UEFA NATIONS LEAGUE 2026/27
UEFA Nations League 2026/27: Fixtures, Groups & How It Works
The fifth edition of the UEFA Nations League kicks off on 24 September 2026 and packs four rounds of international football into thirteen days. Fifty-four nations, fourteen groups, one trophy — and for a lot of them, a second route into EURO 2028. Here is the whole competition in one page: the format, every group, all six match days, and the complete League A fixture list.
How the 2026/27 Nations League works
The Nations League replaced meaningless friendlies with competitive games against similarly ranked opponents. Every team is placed in a league — A, B, C or D — and then into a group of four, and each group plays home and away.
The 2026/27 season is built around one long autumn block. Nations play four matches between 24 September and 6 October, then return in November for the final two rounds. That compressed calendar is the reason the group tables move so fast: two wins in the opening fortnight and a team is already bossing its group.
Finals places are decided in March 2027. The winners and runners-up of the four League A groups go into home-and-away quarter-finals, and the four quarter-final winners reach the finals in June 2027.
Promotion
Win your group, move up
The four League B group winners go up to League A. The four League C group winners go up to League B, and the two League D group winners go up to League C.
Relegation
Finish last, drop down
Fourth place in Leagues A and B means relegation. In League C the two lowest-ranked fourth-placed teams drop to League D.
Play-offs
One more chance
Third in League A plays a League B runner-up, third in League B plays a League C runner-up. Two-legged ties, decided in March 2027.
EURO 2028
A second road to the finals
This edition is tied to UEFA EURO 2028 qualification. Nations League results can hand teams a play-off back door into the tournament in the UK and Ireland.
All 14 groups
The draw was made in Brussels on 12 February 2026. Leagues A, B and C each hold four groups of four; League D has two groups of three.
- Germany
- Netherlands
- Serbia
- Greece
- Scotland
- Switzerland
- Slovenia
- North Macedonia
- Hungary
- Ukraine
- Georgia
- Northern Ireland
- Israel
- Austria
- Republic of Ireland
- Kosovo
- Albania
- Finland
- Belarus
- San Marino
- Montenegro
- Armenia
- Cyprus
- Latvia
- Kazakhstan
- Slovakia
- Faroe Islands
- Moldova
- Iceland
- Bulgaria
- Estonia
- Luxembourg
- Gibraltar
- Malta
- Andorra
- Lithuania
- Azerbaijan
- Liechtenstein
The six match days
| Round | Dates | What happens |
|---|---|---|
| Match Day 1 | 24–26 September 2026 | The competition opens, including Netherlands vs Germany and England vs Spain |
| Match Day 2 | 27–29 September 2026 | Reverse-ish fixtures arrive fast; groups start taking shape |
| Match Day 3 | 1–3 October 2026 | Halfway point of every group |
| Match Day 4 | 4–6 October 2026 | Final round of the autumn block — four games played in thirteen days |
| Match Day 5 | 12–14 November 2026 | Two-month break ends; qualification maths get real |
| Match Day 6 | 15–17 November 2026 | Decision day. Group winners, relegations and play-off spots all settled |
Kick-off times are set by UEFA and differ by fixture — check the UEFA schedule before travelling or planning a watch party.
Then what? The League A quarter-finals and the promotion/relegation play-offs are played 25–30 March 2027. The League C/D play-offs follow in March 2028. The finals — four teams, one host — are 9–13 June 2027.
League A: the complete fixture list
These are the 48 League A matches, group by group and round by round. Tap any round to open it.
Match Day 1 24–26 SEPTEMBER 2026
Match Day 2 27–29 SEPTEMBER 2026
Match Day 3 1–3 OCTOBER 2026
Match Day 4 4–6 OCTOBER 2026
Match Day 5 12–14 NOVEMBER 2026
Match Day 6 15–17 NOVEMBER 2026
Who is playing for what
Portugal are the team to beat. They lifted the trophy in 2019 and again in 2025, and they are the only nation with two titles. Spain won it in 2023 and have now added the World Cup; they arrive in League A as the most complete side in the competition, with a Nations League final and a runners-up medal already on the shelf.
England are the story of the draw. Relegated from League A in 2023, they won promotion straight back — and their reward is a group with Spain, Croatia and Czechia. Norway are in League A for the first time in this format's history after winning promotion, and they bring the competition's all-time leading scorer with them.
At the other end, the promoted sides from League B — Czechia, England, Greece, Norway, Türkiye and Wales — all have to survive a League A season they did not expect two years ago.
The format in one line: four autumn games, then two in November, then quarter-finals in March and a four-team final tournament in June. Finish top of your League A group and you are two ties from the trophy.
Pick your nation
Fifty-four teams means fifty-four sets of colours. Browse the national team range, or go straight to the group you care about.
- All National Teams
- England
- Spain
- France
- Germany
- Netherlands
- Portugal
- Italy
- Croatia
- Belgium
- Denmark
- Norway
- Scotland
- Republic of Ireland
- Sweden
- Northern Ireland
Four games in thirteen days
Get your colours sorted before the first whistle. Home, away and limited national team drops — shipped worldwide.
Shop National Teams Customise Your NameCommon questions
Who has won the Nations League?
Portugal in 2019, France in 2021, Spain in 2023 and Portugal again in 2025. Only three nations have ever lifted the trophy.
What happens to the League A group winners?
They go into two-legged quarter-finals in March 2027 against the runners-up of the other League A groups. The four winners reach the finals, held 9–13 June 2027.
How many teams are in the 2026/27 Nations League?
Fifty-four nations across four leagues: 16 in League A, 16 in League B, 16 in League C and 6 in League D.
How do you qualify for EURO 2028 through the Nations League?
This edition feeds into EURO 2028 qualification. Nations that do not get through the standard qualifying route can earn a second chance at the play-offs based on their Nations League results.