Nations League 2026/27: the new relegation rule and what teams need
After MD2 · · next
- Stage
- League A · 2 of 6 played
- Format
- 1st–2nd → quarter-finals3rd → stay up or play-off4th → play-off or down
- Final
- Quarter-finals Mar 2027 · finals 9–13 Jun 2027
In 30 seconds
- Germany have one point. Can they climb clear of the relegation play-off places this week?
- New this time: only the two worst fourth-placed teams go straight down.
- Greece, France, Spain and Portugal have won both their games.
Nations League matchday 3 fixtures: the games to watch
Third v fourth in A2. If Serbia win, Germany drop to fourth.
Our call: Germany to win · our score 2–1 · Read the preview
France have won both without conceding. Italy scored four in Bursa.
Our call: France to win · our score 2–1 · Read the preview
England won in Prague. Croatia lost 4–1 in Seville and sit third.
Our call: England to win · our score 2–1 · Read the preview
Portugal have won both. Denmark are third on head-to-head with Norway.
Our call: Portugal to win · our score 2–1 · Read the preview
All 8 fixtures
Thu 1 Oct
20:45 CEST · 19:45 UK
Fri 2 Oct
20:45 CEST · 19:45 UK
Also previewed: Belgium v Türkiye · Spain v Czechia
Last round: our calls
- Czechia v England · we said England to win, 2–1 · finished 0–2 · result right · score wrong
- Spain v Croatia · we said Spain to win, 2–1 · finished 4–1 · result right · score wrong
Nations League tables after matchday 2
Two games in, one result can move a team two places.
Tables after matchday 2 · read · zones are “if it ended today”
- 1st–2nd: Quarter-finals
- 3rd: Best two stay up, the other two play off
- 4th: Best two play off, the other two go down
Group A1
| # | Team | P | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | FranceFrance | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | +2 | 6 |
| 2 | BelgiumBelgium | 2 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 1 | +1 | 3 |
| 3 | ItalyItaly | 2 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 4 | 3 | +1 | 3 |
| 4 | TürkiyeTürkiye | 2 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 5 | −4 | 0 |
Group A2
| # | Team | P | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | GreeceGreece | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 1 | +2 | 6 |
| 2 | NetherlandsNetherlands | 2 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 3 | 2 | +1 | 4 |
| 3 | GermanyGermany | 2 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 2 | −1 | 1 |
| 4 | SerbiaSerbia | 2 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 4 | −2 | 0 |
Group A3
| # | Team | P | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | SpainSpain | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 7 | 3 | +4 | 6 |
| 2 | EnglandEngland | 2 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 4 | 3 | +1 | 3 |
| 3 | CroatiaCroatia | 2 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 3 | 5 | −2 | 3 |
| 4 | CzechiaCzechia | 2 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 4 | −3 | 0 |
Group A4
| # | Team | P | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | PortugalPortugal | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 1 | +2 | 6 |
| 2 | NorwayNorway | 2 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 4 | 4 | 0 | 3 |
| 3 | DenmarkDenmark | 2 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 4 | 3 | +1 | 3 |
| 4 | WalesWales | 2 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 3 | −3 | 0 |
Level on points? Head-to-head decides first (Regulations, Article 15): Belgium are above Italy and Norway above Denmark because they won the game between them. Source: API-Football, rebuilt from every result and checked against UEFA.com.
Nations League 2026/27 relegation and play-offs: who goes down from League A?
New this edition: only the two worst fourth-placed teams go straight down. The two best third-placed teams stay up. The other four play two-legged play-offs in March 2027 against the four League B runners-up, and the winners play in League A in 2028/29. Third and fourth places are compared across the four groups, points first.
Best two: stay in League A
Other two: play-off to stay up
Best two: play-off to stay up
Other two: down to League B
Rule: UEFA, promotion and relegation between the 2026/27 and 2028/29 editions; play-offs: Regulations, Article 16; ranking across groups (points, goal difference, goals, away goals, wins, away wins): Article 19. Discipline and the access list come after that, data we do not hold; if they ever decide a place, we will say so here.
