UEFA confirms Nations League overhaul and Poland impact

UEFA has formally approved sweeping changes to the Nations League, confirming a new three-division format from the 2028/29 edition. The decision, taken by the UEFA Executive Committee in Thessaloniki, will reshape promotion and relegation across the competition and has clear implications for Poland.

Three divisions instead of four

The reform had been expected since May, but it is now official. From 2028/29, the Nations League will no longer feature four divisions. Instead, there will be three, each made up of 18 teams.

In Leagues A and B, teams will be split into three groups of six. In League C, one group will contain seven teams and begin earlier than the others. UEFA says the redesign is intended to improve competitive balance and make the competition more dynamic without adding extra dates to the international calendar.

Under the new match model, every national team will play six games against five opponents. That includes home-and-away fixtures against the team drawn from the same pot, plus one match either at home or away against teams from the other pots.

How promotion and relegation will work

To bridge the current format and the new one, UEFA has also approved a revised promotion and relegation system based on results from the present Nations League cycle.

The play-offs between League A and League B will involve:

• the two third-placed teams in League A with the weakest records,
• the two fourth-placed teams in League A with the best records,
• and the four runners-up from League B.

There will also be play-offs between League B and League C, featuring the four fourth-placed teams in League B and the four runners-up from League C.

Before the next edition, movement between divisions will follow a defined pattern. The four League B group winners will go up to League A. The two weakest fourth-placed teams in League A will drop to League B. The four winners of the League A-League B play-offs will play in League A, while the four losers will be placed in League B.

A similar mechanism will apply below that level. The four League C group winners will move up to League B, while the winners of the League B-League C play-offs will also remain or move into League B. The losing sides from those ties will play in League C. With League D being removed, all teams currently in that division will move into League C.

What it means for Poland

For Poland, the significance is straightforward: final placement in the current Nations League structure will matter even more because it will help determine where the team sits when the new format begins.

UEFA has made clear that the line between divisions will now be shaped not only by automatic promotion and relegation, but also by a broader play-off system. That creates extra routes to either protect status or move upward, depending on results.

The composition of the 2028/29 Nations League will be determined by outcomes from the 2026/27 edition, meaning national teams such as Poland will need to navigate both the transition period and the new competitive landscape carefully.

UEFA’s reasoning behind the change

UEFA president Aleksander Ceferin said the new formats are designed to improve balance, reduce the number of matches lacking a clear edge, and offer supporters a more attractive competition. He also stressed that the changes would preserve equal opportunities for teams to progress without expanding the international schedule.

That is the central message behind the reform: fewer divisions, a different route between them, and a structure UEFA believes will create more meaningful games. For Poland, as for every national side, the challenge will be to adapt quickly to a competition that is about to look very different.