UEFA has approved a sweeping redesign of its men's national team competitions that will take effect after UEFA EURO 2028, including a new Uefa National League structure built around three leagues instead of four. The Executive Committee met in Istanbul and backed the concept, which will now be refined before final approval at its next meeting in September.
Under the plan, the 2028/29 edition of the Uefa National League will shift to three leagues of 18 teams, each divided into three groups of six. Teams will play six matches against five different opponents, while League C will have one group of seven because 55 teams are involved. Quarter-finals, the Final Four and promotion-relegation play-offs will remain part of the competition.
The overhaul goes beyond the Nations League. UEFA is also redesigning the European Qualifiers into a tiered system with League 1 and League 2. League 1 will bring together the 36 teams from Nations League Leagues A and B, split into three groups of 12 from three pots of 12 teams. Each team will play six home-or-away matches against six different opponents. League 2 will mirror Nations League League C, with three groups of six or one group of seven.
Host teams will still take part in the European Qualifiers even though they are already directly qualified for the final tournament. The best-ranked teams in each group of League 1 will qualify directly, with the remaining places decided through play-offs. UEFA said the new concept was validated for implementation post UEFA EURO 2028 and was developed after a full review of the current formats and consultation with all member associations.
UEFA president Aleksander Čeferin said the new formats will improve competitive balance, cut down on dead matches and give fans a more appealing and dynamic competition without adding extra dates to the international calendar. He added that the changes will raise the value of men's national team football. That ambition now hinges on the September sign-off, when the detailed structure is due to come back before the Executive Committee for final approval.
In a separate decision, UEFA also extended the Standing Facilities Observer Programme for the 2026/27 season. Associations already taking part in the observer programme may use standing facilities in all UEFA competitions. Associations that have not joined the programme but have used standing facilities in their domestic first division for at least the past three years may apply from 1 September 2026 to use them in all UEFA competitions.
The message from Istanbul is clear: UEFA wants a national-team calendar that feels tighter, fairer and more competitive, while keeping the same number of dates on the schedule. Whether the final version lands exactly as planned will be decided in September, but the direction of travel has already been set.