What every team needs
Points only. The first number is how many more points a team must take from its last four games to be certain of the top two, whatever happens elsewhere. The second is the same for staying out of fourth.
| Team | Pts | Top two certain with | Safe from 4th with |
|---|---|---|---|
| France | 6 | 7 more | 4 more |
| Belgium | 3 | 10 more | 7 more |
| Italy | 3 | 10 more | 7 more |
| Türkiye | 0 | 12 more | 10 more |
| Team | Pts | Top two certain with | Safe from 4th with |
|---|---|---|---|
| Greece | 6 | 6 more | 3 more |
| Netherlands | 4 | 8 more | 5 more |
| Germany | 1 | 12 more | 8 more |
| Serbia | 0 | 12 more | 9 more |
Worked out from every win, draw and loss in the group's remaining games, after matchday 2. Certain means at most one other team can reach that many points (two, for staying out of fourth). A team level on points counts as above, because head-to-head could go either way. A cell can also read “Through” or “Safe” (already certain), “Needs help” (no total is enough on its own) or “Not possible” (out of reach). Each team's line, in words, is under Find your team.
Nations League matchday 2 results: the story so far
Greece are the surprise. They won 2–1 in Belgrade, then 1–0 in Augsburg against Jürgen Klopp's Germany. Third in Group A2, Germany have the worst record of the four third-placed teams: if it ended today, they would face a play-off in March to stay in League A.
Spain won 3–2 in London and beat Croatia 4–1 in Seville. Lamine Yamal has three goals, level with Erling Haaland, whose Norway beat Denmark 3–2 and then lost 2–1 at home to Portugal. Harry Kane and Anthony Gordon have two each for England. Zinédine Zidane's France have two 1–0 away wins. Türkiye, Serbia, Czechia and Wales have no points yet.
- =1Erling Haaland · Norway3
- =1Lamine Yamal · Spain3
- =3Anthony Gordon · England2
- =3Harry Kane · England2
- =3Joao Felix · Portugal2
- =3Mexx Meerdink · Netherlands2
29 more players have scored once.
League A goals in this edition, from API-Football goal events; own goals and missed penalties not counted.
Our calls in the Nations League: 2 of 2 results right, no exact score yet. All our previews
How the Nations League works
The Nations League splits Europe's national teams into four leagues, A to D, by strength. League A has 16 teams in four groups of four. Each team plays the other three at home and away, six games from September to November. The top two in each group reach the quarter-finals in March; the four winners play the finals in June.
- 1st and 2nd: the quarter-finals, two legs in March 2027.
- 3rd: the best two of the four stay in League A; the other two play off against League B runners-up.
- 4th: the best two of the four play off; the other two go down to League B.
Below League A, the four League B group winners go up and the League B runners-up play the League A teams in the play-offs. League D disappears after this edition, so all its teams move up to League C.
Who qualifies for the quarter-finals?
The top two in each League A group reach the quarter-finals. The group winners are seeded and each is drawn against a runner-up from another group. The ties are two legs between 25 and 30 March 2027, the runner-up at home first. The four winners go to the finals on 9 to 13 June 2027: semi-finals, a third-place match and the final.
Source: UEFA, 2026/27 Nations League: all you need to know, the 2026/27 regulations (Article 17, the knockout stage) and the 2026/27 to 2028/29 transition. UEFA's format, our words.
Nations League 2026/27 key dates
- Played: Matchday 1 (24–26 Sep) · Matchday 2 (27–29 Sep)
Next
Matchday 3
Matchday 4 ·
Matchday 5 ·
Matchday 6 ·
Quarter-finals and League A/B play-offs ·
Finals: semi-finals, third place, final · · host to be named by UEFA
Source: UEFA, 2026/27 dates and league phase fixtures; kick-offs from API-Football fixtures, read Thu 1 Oct 13:19 CEST. Kick-off times are in the fixtures above.
Who's in: find your team
All 16 League A teams by group: where they stand, what they need and their six games (H home, A away).
Group A1 · France, Belgium, Italy, Türkiye
France · 1st after matchday 2, 6 pts
7 points (two wins and a draw) from their last four games make the top two certain; 4 points (a win and a draw, or four draws) rule out finishing fourth.
