As of the 2028/29 edition, the UEFA Nations League will move from the current four leagues to three leagues of 18 teams each. Each league will be made up of three groups of six teams, who will play six matches against five different opponents: home or away against teams from different seeding pots, and home-and-away fixtures against a team from the same pot. With 55 national teams participating, League C will include one group of seven teams, whose matches will begin one international window earlier. The quarter-finals, Final Four, and promotion/relegation play-offs will follow the current format.

The European Qualifiers will also adopt a tiered structure based on the same principle used in club competitions: League 1, made up of the 36 teams from UEFA Nations League Leagues A and B, and League 2, made up of the remaining 18 (or 19) UNL teams. In League 1, there will be three groups of twelve teams, drawn from three pots of twelve teams each. Each team will play six matches, home or away, against six different opponents: two from each pot. League 2 will be structured exactly like League C of the Nations League, with three groups of six (or one group of seven).

If national teams are directly qualified for a final tournament as host nations, they will still take part in qualifying matches, but their results will count towards ranking points for the next Nations League edition. The best-ranked teams in each League 1 group will qualify directly, while the remaining spots will be decided via play-offs, ensuring fair qualification chances also for League 2 teams. The project will be fine-tuned in the coming months before being submitted for final approval at the next Executive Committee meeting scheduled for 15 September in Thessaloniki.

UEFA president Aleksander Čeferin said:
“The new formats will improve competitive balance, reduce the number of meaningless matches and offer fans more dynamic and interesting competitions, while ensuring fair qualification opportunities for all teams, without adding extra dates to the international calendar.”

Safe Standing Zones in UEFA competitions

The Executive Committee approved the extension of the Standing Facilities Observer Programme for the 2026/27 season.

Federations that have already participated in the UEFA observer programme will be allowed to use standing areas for UEFA competitions (previously limited to men’s club competitions), including qualifying phases. Federations that have not yet participated but have used standing terraces in their top domestic league for at least three years may apply to use standing areas in all UEFA competitions from 1 September 2026.

Any other federation wishing to introduce safe standing areas can begin planning under the new UEFA stadium infrastructure regulations for the 2027/28 season, which will include mandatory minimum standards after further consultation with stakeholders (national associations, clubs, leagues, and fan organisations).

UEFA regulations approved

The following regulations have been approved:

  • UEFA European Football Championship Regulations 2026–28

  • UEFA Club Licensing and Financial Sustainability Regulations (2026 edition)

  • UEFA Super Cup 2026

  • UEFA Futsal Champions League 2026/27

  • UEFA European Futsal Under-19 Championships 2026/27

  • UEFA Disciplinary Regulations (2026 edition)

  • UEFA Organisational Regulations (2026 edition)

  • UEFA Equipment Regulations (2026 edition)

  • UEFA Club Licensing Regulations for women’s club competitions (2026 edition) – including new coaching qualification requirements (UEFA Pro for head coaches and UEFA A for assistants), with a transitional period until 1 June 2028.