2022–23 UEFA Nations League B

2022–23 UEFA Nations League B
Tournament details
Dates2 June – 27 September 2022
Teams16
PromotedBosnia and Herzegovina
Israel
Scotland
Serbia
RelegatedArmenia
Romania
Russia
Sweden
Tournament statistics
Matches played42
Goals scored112 (2.67 per match)
Attendance758,681 (18,064 per match)
Top scorer(s) Erling Haaland
Aleksandar Mitrović
(6 goals each)

The 2022–23 UEFA Nations League B was the second division of the 2022–23 edition of the UEFA Nations League, the third season of the international football competition involving the men's national teams of the 55 member associations of UEFA.

Format

League B consisted of 16 UEFA members ranked from 17–32 in the 2022–23 UEFA Nations League access list, split into four groups of four. Each team played six matches within their group, using the home-and-away round-robin format in June (quadruple matchdays) and September 2022 (double matchdays). The winners of each group were promoted to the 2024–25 UEFA Nations League A, and the fourth-placed team of each group were relegated to the 2024–25 UEFA Nations League C.

Teams

Team changes

The following were the team changes of League B from the 2020–21 season:

Incoming
Relegated from
Nations League A 		Promoted from
Nations League C
Outgoing
Promoted to
Nations League A 		Relegated to
Nations League C

Seeding

In the 2022–23 access list, UEFA ranked teams based on the 2020–21 Nations League overall ranking. The seeding pots for the league phase were confirmed on 22 September 2021, and were based on the access list ranking.

Pot 1
Team Rank
Ukraine 17
Sweden 18
Bosnia and Herzegovina 19
Iceland 20
Pot 2
Team Rank
Finland 21
Norway 22
Scotland 23
Russia 24
Pot 3
Team Rank
Israel 25
Romania 26
Serbia 27
Republic of Ireland 28
Pot 4
Team Rank
Slovenia 29
Montenegro 30
Albania 31
Armenia 32

The draw for the league phase took place at the UEFA headquarters in Nyon, Switzerland on 16 December 2021, 18:00 CET. Each group contained one team from each pot. For political reasons, Russia and Ukraine (due to the Russian military intervention in Ukraine) could not be drawn in the same group. Due to restrictions of excessive travel, Armenia, Israel and Iceland could not all be in the same group.

Groups

The fixture list was confirmed by UEFA on 17 December 2021, the day following the draw. The fixture list for Group 1 was amended due to the postponement of Path A of UEFA qualifying for the World Cup.

Times are CEST (UTC+2), as listed by UEFA (local times, if different, are in parentheses).

Group 1

Pos Team Pld W D L GF GA GD Pts Promotion or relegation
1 Scotland 6 4 1 1 11 5 +6 13 Promotion to League A — 3–0 2–1 2–0
2 Ukraine 6 3 2 1 10 4 +6 11 0–0 — 1–1 3–0
3 Republic of Ireland 6 2 1 3 8 7 +1 7 3–0 0–1 — 3–2
4 Armenia 6 1 0 5 4 17 −13 3 Relegation to League C 1–4 0–5 1–0 —
Source: UEFA
Rules for classification: Tiebreakers
Armenia1–0Republic of Ireland
  • Spertsyan 74'
 Report
Attendance: 10,600
Scotland2–0Armenia
 Report
Attendance: 38,627
Referee: Sebastian Gishamer (Austria)
Republic of Ireland0–1Ukraine
Report
Attendance: 40,111
Referee: Filip Glova (Slovakia)
Ukraine3–0Armenia
 Report
Attendance: 12,503
Republic of Ireland3–0Scotland
 Report
Attendance: 46,927
Armenia1–4Scotland
 Report
Attendance: 13,500
Ukraine1–1Republic of Ireland
 Report
Attendance: 10,641
Scotland3–0Ukraine
 Report
Attendance: 42,846
Referee: Maurizio Mariani (Italy)
Armenia0–5Ukraine
Report
Attendance: 7,200
Scotland2–1Republic of Ireland
 Report
Attendance: 48,853
Republic of Ireland3–2Armenia
 Report
Attendance: 41,719
Referee: Rade Obrenovič (Slovenia)
Ukraine0–0Scotland
Report
Attendance: 13,534

