The 2026–27 UEFA Nations League is the fifth season of the UEFA Nations League, an international association football competition involving the men's national teams of the member associations of UEFA. The competition is being held from September to November 2026 (league phase), March 2027 (League A quarter-finals, and League A/B and B/C play-offs), June 2027 (Nations League Finals).
Portugal are the defending champions, having won the 2025 finals.
Format
League Teamsat start Promotedteams Relegatedteams Teams for2028–29 League A 16 2–6 18 League B 16 4–8 0–4 18 League C 16 4–8 18 League D 6 6 The UEFA national teams were divided into four leagues, with Leagues A, B, and C featuring sixteen teams each, divided into four groups of four teams, while League D features six teams divided into two groups of three. The teams were allocated to leagues based on the 2024–25 UEFA Nations League final overall ranking. Each team will play six matches within their group, except for teams in League D which will play four, using the home-and-away round-robin format on matchdays from September to November 2026.
In the top division, League A, the group winners and runners-up will advance to the quarter-finals, played home-and-away over two legs in March 2027. In each tie, group winners will face a runner-up from a different group, with the group winner hosting the second leg. The four quarter-final winners will qualify for the Nations League Finals, which is played in a knockout format, consisting of the semi-finals, third place play-off and final. The semi-final pairings are determined by means of a draw. The host country will be selected, preferably from among the four qualified teams, by the UEFA Executive Committee, with the winners of the final crowned as the Nations League champions.
Teams also compete for promotion and relegation to a higher or lower league. The group winners in Leagues B and C, as well as all teams in League D, are directly promoted, while the two worst last-placed teams in League A are directly relegated. The competition will also feature promotion/relegation play-offs following the league phase, with the two worst third-placed teams and two best last-placed teams of League A facing the runners-up of League B and the last-placed teams of League B facing the runners-up of League C. The matches will be played home-and-away over two legs in March 2027, with the winners going to the higher league and the losers entering the lower league.
Originally, the format for promotion and relegation would have involved only the group winners of League D being promoted, as well as all last-placed teams in Leagues A and B being relegated alongside the two worst last-placed teams in League C. The promotion/relegation play-offs would have concerned all third-place teams in Leagues A and B and all runners-up in Leagues B and C, with extra play-offs concerning the two best last-places in League C and both runners-up in League D to be held in March 2028. However, due to the changes scheduled for the 2028–29 UEFA Nations League, in which the competition will be reduced from four leagues to three leagues of 18 teams, promotion/relegation was rebalanced to make all three upcoming leagues consist of 18 teams. This makes the 2026–27 UEFA Nations League the final edition to include League D.
In all two-legged ties, the higher-ranked teams host the second leg. The team that scores more goals on aggregate is the winner. If the aggregate score is level, extra time is played (the away goals rule is not applied). If the score remains level after extra time, a penalty shoot-out is used to decide the winner.
UEFA Euro 2028 qualifying
The 2026–27 UEFA Nations League is expected to be linked with UEFA Euro 2028 qualifying, providing teams with another chance to qualify for UEFA Euro 2028.
Two to four of the spots for UEFA Euro 2028 (depending on host nation qualification) will be determined through play-offs in March 2028. The play-offs will include the remaining runners-up from the qualifying groups (between two and four, depending on whether hosts are amongst these teams) and the best-ranked non-qualified group winners from the 2026–27 UEFA Nations League. The play-off structure depends on the number of host nation slots used:
If both reserved host nation slots are used: Eight teams compete in two play-off paths, each with single-leg semi-finals and a final, for two final tournament spots. 4–6 teams will qualify from the Nations League. If one reserved host nation slot is used: Twelve teams compete in three play-off paths, each with single-leg semi-finals and a final, for three final tournament spots. 8 or 9 teams will qualify from the Nations League. If no reserved host nation slots are used: Eight teams contest four home-and-away play-off ties, with the four winners qualifying for the final tournament. 4 teams will qualify from the Nations League.
Tiebreakers
Tiebreakers for group ranking If two or more teams in the same group are equal on points on completion of the league phase, the following tie-breaking criteria are applied: Higher number of points obtained in the matches played among the teams in question; Superior goal difference in matches played among the teams in question; Higher number of goals scored in the matches played among the teams in question; If, after having applied criteria 1 to 3, a subset of the teams still have an equal ranking, criteria 1 to 3 are reapplied exclusively to the matches between these teams to determine their final rankings. If this procedure does not lead to a decision, criteria 5 to 11 apply; Superior goal difference in all group matches; Higher number of goals scored in all group matches; Higher number of away goals scored in all group matches; Higher number of wins in all group matches; Higher number of away wins in all group matches; Lower disciplinary points total in all group matches (1 point for a single yellow card, 3 points for a red card as a consequence of two yellow cards, 3 points for a direct red card, 4 points for a yellow card followed by a direct red card). Higher position in the 2026–27 UEFA Nations League access list. Notes
Criteria for league ranking Individual league rankings are established according to the following criteria: Position in the group; Higher number of points; Higher goal difference; Higher number of goals scored; Higher number of goals scored away from home; Higher number of wins; Higher number of wins away from home; Lower disciplinary points total (1 point for a single yellow card, 3 points for a red card as a consequence of two yellow cards, 3 points for a direct red card, 4 points for a yellow card followed by a direct red card). Higher position in the 2026–27 UEFA Nations League access list.
