Ahead of the Nations League reform, which from the 2028/29 season will adopt a format similar to that of the new club competitions, with each league consisting of three groups of six teams, and each national team playing six matches against five different opponents. The regulations for this fifth edition of the tournament have also been amended. Italy will begin their campaign against Belgium at the Stadio Olimpico in Rome on Friday 25 September.

The changes were officially confirmed today by the UEFA Executive Committee, which met in Thessaloniki. In order to realign the numbers of national teams for the new format, with each league increasing from the current 16 teams to 18, the promotion and relegation mechanisms will inevitably change. In essence, Italy will have the same chance of reaching the quarter-finals, with the four group winners and four runners-up once again progressing, while the risk of relegation to League B will be reduced.

So, what exactly will change? Until last season, the bottom team in each of League A’s four groups was automatically relegated to League B, while all four third-placed teams entered play-offs against the League B runners-up to avoid relegation. In the 2026/27 Nations League, only the two worst fourth-placed teams will be automatically relegated. The two best third-placed teams from the four groups will remain in League A, while the two worst third-placed teams and the two best fourth-placed teams will enter play-offs against the runners-up from the four League B groups.

Italy face four matches in the space of 11 days, a real ‘tour de force’ at the end of which they will probably know whether they can hope to reach the quarter-finals or will have to fight to remain in League A.

ITALY’S FIXTURES IN UEFA NATIONS LEAGUE GROUP A1

25 September 2026 (20:45): Italy vs. Belgium — Stadio Olimpico, Rome

28 September 2026 (20:45): Türkiye vs. Italy — Atatürk Spor Kompleksi, Bursa

2 October 2026 (20:45): France vs. Italy — Stade de France, Saint-Denis

5 October 2026 (20:45): Italy vs. Türkiye — Stadio Renato Dall’Ara, Bologna

12 November 2026 (20:45): Italy vs. France — Stadio Giuseppe Meazza, Milan

15 November 2026 (20:45): Belgium vs. Italy — King Baudouin Stadium, Brussels