UEFA announces restructuring of national team competitions starting in 2028

Following a meeting of the Executive Committee in Istanbul on May 20, UEFA announced major changes to national team competitions effective after the conclusion of Euro 2028. The Nations League will be reorganized into three tiers instead of four, with each tier consisting of 18 teams divided into groups of six. League C will include one group of seven teams due to the total of 55 participating nations. Euro qualifying will also shift to a tiered format, where League 1 comprises the top 36 teams, and League 2 includes the remaining 18 or 19 teams. Automatic qualification will be granted to group winners in League 1, with additional spots determined through playoffs. UEFA President Aleksander Ceferin stated that these changes aim to increase competitiveness and reduce meaningless matches without adding new dates to the international calendar. Additionally, UEFA approved the expansion of safe standing areas for its competitions beginning in the 2026/27 season. The next meeting of the Executive Committee is scheduled for September 15, 2026, in Thessaloniki.