UEFA approves new reform for men’s national team competitions: Nations League and qualifiers to change after Euro 2028

UEFA is preparing a major reform of men’s national team competitions. The organization has given preliminary approval to a new concept that is expected to be introduced after UEFA Euro 2028.

The changes will affect two key competitions at once — the UEFA Nations League and the European Qualifiers. The new system will be based on a tiered league format and, according to UEFA, is designed to make national team matches more competitive and more attractive for fans.

How the UEFA Nations League will change

Starting from the 2028/29 season, the Nations League will consist of three leagues instead of the current four. Each league will include 18 teams, divided into three groups of six.

Each team will play six matches against five different opponents. Teams will face the opponent from the same pot twice — home and away — while playing one match against each of the other opponents.

Since UEFA competitions involve 55 national associations, League C will include one group of seven teams. The calendar for that group will begin one international window earlier.

At the same time, the decisive stages of the Nations League will remain in place. The quarter-finals, final phase, and promotion/relegation play-offs will continue to be part of the format.

New system for European Qualifiers

Major changes are also planned for the European Qualifiers. The qualification process will also be played in a league format.

League 1 will feature the 36 teams from Leagues A and B of the Nations League. These teams will be divided into three groups of 12. Each team will play six matches against six different opponents — two from each pot. This format is similar to the system already used in UEFA club competitions.

League 2 will include the remaining 18 or 19 teams and will follow the model of Nations League C, with three groups of six or one group of seven teams.

The best teams from each League 1 group will qualify directly for the final tournament. The remaining places will be decided through play-offs. UEFA emphasizes that the new system will also give teams from League 2 a fair chance to qualify.

Host countries will also take part in qualifying

It is also noted that host associations, despite being automatically qualified for the final tournament, will still take part in the European Qualifiers. Their results will determine their position for the next edition of the UEFA Nations League.

In this way, UEFA aims to avoid unnecessary friendly matches and preserve the competitive value of matches for all teams.

Ceferin: “There will be fewer meaningless matches”

UEFA president Aleksander Ceferin said the new format should increase sporting balance and make national team competitions more dynamic.

According to him, the reform will reduce the number of matches with little competitive significance, raise the level of competition and do so without adding extra dates to the international calendar.

The final approval of the format is expected in September, when the concept will be submitted to the UEFA Executive Committee. After that, UEFA plans to present the new structure of the competitions in detail at a dedicated press conference.