Group 2

Pos Team Pld W D L GF GA GD Pts Promotion or relegation
1 Israel 4 2 2 0 8 6 +2 8 Promotion to League A — 2–2 2–1 Canc.
2 Iceland 4 0 4 0 6 6 0 4 2–2 — 1–1 Canc.
3 Albania 4 0 2 2 4 6 −2 2 1–2 1–1 — Canc.
4 Russia 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 Banned from tournament Canc. Canc. Canc. —
Source: UEFA
Rules for classification: Tiebreakers
Notes:
  1. On 2 May 2022, UEFA announced that Russia were suspended and automatically relegated to League C due to their country's invasion of Ukraine.
AlbaniaCancelledRussia
Report
Israel2–2Iceland
 Report
Attendance: 13,150
Iceland1–1Albania
 Report
Attendance: 4,033
IsraelCancelledRussia
Report
Albania1–2Israel
 Report
Attendance: 18,100
RussiaCancelledIceland
Report
Iceland2–2Israel
 Report
Attendance: 2,778
Referee: Duje Strukan (Croatia)
RussiaCancelledAlbania
Report
IcelandCancelledRussia
Report
Israel2–1Albania
 Report
Attendance: 29,200
Referee: Donatas Rumšas (Lithuania)
Albania1–1Iceland
 Report
Attendance: 8,800
RussiaCancelledIsrael
Report

Group 3

Pos Team Pld W D L GF GA GD Pts Promotion or relegation
1 Bosnia and Herzegovina 6 3 2 1 8 8 0 11 Promotion to League A — 3–2 1–0 1–0
2 Finland 6 2 2 2 8 6 +2 8 1–1 — 2–0 1–1
3 Montenegro 6 2 1 3 6 6 0 7 1–1 0–2 — 2–0
4 Romania 6 2 1 3 6 8 −2 7 Relegation to League C 4–1 1–0 0–3 —
Source: UEFA
Rules for classification: Tiebreakers
Notes:
  1. Head-to-head points: Montenegro 6, Romania 0.
Finland1–1Bosnia and Herzegovina
 Report
Attendance: 20,181
Montenegro2–0Romania
 Report
Attendance: 3,998
Finland2–0Montenegro
 Report
Attendance: 17,009
Referee: Allard Lindhout (Netherlands)
Bosnia and Herzegovina1–0Romania
 Report
Attendance: 4,500
Montenegro1–1Bosnia and Herzegovina
 Report
Attendance: 6,555
Romania1–0Finland
 Report
Attendance: 11,503
Bosnia and Herzegovina3–2Finland
 Report
Attendance: 8,150
Romania0–3Montenegro
Report
Attendance: 11,657
Bosnia and Herzegovina1–0Montenegro
 Report
Attendance: 12,050
Finland1–1Romania
 Report
Attendance: 20,130
Montenegro0–2Finland
Report
Attendance: 2,522
Romania4–1Bosnia and Herzegovina
 Report
Attendance: 12,693

