Nations League games, if anything, are adding a bit of well-needed excitement to international football, which was previously dominated by no-stakes friendlies. Nations League games are also part of fantasy football contests on FootballCoin.
With the 2024 group stage nearly finished, I’ve checked the stats and was unexpectedly surprised by what I found. Here are five things to learn from fantasy football data in Nations League games.
Good Indicator of a Striker’s Form
International friendlies weren’t quite working anymore for UEFA or football fans. It often seemed like the football stars felt the same way. Everyone demands excitement comparable to the Champions League at all times.
The 2024 Nations League games, however, were an opportunity for strikers looking to prove themselves. Analyzing the fantasy football stats and the top goalscoring records proves this.
The top striker was Erlng Haaland. The Norwegian scored 153 points in football after scoring seven times. It’s mostly on this record that Norway leads in a group that includes Austria and Slovenia.
Younger and older strikers who need the eyes of the football world on them did well. Sporting’s Viktor Gyokeres carried his good club form into international football. And Portugal’s Cristiano Ronaldo also makes the Top 5 strikers, regardless of the fact that most of his goals came from penalties.
You Can Win Fantasy Football Contests with Midfielders from Lower-Ranged Teams
Playing the likes of Bruno Fernandes or Florian Wirtz in your fantasy football side for Nations League contests is always a good idea. These are stars who have proven their willingness to bring their best into international games.
However, Armenia’s Eduard Sperstian, or Norway’s Antonio Nusa have performed just as well in their games. Yes, it is true that they have faced teams of not quite the same calibre as the aforementioned stars.
This should matter for fantasy football managers simply looking to rack up the points.
Top Teams Can’t Score Clean Sheets & Goalkeeper Scores Suffer
League A groups bring the top teams in the Nations League together. These games have often been entertaining.
Still, this has had a negative impact on the scores of goalkeepers. One only needs to look at the overall scores of the likes of Diogo Costa or Kasper Schmeichel. Not even Jordan Pickford or Mike Maignan manage a spot in the Top 5.
No, the top prize is likely to go to North Macedonia’s Stole Dimitrievski. He’s followed closely by Belarus’ Fedor Lapoukhov. These may not be your first choices, but they’ve been highly effective.
Veterans Playing a Less Important Role
International friendlies used to be an excuse for older players to add to their number of caps with the national team. While this is still the case with some stars, there are far fewer examples of charity caps in the 2024 Nations League matches.
Cristiano Ronaldo, Luka Modric, or Edin Dzeko are among the older players who’ve still been given valuable playing time.
However, national team managers are more interested in using the Nations League as an opportunity to test out new players who can be used as a foundation for European and World Cup tournament squads.
Easy to Create a Free Fantasy Football Team
The focus and belief on youth players also means that they offer great opportunities for fantasy football managers looking to assemble their teams.
There are many 1* players who are absolutely free in FootballCoin who have racked up points consistently. Of these, Fedor Lapoukhov, Estonia’s Karl Hein and Bulgaria’s Dimitar Mitov have been the wonderkids. Keep these players on your radar.
