The Ireland Women's National Team were drawn into Group B1 in League B for the inaugural version of the UEFA Women's Nations League this week
Ireland's involvement in the competition will kick off in September 2023 with two games before two more in October and a final two group games in November.
Tallaght Stadium will be the home venue for these games, which will be part of a first ever WNT Season Ticket Package - that goes on public sale on Friday, May 5th.
Drawn against Northern Ireland, Hungary and Albania, Ireland will be aiming to top their Group and progress in the competition. Ireland have never met Albania at senior level before, while they have played against Hungary on seven occasions and against Northern Ireland more than any other nation.
Following the Draw, Ireland WNT Manager Vera Pauw said: "Now that we know our opponents for the UEFA Women's Nations League, we can start planning accordingly. But our priority for the next few months will, understandably, will be on preparing for FIFA Women's World Cup 2023."Having the UEFA Nations League games gives us something to look forward to after the World Cup, especially since our three home games will be part of a first ever WNT Season Ticket package in Tallaght Stadium. It is really exciting that we get to continue building our fanbase and we look forward to playing in front of our amazing fans again this year.
𝐔𝐄𝐅𝐀 𝐖𝐨𝐦𝐞𝐧'𝐬 𝐍𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐬 𝐋𝐞𝐚𝐠𝐮𝐞
Ireland WNT 🇮🇪 drawn into Group B1 in League B with...
- Northern Ireland
- Hungary
- Albania
*Match details to be confirmed in due course
*Home games to be played in @tallaghtstadium #COYGIG | #WeAreOne pic.twitter.com/OgEhiYisu0— Ireland Football ⚽️🇮🇪 (@IrelandFootball) May 2, 2023
"For these UEFA Nations League games, we are under no illusion that they will be difficult challenges for us. We are the top-seeded team in League B but we cannot take anything for granted if we are to achieve our aim of topping our group and qualifying into League A."
As part of the format, the group winners will be promoted to League A. The second-placed team will play against the third-placed team in League A. The winner of each match play in League A; the defeated team will play in League B.
The three best third-placed teams play off against the three best-ranked second-placed teams of League C. The winners play in League B for the European Qualifiers phase; the defeated teams will play in League C. The lowest ranked third-placed team and the four fourth-placed teams are relegated to League C.
The Nations League games will played as single-leg games, with two semi-finals, a third-place play-off and a final. A draw will determine the semi-final ties and the home team in each of the matches. The final winners are declared the UEFA Nations League winners.
The two finalists qualify for the 2024 Women's Olympic Football Tournament, alongside hosts France.
Match details for the Group Stage will be confirmed in due course.
