How does the UEFA Nations League work in 2026-27?

By Matt Law | 21 Sep 2026 09:46, Last updated: 21 Sep 2026 09:49

The 2026-27 UEFA Nations League will be the fifth edition of the competition.

The league phase of the tournament will run from September 24, 2026 until November 17, 2026, with the League A quarter-finals and League A/B and B/C playoffs taking place between March 25, 2027 and March 30, 2027.

The Nations League Finals will then take place between June 9, 2027 and June 13, 2027, with 54 teams set to compete in the 2026-27 edition of the tournament.

Portugal are the defending champions, winning the 2025 finals courtesy of a penalty-shootout success over current European and world champions Spain.

Only three teams have won the Nations League, with Portugal the most successful team with two victories (2019 and 2025), while France won it in 2021 and Spain in 2023.

League A involves 16 teams, split into four groups, with each team playing home and away against the other; the top two of each group will then advance to the quarter-finals.

The four winners of the quarter-final affairs will advance to the Nations League Finals, consisting of the semi-finals, a third-place playoff and a final, which is held on June 13, 2027.

The teams that finish last in League A will be directly relegated to League B, while third-placed teams will face runners-up of League B to determine whether they remain in League A for the 2028-29 edition of the tournament or are relegated to League B.

Sides competing in Leagues B, C and D are aiming to be promoted, although the 2026-27 Nations League will be the final edition to include a League D, with a rule change set to occur for the 2028-29 tournament; the competition will be reduced from four leagues to three of 18 teams.

League A involves France, Italy, Belgium, Turkey, Germany, Netherlands, Serbia, Greece, Spain, Croatia, England, Czechia, Portugal, Denmark, Norway and Wales.

League B involves Scotland, Switzerland, Slovenia, North Macedonia, Hungary, Ukraine, Georgia, Northern Ireland, Israel, Austria, Republic of Ireland, Kosovo, Poland, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Romania and Sweden.

League C involves Albania, Finland, Belarus, San Marino, Montenegro, Armenia, Cyprus, Latvia, Kazakhstan, Slovakia, Faroe Islands, Moldova, Iceland, Bulgaria, Estonia and Luxembourg.

Meanwhile, League D involves Gibraltar, Malta, Andorra, Lithuania, Azerbaijan and Liechtenstein.

The league phase of the 2026-27 tournament will begin with an extended international window between September 24 and October 6, with teams set to play four Nations League games.

The competition is also expected to be directly linked to qualification for Euro 2028, with some teams given the chance to enter the playoffs for the tournament.

The Nations League was brought in to eradicate so-called meaningless friendlies and give well-matched teams the chance to play competitive encounters.

England will compete in Group A3; the Three Lions will begin their campaign against Spain on September 26, before taking on Czech Republic on September 29, Croatia on October 3 and Czech Republic again on October 6.

Thomas Tuchel's side will then face Croatia on November 12 and Spain on November 15.

Get FREE daily news and in-depth previews for games from the biggest leagues and competitions in world football — straight to your inbox.