UEFA announces restructuring of the Nations League starting in 2028

The UEFA Executive Committee, meeting in Thessaloniki on September 15, 2026, confirmed significant structural changes for the Nations League tournament beginning in 2028. The competition will transition from its current four-tier system to a simplified format featuring only three categories. To facilitate this shift, all teams currently participating in League D will automatically move up to League C for the 2028-2029 cycle, effectively eliminating the fourth division.

These adjustments directly impact the ongoing 2026-2027 tournament, which commences next week. For the Cyprus national team, currently placed in Group B of League C alongside Montenegro, Armenia, and Latvia, the stakes for promotion are clearly defined. A first-place finish secures an automatic move to League B in 2028, while a second-place finish forces a play-off match against the last-placed team from League B to determine promotion. Teams finishing in the third or fourth positions will remain in League C. These decisions establish the pathway for all national teams as UEFA streamlines its continental competition format for the future.