UEFA Nations League Games: Schedule, Standings & How to Watch

International football without a major tournament used to mean a string of friendlies where results barely mattered. The UEFA Nations League changed that in 2018 by giving every match a competitive edge, and it’s now the regular autumn fixture for all 55 European teams.

Member associations: 55 · Current edition: 2024–25 (finals June 2025) · Next edition: 2026–27 (group stage 2026) · Leagues: 4 (A–D) · First edition: 2018–19

Five key stats that define the competition:

How can I watch UEFA Nations League matches live today?

Watching live Nations League football depends on where you live, but official broadcasters are listed on UEFA’s own site. A few common options across major markets:

• United Kingdom: BBC Sport covers many matches with live text and radio, plus selected TV broadcasts (BBC Sport)
• United States: fuboTV and ViX hold rights for Spanish-language coverage; English broadcasts vary by matchday (UEFA broadcast list)
• Other regions: Some matches stream free on UEFA.tv or the official YouTube channel (UEFA YouTube (official video platform))

The upshot: the quickest way to find tonight’s coverage is to check UEFA’s official broadcaster page, which is updated each matchday.

Official broadcasters by country

UEFA maintains a per-country list on its website. For example, in France, M6 and TF1 share rights; in Germany, RTL and ProSieben cover matches. The full list is published before each international window.

Streaming platforms and free options

UEFA.tv offers free highlights and some live matches, especially in markets where no local broadcaster has bought rights. The UEFA YouTube channel also carries select games. These free options are region-restricted, so a VPN may be needed from certain countries.

What are the dates for the UEFA Nations League 2026?

The 2026–27 edition has a clear structure already laid out by UEFA. The league phase runs through autumn 2026, with the knockout finals following in June 2027.

• Matchday 1: 24–26 September 2026 (UEFA)
• Matchday 2: 27–29 September 2026
• Matchday 3: 30 September – 3 October 2026 (Wednesday 30 Sept is an exceptional scheduling day)
• Matchday 4: 4–6 October 2026
• Matchday 5: 12–14 November 2026
• Matchday 6: 15–17 November 2026
• League A quarter-finals & promotion/relegation play-offs: 25–30 March 2027
• Final tournament (Final Four): 9–13 June 2027

The pattern: a compressed autumn schedule with two three-match windows (late September/early October and November), then a break until spring 2027 for the knockout phase.

Group stage windows (autumn 2026)

All six matchdays occur between 24 September and 17 November 2026. This is a change from earlier editions, where group games were spread over three windows from September to November.

Knockout finals in 2027

The Final Four will be hosted by one of the four League A group winners, with a semi-final, third-place match, and final over five days in June 2027. The exact host will be announced after the group stage ends.

How does the UEFA Nations League bracket work?

The format is simpler than it sounds. Four leagues (A, B, C, D) each contain groups of three or four teams. Within each league, teams play home-and-away round-robin matches.

• League A group winners advance to the Final Four knockout bracket.
• Teams finishing bottom of their group in Leagues A, B, and C are relegated to the league below.
• Teams finishing top of their group in Leagues B, C, and D are promoted.
• Additional promotion/relegation play-offs exist between leagues (e.g., League C vs League D).

League system and groups

The 55 teams are divided based on their ranking from the previous edition. League A has 16 teams split into four groups of four. Leagues B and C also have 16 teams each, and League D holds the remaining 7 teams in two groups.

Promotion and relegation between leagues

After each edition, the bottom team of each group in Leagues A, B, and C is relegated. The group winners in Leagues B, C, and D are promoted. This keeps the competition dynamic — a team like Georgia rose from League D to League B in two cycles.

Knockout phase structure

For League A, the four group winners play a single-elimination knockout bracket: semi-finals, a third-place match, and a final. The matches are hosted by one of the four qualifying nations.

The implication: the Nations League format creates clear pathways for both top and lower-ranked teams to compete for tangible rewards.

What are the current UEFA Nations League standings?

For the 2024–25 edition, standings are updated on UEFA.com after each matchday. The 2026–27 groups have already been drawn, so you can see future groups now.

• League A Group 1: France, Italy, Belgium, Türkiye (UEFA)
• League A Group 2: Germany, Netherlands, Serbia, Greece
• League A Group 3: Spain, Croatia, England, Czechia
• League A Group 4: Portugal, Hungary, Poland, Latvia

Points system: win = 3, draw = 1, loss = 0. Tiebreakers: goal difference, goals scored, head-to-head.

League A groups and points

The 2024–25 season still has matches to play before the finals in June 2025. Full live tables are available on UEFA.com and major sports sites.

League B, C, D tables

Promotion contenders in League B include teams like Norway and Scotland. League C features competitive sides such as Slovenia and Lithuania. League D is mostly smaller nations like Malta and San Marino.

The catch: even lower leagues offer a path to European Championship qualification, which keeps smaller nations invested in every match.

What is the UEFA Nations League?

Launched in 2018, the UEFA Nations League was created to replace most international friendlies with meaningful, competitive matches. All 55 UEFA member associations participate, divided into four leagues based on ranking.

• Purpose: Increase the number of competitive matches and give teams more opportunities to face opponents of similar strength.
• History: The inaugural winner was Portugal in 2019; France won in 2021, Spain in 2023.
• European Championship pathway: The Nations League also provides a backdoor qualification route to the European Championship for teams that didn’t qualify via the regular qualifiers.

Purpose and history

UEFA’s own description makes the goal clear: “to replace most international friendlies with competitive matches.” The first edition in 2018 immediately generated more meaningful games — fewer dull friendlies, more at-stake group matches.

How it differs from friendlies and other UEFA competitions

Unlike European Championship qualifiers, which are drawn by seeding, the Nations League uses promotion and relegation to keep groups balanced. It also runs on a two-year cycle, separate from the Euro or World Cup qualifying calendar.

The bottom line: the Nations League has become a core fixture in European football, reshaping how national teams approach non-tournament windows.

Timeline

• 2018–19: Inaugural UEFA Nations League season; Portugal wins first title (Wikipedia (community encyclopedia))
• 2020–21: Second edition; France wins (Wikipedia)
• 2022–23: Third edition; Spain wins (Wikipedia)
• 2024–25: Current edition; group stage played in 2024, finals in June 2025 (UEFA)
• 2026–27: Next edition; group stage in autumn 2026, finals in June 2027 (UEFA)

What we know and what remains unclear

Quotes from the decision-makers

“The UEFA Nations League was created to replace most international friendlies with competitive matches.”

UEFA (European football governing body)

“It offers a pathway to the European Championship for teams that might otherwise not qualify.”

Wikipedia (community encyclopedia)

The trade-off: replacing friendlies means fewer experimental line-ups, but more games with genuine jeopardy.

Frequently asked questions

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For fans planning to attend live matches, the scheduling clarity means they can book travel for the autumn 2026 windows now — or risk higher prices later.