2026/27 UEFA Nations League: Groups, Format, Dates and How It Works
Updated 23 September 2026 · by the Jersey Pro Center team
Quick answer
The 2026/27 UEFA Nations League is the fifth edition of the competition, and its league phase runs from 24 September to 17 November 2026. All 54 UEFA member nations are split into Leagues A, B, C and D. League A holds four groups of four: France, Italy, Belgium and Türkiye in A1; Germany, Netherlands, Serbia and Greece in A2; Spain, Croatia, England and Czechia in A3; Portugal, Denmark, Norway and Wales in A4. Each team plays six matches, home and away. The League A group winners and runners-up reach home-and-away quarter-finals on 25-30 March 2027, and the four winners go to the finals from 9 to 13 June 2027. England host Spain on 26 September 2026 in the opening matchday.
Fifty-four nations, four leagues, six matchdays and a two-legged route to the finals. Here are the League A groups, every date from 24 September to 17 November 2026, and the national-team shirts supporters wear for the fixtures.
What the 2026/27 UEFA Nations League is
The 2026/27 UEFA Nations League is the fifth edition of UEFA's national-team competition, and it replaces friendly internationals with competitive matches between similarly ranked nations. All 54 UEFA member associations enter, and they are divided into four leagues:
| League | Teams | What is at stake |
|---|---|---|
| League A | 16 teams in four groups of four | Group winners and runners-up reach the quarter-finals; fourth place is relegated to League B |
| League B | 16 teams in four groups of four | Group winners are promoted to League A; fourth place is relegated to League C |
| League C | 16 teams in four groups of four | Group winners are promoted to League B; the two lowest-ranked fourth-placed teams drop to League D |
| League D | 6 teams in two groups | Group winners are promoted to League C |
The league phase draw took place in Brussels on 12 February 2026. Every team plays its three group opponents once at home and once away, so each nation plays six league-phase matches.
When does the 2026/27 Nations League start?
The 2026/27 UEFA Nations League league phase starts on 24 September 2026 and ends on 17 November 2026, across six matchdays:
| Matchday | Dates | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Matchday 1 | 24-26 September 2026 | Opening round; includes Czechia v Croatia and England v Spain |
| Matchday 2 | 27-29 September 2026 | Includes Czechia v England and Spain v Croatia |
| Matchday 3 | 30 September - 3 October 2026 | Wednesday 30 September is used exceptionally |
| Matchday 4 | 4-6 October 2026 | Closes the prolonged international window |
| Matchday 5 | 12-14 November 2026 | Includes England v Croatia and Czechia v Spain |
| Matchday 6 | 15-17 November 2026 | Includes Spain v England; the league phase ends here |
Matchday 1 opens on 24 September 2026 with Netherlands v Germany, Serbia v Greece, Norway v Denmark and Portugal v Wales. Italy v Belgium and Türkiye v France follow on 25 September 2026, and Czechia v Croatia and England v Spain close the round on 26 September 2026.
Which teams are in each 2026/27 Nations League League A group?
League A holds the 16 highest-ranked nations in four groups of four. Group A3 is the one to circle, because it contains Spain, Croatia, England and Czechia:
| Group | Teams | Opening fixtures |
|---|---|---|
| A1 | France, Italy, Belgium, Türkiye | Italy v Belgium, Türkiye v France (25 September 2026) |
| A2 | Germany, Netherlands, Serbia, Greece | Netherlands v Germany, Serbia v Greece (24 September 2026) |
| A3 | Spain, Croatia, England, Czechia | Czechia v Croatia, England v Spain (26 September 2026) |
| A4 | Portugal, Denmark, Norway, Wales | Norway v Denmark, Portugal v Wales (24 September 2026) |
League B is made up of Scotland, Switzerland, Slovenia and North Macedonia in B1; Hungary, Ukraine, Georgia and Northern Ireland in B2; Israel, Austria, Republic of Ireland and Kosovo in B3; and Poland, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Romania and Sweden in B4.
League C runs Albania, Finland, Belarus and San Marino in C1; Montenegro, Armenia, Cyprus and Latvia in C2; Kazakhstan, Slovakia, Faroe Islands and Moldova in C3; and Iceland, Bulgaria, Estonia and Luxembourg in C4. League D holds just six nations: Gibraltar, Malta and Andorra in D1, and Lithuania, Azerbaijan and Liechtenstein in D2.
How does the 2026/27 Nations League work?
The competition has four stages, and the league phase decides who reaches the last three:
- League phase, 24 September to 17 November 2026. Every nation plays its three group opponents home and away, for six matches in total. Group position is decided on points.
- League A quarter-finals, 25-30 March 2027. The four group winners and the four runners-up are drawn into four ties played home and away. The four winners qualify for the finals.