Group 4

Pos Team Pld W D L GF GA GD Pts Promotion or relegation
1 Serbia 6 4 1 1 13 5 +8 13 Promotion to League A — 0–1 4–1 4–1
2 Norway 6 3 1 2 7 7 0 10 0–2 — 0–0 3–2
3 Slovenia 6 1 3 2 6 10 −4 6 2–2 2–1 — 0–2
4 Sweden 6 1 1 4 7 11 −4 4 Relegation to League C 0–1 1–2 1–1 —
Source: UEFA
Rules for classification: Tiebreakers
Serbia0–1Norway
Report
Attendance: 9,726
Slovenia0–2Sweden
Report
Attendance: 5,123
Referee: Ruddy Buquet (France)
Sweden1–2Norway
 Report
Attendance: 42,320
Norway0–0Slovenia
Report
Attendance: 18,134
Referee: Fábio Veríssimo (Portugal)
Sweden0–1Serbia
Report
Attendance: 24,123
Referee: Lawrence Visser (Belgium)
Norway3–2Sweden
 Report
Attendance: 24,273
Referee: Harm Osmers (Germany)
Slovenia2–2Serbia
 Report
Attendance: 13,782
Referee: Maurizio Mariani (Italy)
Slovenia2–1Norway
 Report
Attendance: 14,824
Referee: Lawrence Visser (Belgium)
Serbia4–1Sweden
 Report
Attendance: 14,122
Norway0–2Serbia
Report
Attendance: 24,364
Sweden1–1Slovenia
 Report
Attendance: 22,895

Goalscorers

There were 112 goals scored in 42 matches, for an average of 2.67 goals per match.

6 goals

4 goals

3 goals

2 goals

1 goal

1 own goal

Overall ranking

The 16 League B teams were ranked 17th to 32nd overall in the 2022–23 UEFA Nations League according to the following rules:

  • The teams finishing first in the groups were ranked 17th to 20th according to the results of the league phase.
  • The teams finishing second in the groups were ranked 21st to 24th according to the results of the league phase
  • The teams finishing third in the groups were ranked 25th to 28th according to the results of the league phase.
  • The teams finishing fourth in Groups 1, 3, and 4 were ranked 29th to 31st according to the results of the league phase.
  • Russia, disqualifed from the competition and automatically ranked fourth in their group, was ranked 32nd. Because the members of group 2 played two fewer matches as a result, teams finishing first, second, and third in groups 1, 3, and 4 had their match results vs. the fourth place team in their groups discarded for the ranking.
Rnk Grp Team Pld W D L GF GA GD Pts
17 B2 Israel 4 2 2 0 8 6 +2 8
18 B3 Bosnia and Herzegovina 4 2 2 0 6 4 +2 8
19 B4 Serbia 4 2 1 1 8 4 +4 7
20 B1 Scotland 4 2 1 1 5 4 +1 7
21 B3 Finland 4 2 1 1 7 4 +3 7
22 B1 Ukraine 4 1 2 1 2 4 −2 5
23 B2 Iceland 4 0 4 0 6 6 0 4
24 B4 Norway 4 1 1 2 2 4 −2 4
25 B4 Slovenia 4 1 2 1 5 7 −2 5
26 B1 Republic of Ireland 4 1 1 2 5 4 +1 4
27 B2 Albania 4 0 2 2 4 6 −2 2
28 B3 Montenegro 4 0 1 3 1 6 −5 1
29 B3 Romania 6 2 1 3 6 8 −2 7
30 B4 Sweden 6 1 1 4 7 11 −4 4
31 B1 Armenia 6 1 0 5 4 17 −13 3
32 B2 Russia 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
Source: UEFA
Rules for classification: Ranking criteria

Euro 2024 qualifying play-offs

Main article: UEFA Euro 2024 qualifying play-offs § Path B

The four best teams in League B according to the overall ranking that did not qualify for UEFA Euro 2024 through the qualifying group stage were set to compete in the play-offs, with the winners qualifying for the final tournament. As Finland were allocated to a vacant spot in the Path A play-offs, the next-best ranked un-qualified team in League B, Iceland, qualified for the play-offs as well.

League B
Rank Team
17 GW Israel
18 GW Bosnia and Herzegovina
19 GW Serbia
20 GW Scotland
21 Finland
22 Ukraine
23 Iceland
24 Norway
25 Slovenia
26 Republic of Ireland
27 Albania
28 Montenegro
29 Romania
30 Sweden
31 Armenia
32 Russia ‡

Key

  • GW Group winner from Nations League B
  •   Team qualified directly to final tournament
  •   Team in bold advanced to play-offs
  •  ‡  Banned from qualifying competition