SOC: What's Next For The Champions?

France won the 2018 FIFA World Cup two days ago, but it's never too early to look ahead. The world champs will take the next couple of months off, and I'm sure there is going to be extended partying all around the country until then. But then it'll be time for the UEFA Nations League, which begins with a match against the 2014 World Cup champions: Germany. France will face Germany on September 6th and then will challenge the Netherlands three days later. The UEFA Nations League is an attempt to replace most of the friendly matches that would be preparation for the 2020 European Championship and the 2022 World Cup. Instead, the same teams are entering the four-league tournament and will compete against one another.

There are four leagues, but League A is where most of the powerhouses lie. It consists of Belgium, Croatia, England, France, Germany, Iceland, Italy, Netherlands, Poland, Portugal, Spain, and Switzerland. According to Daily Mail, only League A will have a playoff to determine the champions. The semifinals will occur in early June and the final is schedule for June 9th next year. After their September matches, the Frenchmen will take on Iceland on October 11th, before facing Germany (October 16th) and Holland (November 16th) again. France will look to continue their dominance as they've reached the final in the last two major tournaments (2016 Euros and 2018 World Cup).

Photo Credit: The Times.