- Promotion and relegation play-offs, 25-30 March 2027. The third-placed teams in League A meet the runners-up of League B, and the third-placed teams in League B meet the runners-up of League C, in two-legged ties.
- Finals, 9-13 June 2027. Four teams contest the title. UEFA has not yet confirmed the host or the exact dates.
What is different about the 2026/27 edition?
Two things separate 2026/27 from the four editions before it. First, the league phase opens with a prolonged international window from 24 September to 6 October 2026, during which most teams play four Nations League matches in close succession rather than spreading them across two windows. Second, the 2026/27 UEFA Nations League is expected to be linked to qualification for UEFA EURO 2028 in the United Kingdom and the Republic of Ireland, which gives some nations a second route to the tournament through the play-offs.
Which shirts do fans wear to Nations League matches?
Nations League fixtures are international matches, so supporters wear national-team shirts rather than club shirts. We hold national-team shirt collections for all 16 League A nations, so whichever group you follow there is a shelf to buy from:
France Italy Belgium Türkiye Germany Netherlands Serbia Greece Spain Croatia England Czechia Portugal Denmark Norway Wales All national teams
The two shirts most people are looking for on Matchday 1 are the England away shirt and the Spain home shirt, because those are the two Group A3 sides meeting on 26 September 2026. Both are stocked as supporter-cut fan shirts with the print already applied, and the print on the listing photograph is the print that ships.
England2026/27 Away Shirt · GUEHI 6Away kit · supporter cut · printed GUEHI 6 on the backView this shirt
Spain2026/27 Home Fan Shirt · RAUL 7Home kit · fan version · printed RAUL 7 on the backView this shirt
Germany2026/27 Away Shirt · SCHLOTTERBECK 15Away kit · supporter cut · printed SCHLOTTERBECK 15 on the backView this shirt
France2026/27 Away Shirt · MBAPPÉ 10Away kit · supporter cut · printed MBAPPÉ 10 on the backView this shirtNations League shirts are priced from the low $50s to the mid $80s depending on the cut, and the national-team collections above run across men's, women's and youth sizes. If you are buying across two sports, our jersey sizing comparison sets the football cut against the NFL, NBA, MLB and NHL charts.
What comes after the league phase?
The league phase ends on 17 November 2026. The League A quarter-finals and the League A/B and League B/C promotion-relegation play-offs are played on 25-30 March 2027. The finals run from 9 to 13 June 2027, and the League C/D play-offs follow later, on 23-28 March 2028.
Fans planning around the November matchdays can also read our shirt version guide, which explains what the fan, authentic and training labels mean before you choose a cut for a two-matchday window.
Related guides
- England vs Spain 2026 - the Group A3 fixture in full, with what fans wear at Wembley and in Seville.
- Nations League Matchday 1: results and standings - every Matchday 1 and Matchday 2 score, the Group A3 table and the shirts worn in the September window.
Common questions
When does the 2026/27 UEFA Nations League start?
The 2026/27 UEFA Nations League league phase begins on 24 September 2026 with Netherlands v Germany, Serbia v Greece, Norway v Denmark and Portugal v Wales. The league phase ends on 17 November 2026, so the competition runs across six matchdays in two windows.
Which group are England and Spain in?
England and Spain are both in League A Group A3, alongside Croatia and Czechia. England host Spain on 26 September 2026, and Spain host England on 15 November 2026. Czechia v Croatia opens the same group.
How many teams play in the 2026/27 Nations League?
All 54 UEFA member associations enter. Sixteen play in League A, 16 in League B and 16 in League C, each in four groups of four. League D holds the remaining six nations in two groups.
How many matches does each team play in the league phase?
Six. Every nation plays each of its three group opponents once at home and once away across the six matchdays, which is why the opening window from 24 September to 6 October 2026 is so congested.
When are the 2026/27 Nations League finals?
The finals run from 9 to 13 June 2027 and are contested by four teams, the winners of the four League A quarter-finals. UEFA has not yet confirmed the host or the exact kick-off schedule.
Does the Nations League affect EURO 2028 qualification?
The 2026/27 UEFA Nations League is expected to be linked to qualification for UEFA EURO 2028 in the United Kingdom and the Republic of Ireland. Some nations will get a second route into the tournament through the play-offs based on their Nations League results.
Which national-team shirts can I buy here?
We hold collections for England, Spain, France, Italy, Germany, Netherlands, Portugal, Belgium, Croatia, Czechia, Denmark, Norway, Wales, Serbia, Greece and Türkiye, plus Argentina, Brazil, USA and Mexico. That covers all 16 League A nations at the 2026/27 UEFA Nations League.
Can I get a player name and number printed on a national-team shirt?
The shirts are supplied with a fixed print, and the product photographs show the exact name and number that ships - for example GUEHI 6 on the England away shirt and MBAPPÉ 10 on the France away shirt. Our product pages do not have a field for typing in your own name.
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