2026/27 UEFA Nations League: key dates, participants, favorites

The UEFA Nations League is an international football tournament organized by the Union of European Football Associations (UEFA). It was created to replace unofficial friendlies with more competitive matches between national teams. The Nations League has become an important part of the international tournament calendar. It provides an additional opportunity for national teams to showcase themselves on the European stage. This way, they can qualify for the European and World Championships.

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2026-27 UEFA Nations League season

The 2026/27 UEFA Nations League will be the fifth edition of the tournament for European national teams. The group stage will take place across four international windows:

Matchday 1: 24–26 September 2026;
Matchday 2: 27–29 September 2026;
Matchday 3: 30 September – 3 October 2026;
Matchday 4: 4–6 October 2026;
Matchday 5: 12–14 November 2026;
Matchday 6: 15–17 November 2026.

Following the group stage, the top teams will advance to the knockout phase. The League A quarter-finals and the promotion/relegation play-offs will take place from 25 to 30 March 2027. The four-team final tournament is scheduled for 9–13 June 2027.

Most anticipated matches of the 2026/27 UEFA Nations League

24 September: Netherlands vs. Germany;
25 September: Turkey vs. France;
26 September: England vs. Spain;
28 September: Belgium vs. France;
29 September: Spain vs. Croatia;
1 October: France vs. Italy;
3 October: Croatia vs. England;
12 November: Czech Republic vs. Spain;
15 November: Spain vs. England.

Who will take part?

All European teams will participate in the tournament — up to 55 teams in total, divided into four divisions (A, B, C and D) depending on their ranking. The strongest European teams will play in League A, including England, Germany, France, Spain, Italy, Portugal, the Netherlands and others.

Each team will play 6 matches in its group — home and away. The winners of the League A groups will advance to the playoffs to fight for the title. For the first time in the tournament's history, there will be quarter-finals at this stage, which will be played over two legs. There will also be play-offs between the leagues to determine promotion or relegation.

Favorites

The favorites include the traditional top European teams: France, Spain, Germany, England, Italy and Portugal. Winning the Nations League could also help the teams gain an additional chance to qualify for Euro 2028.

Tournament History

The UEFA Nations League was held for the first time in the 2018-19 season. It was created to raise the profile of national team matches, making them more attractive to fans and players. The first edition was won by Portugal, who beat the Netherlands 1-0 in the final in Porto. The tournament quickly gained popularity. Furthermore, its format was considered a success, providing high quality football matches.