- 54 national teams in four leagues begin their campaigns Thursday
- 2026/27 competition provides potential pathway to EURO 2028 qualification
- Türkiye set to start League A campaign on Friday against France
The fifth 2026/27 UEFA Nations League will begin Thursday with 54 national teams divided into four leagues based on sporting performance.
Organized by UEFA, the Nations League provides national teams with more competitive matches against opponents of a similar level instead of organizing individual friendly games.
Teams are divided into leagues, with promotion and relegation providing a competitive structure across editions.
The 2026/27 competition will also have a connection to UEFA EURO 2028 qualifying, with the best-ranked Nations League group winners that fail to qualify through the European Qualifiers potentially earning a place in the playoffs.
The league phase draw was held in Brussels on Feb. 12, with Türkiye placed in League A Group A1 alongside France, Italy and Belgium. Here are the groups, separated through leagues A-D.
In League A, Group A1 features France, Italy, Belgium and Türkiye.
Group A2 consists of Germany, the Netherlands, Serbia and Greece, while Spain, Croatia, England and Czechia are in Group A3. Portugal, Denmark, Norway and Wales make up Group A4.
In League B, Group B1 includes Scotland, Switzerland, Slovenia and North Macedonia.
Hungary, Ukraine, Georgia and Northern Ireland are in Group B2. Group B3 consists of Israel, Austria, the Republic of Ireland and Kosovo, while Poland, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Romania and Sweden form Group B4.
In League C, Albania, Finland, Belarus and San Marino are in Group C1.
Group C2 comprises Montenegro, Armenia, Cyprus and Latvia. Kazakhstan, Slovakia, the Faroe Islands and Moldova are in Group C3, while Iceland, Bulgaria, Estonia and Luxembourg make up Group C4.
In League D, Group D1 features Gibraltar, Malta and Andorra, while Lithuania, Azerbaijan and Liechtenstein are in Group D2.
When will the matches be played?
The league phase will take place across six matchdays.
The first matchday is scheduled for Sept. 24-26, 2026, followed by the second from Sept. 27-29. The third matchday will be played from Sept. 30 to Oct. 3, with Sept. 30, a Wednesday outside the regular week of football, available exceptionally for fixtures.
The fourth matchday will take place from Oct. 4-6, while the final two matchdays are scheduled for Nov. 12-14 and Nov. 15-17, respectively.
The first four matchdays will be played during an extended international window from Sept. 24 to Oct. 6, meaning teams will generally play four Nations League matches in a short period.
The quarterfinals and promotion/relegation playoffs will be played from March 25-30, 2027, while the final tournament is scheduled for June 9-13, 2027.
Türkiye will play its first four matches against France on Friday, followed by Italy on Sept. 28, Belgium on Oct. 2 and Italy again on Oct. 5.
The final two matches will be played against Belgium on Nov. 12 and France on Nov. 15.
How will the League A knockout stage work?
The four League A group winners and four runners-up will advance to the quarterfinals.
The quarterfinals will be played over two legs in March 2027. The four winners will advance to the Nations League finals in June, where the title will be decided in a four-team tournament.
The host nation and venues for the finals have yet to be confirmed.
How does promotion and relegation work?
The competition is being restructured ahead of the 2028/29 edition, with the 2026/27 promotion and relegation system designed to establish 18-team leagues.
In League A, the group winners and runners-up advance to the quarterfinals. The two highest-ranked third-placed teams remain in League A, while the two lowest-ranked third-placed teams and two highest-ranked fourth-placed teams enter the League A/B playoffs. The two lowest-ranked fourth-placed teams are relegated to League B.
In League B, the group winners are promoted to League A, while the runners-up enter the League A/B playoffs. Third-placed teams remain in League B, and fourth-placed teams enter the League B/C playoffs.
In League C, the group winners are promoted to League B, while the runners-up enter the League B/C playoffs. Third- and fourth-placed teams remain in League C.
In League D, all teams are promoted to League C.
The format therefore gives the 2026/27 Nations League additional importance beyond the competition itself, with teams competing not only for the title but also for promotion, survival and potential opportunities linked to EURO 2028 qualification.
