UEFA have announced that the Nations League tournament will be changing format from after Euro 2028. The competition, which was implemented for the first time in 2018, will see a second change of format in its 10th anniversary.
Currently, the Nations League consists of four leagues (A-D), where nations are seeded and ranked into groups of four and three, and compete to win their groups. Those who do so in League A quarter-final, semi-final and final event. The group winners below League A earn promotion to the league above, and those who finish bottom in their League A-C groups are relegated to the division below.
In addition, the results of the Nations League also had consequences for qualification in the Euros and World Cup, with teams often having a route to the tournaments via a play-off if they do not do so in the qualifying campaign. The final decision will be taken in September at an Executive Committee meeting.
Nations League to reduce to three leagues
The new structure, which was approved by UEFA in Istanbul on Wednesday, will see the number of leagues reduced from four to three, in which 18 teams will compete. The leagues will then again be split into groups of six this time, although in League C there will be one group of seven. Each team will play five matches against different teams home or away, as well as home and away games against the teams from their pot. The play-off and final eight system will see no changes.
European qualifying system also set to change
The qualifying campaign for the Euros is also set to undergo changes, being divided into League 1, composed of 36 teams from Nations Leagues A and B, and League 2, with the remaining 19 teams from Nations League C. Within League 1, there will be three groups of 12 teams, with each side playing six home or away matches against six different opponents, two from each group. League 2 will follow the same format as Nations League C.
The ‘best-ranked’ teams in each group of League 1 will qualify directly to the Euros, while the rest, including from League 2, will go into a play-off system. It is not clear whether that means that only three teams and the host nations will qualify directly.
Ceferin: Changes will reduce number of games
UEFA President Aleksander Ceferin left official comment on the matter, noting that it will reduce the number of ‘dead games’.
“The new formats will improve competitive balance, reduce the number of dead matches, offer a more appealing and dynamic competition to fans, while ensuring a fair qualification chance for all teams and without adding any additional dates in the international calendar.
“Altogether, the changes will grow the value of UEFA men’s national team football and we are very much looking forward to the implementation of the new competition systems.”
