champions League with Paris Saint-Germain.

Why Has the Nations League Become So Important?

The biggest success of the Nations League is that it has made international football more competitive. Instead of playing too many friendlies with little at stake, teams now fight for points, promotion, relegation and a place in the Finals.

The competition also gives smaller nations a chance to play teams at a similar level. At the same time, Europe’s top teams have another chance to win an international trophy.

From Portugal’s first title in 2019 to their second win in 2025, the Nations League has already created many memorable moments. Spain have reached three straight finals, while Haaland and Gyökeres have scored plenty of goals.

Portugal are currently the only team to win the competition twice. The big question for the future is simple: which team will challenge Portugal for the top spot?

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FAQs:-

• Who is the youngest player to score a goal in the UEFA Nations League?

As of now, Konstantinos Karetsas from Greece has become the youngest player to score a goal in the league. He scored a goal at the age of 17 years 124 days, against Scotland on March 23, 2025, in the 2024-25 season.

• Who is the oldest goal scorer in the league?

Cristiano Ronaldo is the oldest goal scorer in the league, as of August 2026. He scored a goal at the age of 40 years 123 days, against Spain in the final of the 2024-25 season.

• Who is the youngest player to win the league?

As of now, Gavi from Spain is the youngest to win the title. He won the title in the 2022-23 season, at the age of 18 years 317 days.

• Who is the oldest player to win the title?

As of now, Cristiano Ronaldo is the oldest to win the title. He won the title with Portugal in the 2024-25 season, at the age of 40 years 123 days.

• Who is the youngest player to appear in the UEFA Nations League?

Patrik Kristal from Estonia is the youngest player to appear in the league. He played at the age of 16 years 301 days against Sweden on September 08, 2024.