Understanding the UEFA Nations League Structure and Team Divisions

The 2026-27 edition of the UEFA Nations League kicks off on Thursday, continuing a competition that started back in 2018. The tournament divides European national teams into four tiers called leagues, where each team battles to either move up or avoid dropping down a level. The top performers in the highest division get to compete in end-of-season play-offs to crown the overall winner.

Success in the Nations League can improve a nation's chances of qualifying for major events like the World Cup and European Championships, though it doesn't grant direct qualification by itself. Teams within each league are arranged into smaller groups. Leagues A, B, and C each have four groups of four teams, while League D consists of six teams split into two groups.

There is also a similar format applied by UEFA for the women’s international Nations League.

How the Competition Works

From September through November, every team plays their group rivals twice—once at home and once away. In League A, the top two teams from each group advance to the quarter-finals later in the season. These eight teams then face off in knockout matches to decide the champion.

For Leagues B, C, and D, the winners of each group earn promotion to the next higher league. Conversely, the teams finishing last in groups of Leagues A, B, and C drop down a league. Teams that finish second in groups from Leagues B, C, and D enter relegation play-offs against third-place finishers from the leagues above them.

During the March 2027 international break, League A quarter-finals and relegation play-offs between League A/B and B/C occur. Later, in June 2027, the semi-finals and final for the Nations League take place along with the League C/D play-off.

The best-performing teams that fail to qualify for the 2028 European Championships through regular qualifiers will get another shot at qualification via additional play-offs based on their Nations League ranking.

Teams in Each Nations League Tier

• League AGroup A1: France, Italy, Belgium, Turkey
• Group A2: Germany, Netherlands, Serbia, Greece
• Group A3: Spain, Croatia, England, Czech Republic
• Group A4: Portugal, Denmark, Norway, Wales

• Group B1: Scotland, Switzerland, Slovenia, North Macedonia
• Group B2: Hungary, Ukraine, Georgia, Northern Ireland
• Group B3: Israel, Austria, Republic of Ireland, Kosovo
• Group B4: Poland, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Romania, Sweden

• Group C1: Albania, Finland, Belarus, San Marino
• Group C2: Montenegro, Armenia, Cyprus, Latvia
• Group C3: Kazakhstan, Slovakia, Faroe Islands, Moldova
• Group C4: Iceland, Bulgaria, Estonia, Luxembourg

• Group D1: Gibraltar, Malta, Andorra
• Group D2: Lithuania, Azerbaijan, Liechtenstein

Nations League Beyond Europe

Similar competitions exist in Asia and in the North and Central American region. South America does not currently have a men's Nations League, although there were reports late in 2025 suggesting CONMEBOL might consider introducing one. However, there is already a South American Nations League for women's football. Africa and Oceania do not hold Nations League tournaments at this time.