Criteria for interim overall ranking Following the completion of the league phase, the interim overall UEFA Nations League rankings are established as follows: The 16 League A teams are ranked 1st to 16th according to their league rankings. The 16 League B teams are ranked 17th to 32nd according to their league rankings. The 16 League C teams are ranked 33rd to 48th according to their league rankings. The 6 League D teams are ranked 49th to 54th according to their league rankings.
Criteria for final overall ranking Following the completion of the League A knockout stage and promotion/relegation play-offs, the final overall UEFA Nations League rankings are established. Within each of the groups listed below, teams are ordered based on their interim overall ranking. The four Nations League Finals participants are ranked as follows: The winner is ranked 1st. The runner-up is ranked 2nd. The third-placed team is ranked 3rd. The fourth-placed team is ranked 4th. The four League A quarter-final losers are ranked 5th to 8th. The two League A highest-ranked third-placed teams remain ranked 9th to 10th. The four teams directly promoted to League A, and the four winners of the League A/B play-offs, are ranked 11th to 18th. The two teams directly relegated to League B, and the four losers of the League A/B play-offs, are ranked 19th to 24th. The four League B third-placed teams remain ranked 25th to 28th. The four teams directly promoted to League B, and the four winners of the League B/C play-offs, are ranked 29th to 36th. The four losers of the League B/C play-offs, are ranked 37th to 40th. The four League C third-placed teams remain ranked 41st to 44th. The four League C fourth-placed teams remain ranked 45th to 48th. The six League D teams remain ranked 49th to 54th.
Schedule Below is the schedule of the 2026–27 UEFA Nations League.
Stage Round Dates League phase Matchday 1 24–26 September 2026 Matchday 2 27–29 September 2026 Matchday 3 1–3 October 2026 Matchday 4 4–6 October 2026 Matchday 5 12–14 November 2026 Matchday 6 15–17 November 2026 League A quarter-finals andLeague A/B and B/C play-offs First leg 25–27 March 2027 Second leg 28–30 March 2027 Finals Semi-finals 9–10 June 2027 Third place play-off 13 June 2027 Final
The league phase fixture list was confirmed by UEFA on 13 February 2026, the day following the draw.
Seeding
All 55 UEFA national teams were able to submit an entry into the competition. However, on 28 February 2022, Russia were suspended indefinitely from participating in UEFA and FIFA competitions due to their country's invasion of Ukraine.
The teams which finished bottom of their group in Leagues A and B, as well as the bottom two fourth-placed teams of League C, from the 2024–25 season moved down a league, while the group winners of Leagues B, C, and D moved up. Additionally, the winners of the promotion/relegation play-off ties will enter the higher respective league, while the losers will play in the lower league. The remaining teams stayed in their respective leagues.
For the 2026–27 draw, teams were seeded based on the 2024–25 Nations League final overall ranking, which took into account the results from the league stage, League A knockout stage, and promotion/relegation play-offs.
The draw for the league phase took place in Brussels, Belgium, on 12 February 2026.
+ Key Promoted after previous season Relegated after previous season * Participated in promotion/relegation play-offs
+ League A Pot Team 1 1 2 3 4 2 5 6 7 8 3 * 9 * 10 11 12 4 13 14 * 15 * 16+ League B Pot Team 1 * 17 * 18 19 20 2 21 22 * 23 * 24 3 * 25 * 26 * 27 28 4 29 30 31 * 32+ League C Pot Team 1 * 33 34 35 36 2 37 * 38 * 39 * 40 3 41 42 43 44 4 * 45 * 46 47 48+ League D Pot Team 1 49 50 * 51 * 52 2 53 54 + Suspended from entering the competition Team
League A
Group A1
Group A2
Group A3
Group A4
Ranking of third-placed teams
Ranking of fourth-placed teams
Knockout stage
Bracket
Quarter-finals
Nations League Finals
Semi-finals
Third place play-off
Final
Top goalscorers
League B
Group B1
Group B2
Group B3
Group B4
Top goalscorers
League C
Group C1
Group C2
Group C3
Group C4
Top goalscorers
League D
Group D1
Group D2
Top goalscorers
Promotion/relegation play-offs
The draw for the promotion/relegation play-offs will be held following the completion of the league phase. The League A/B and B/C play-off matches will be played from 25 to 27 March (first legs) and from 28 to 30 March 2027 (second legs).
League A vs League B
League B vs League C
Overall ranking
Interim overall ranking Following the conclusion of the league phase in November 2026, an interim overall ranking will be established based on the results of each league, explicitly ordering teams from higher leagues over those from lower ones.
League A League B League C League D
Final overall ranking