Portugal and one unexpected team hold the joint record for longest unbeaten run in the UEFA Nations League
Portugal’s 0-1 home defeat to France was their first ever loss in the UEFA Nations League - bringing an end to a 10-match, and two-year, unbeaten run in the competition.
Until that match, Portugal were one of just two sides that remained unbeaten since the competition started in September 2018, with no other country playing in League A coming close to matching Portugal’s exploits in the Nations League.
Instead, you have to drop down to League C to find a side that equal Portugal’s unbeaten run in the Nations League, with lowly Georgia the only other country that can lay claim to having gone an impressive 10 matches in a row without losing in this competition.
Georgia, who played in the bottom division - League D - in the first ever Nations League campaign, were in a group containing Kazakhstan, Latvia and Andorra, cruising to 1st in the standings and promotion to League C with 5 wins and a draw, only dropping points away to Andorra in their final game.
They started this current edition of the Nations League in strong form too despite playing in a higher division, first beating Estonia in their opening match, before three consecutive draws versus North Macedonia (twice) and Armenia extended their unbeaten streak to 10.
However, a surprise home loss to Armenia the day after Portugal’s defeat to France ensured that they were unable to better Portugal’s record.
Portugal’s run is objectively more impressive, of course; having finished top of their League A group last campaign after beating each of Italy and Poland in the group stage before then drawing against both in the reverse fixtures, they advanced to the finals of the inaugural competition, where they beat Switzerland 3-1 in the semi-finals before earning victory against the Netherlands in the final to claim the first ever Nations League trophy.
They then started off this campaign with victories over both Croatia and Sweden, followed by a draw against France away from home, before then defeating Sweden yet again, this time in Lisbon, to take their tally of unbeaten fixtures to 10 before losing to France.
Portugal will be facing Croatia in the final Nations League match of the 2020-21 campaign, a game which will be crucial for their opponents who are battling with Sweden to avoid relegation.
