Note: Single-source report; awaiting corroboration.
The UEFA Executive Committee has approved new formats for men's national team competitions, set to begin with the 2028/29 season. The UEFA Nations League will transition from four leagues to three, each with 18 teams. League C will feature one group of seven teams, whose matches will start one international window earlier. Each league will have three groups of six teams, playing six matches against different opponents, with both home and away fixtures determined by pot affiliation. The format will keep the quarter-finals, Final Four stage, and promotion/relegation play-offs unchanged.
The European Qualifiers will also introduce a tiered system. League 1 will include 36 teams from the current Nations League Leagues A and B, split into three groups of 12 drawn from three pots. Teams will play six matches, home or away, against six different opponents—two from each pot—similar to UEFA's club competition formats. League 2 will replicate the current League C structure, with three groups of six or one group of seven teams.
Host teams will still qualify directly for the final tournament, but will join the European Qualifiers for seeding and ranking purposes. Direct qualification will be granted to the top-ranked teams in each League 1 group, with remaining spots decided by play-offs, giving League 2 teams fair opportunities as well.
UEFA President Aleksander Čeferin stated that these changes aim to enhance competitive balance, reduce dead matches, and offer more dynamic competition for fans. He noted that the reforms will not increase international calendar dates and will add value to UEFA men's national team football.
The final formats will be refined in the coming months and are expected to be approved by the UEFA Executive Committee at its next meeting in September. UEFA will provide a full analysis of the reforms during a media conference after the meeting.