Sarina Wiegman’s England draw France, Austria and Portugal in Nations League

The Republic of Ireland, Wales and Scotland are also in League A.

The top teams from each group book their places at the Games and also earn a spot in the Nations League semi-finals.

The Republic’s group includes the toughest opponent, world champions Spain, as well as Norway and Switzerland.

Wales will take on Denmark, Italy and Iceland, and Scotland will play Germany, the Netherlands and Sweden.

Northern Ireland, in Group B, have drawn Poland, Finland and Belarus.

The first two matchdays take place in February and March. Games three and four are in April and the final league stage matches will be in June, before the Women’s World Cup in Brazil.

The semi-finals are scheduled for October and the third place play-off and final in late November and early December.

Fourth-placed League A teams will be relegated to League B and League B winners promoted.

England boss Sarina Wiegman said: “Of course, when you’re in the Nations League, you meet the same teams a lot and we know it’s always challenging and every team is developing, so you’re getting better and better opponents and it’s exciting.”

There was no Team GB women’s football representation at the Paris 2024 Olympics after England, the nominated qualifying team, did not win their Nations League group the previous year.

Wiegman, who coached her native Netherlands at the Tokyo Olympics in 2021, said: “To go to the Olympics is a very special occasion and it becomes Great Britain, so it’s bigger than just England.

“I think everyone who is a footballer at the highest level wants to play major tournaments, but this is a very different one which is really exciting if you can go there and play.

“And that tournament is a bit smaller because there’s not as many teams as there are at the World Cup and it’s a shorter amount of time.

“So there are different challenges, but when you have an opportunity to go, then you try and take it. It would be really big to have that chance.”