Türkiye (A, won 1–0) · Belgium (A, won 1–0) · Italy (H, Fri 2 Oct) · Belgium (H, Mon 5 Oct) · Italy (A, Thu 12 Nov) · Türkiye (H, Sun 15 Nov) ↑ Table
Belgium · 2nd after matchday 2, 3 pts
10 points (three wins and a draw) from their last four games make the top two certain; 7 points (two wins and a draw) rule out finishing fourth.
Italy (A, won 2–0) · France (H, lost 0–1) · Türkiye (H, Fri 2 Oct) · France (A, Mon 5 Oct) · Türkiye (A, Thu 12 Nov) · Italy (H, Sun 15 Nov) ↑ Table
Italy · 3rd after matchday 2, 3 pts
10 points (three wins and a draw) from their last four games make the top two certain; 7 points (two wins and a draw) rule out finishing fourth.
Belgium (H, lost 0–2) · Türkiye (A, won 4–1) · France (A, Fri 2 Oct) · Türkiye (H, Mon 5 Oct) · France (H, Thu 12 Nov) · Belgium (A, Sun 15 Nov) ↑ Table
Türkiye · 4th after matchday 2, 0 pts
Winning all four makes the top two certain; 10 points (three wins and a draw) rule out finishing fourth.
France (H, lost 0–1) · Italy (H, lost 1–4) · Belgium (A, Fri 2 Oct) · Italy (A, Mon 5 Oct) · Belgium (H, Thu 12 Nov) · France (A, Sun 15 Nov) ↑ Table
Group A2 · Greece, Netherlands, Germany, Serbia
Greece · 1st after matchday 2, 6 pts
6 points (two wins, or a win and three draws) from their last four games make the top two certain; 3 points (a win, or three draws) rule out finishing fourth.
Serbia (A, won 2–1) · Germany (A, won 1–0) · Netherlands (H, Thu 1 Oct) · Germany (H, Sun 4 Oct) · Netherlands (A, Fri 13 Nov) · Serbia (H, Mon 16 Nov) ↑ Table
Netherlands · 2nd after matchday 2, 4 pts
8 points (two wins and two draws) from their last four games make the top two certain; 5 points (a win and two draws) rule out finishing fourth.
Germany (H, drew 1–1) · Serbia (A, won 2–1) · Greece (A, Thu 1 Oct) · Serbia (H, Sun 4 Oct) · Greece (H, Fri 13 Nov) · Germany (A, Mon 16 Nov) ↑ Table
Germany · 3rd after matchday 2, 1 pt
Winning all four makes the top two certain; 8 points (two wins and two draws) rule out finishing fourth.
Netherlands (A, drew 1–1) · Greece (H, lost 0–1) · Serbia (H, Thu 1 Oct) · Greece (A, Sun 4 Oct) · Serbia (A, Fri 13 Nov) · Netherlands (H, Mon 16 Nov) ↑ Table
Serbia · 4th after matchday 2, 0 pts
Winning all four makes the top two certain; 9 points (three wins) rule out finishing fourth.
Greece (H, lost 1–2) · Netherlands (H, lost 1–2) · Germany (A, Thu 1 Oct) · Netherlands (A, Sun 4 Oct) · Germany (H, Fri 13 Nov) · Greece (A, Mon 16 Nov) ↑ Table
Group A3 · Spain, England, Croatia, Czechia
Spain · 1st after matchday 2, 6 pts
7 points (two wins and a draw) from their last four games make the top two certain; 4 points (a win and a draw, or four draws) rule out finishing fourth.
England (A, won 3–2) · Croatia (H, won 4–1) · Czechia (H, Sat 3 Oct) · Croatia (A, Tue 6 Oct) · Czechia (A, Thu 12 Nov) · England (H, Sun 15 Nov) ↑ Table
England · 2nd after matchday 2, 3 pts
10 points (three wins and a draw) from their last four games make the top two certain; 7 points (two wins and a draw) rule out finishing fourth.
Spain (H, lost 2–3) · Czechia (A, won 2–0) · Croatia (A, Sat 3 Oct) · Czechia (H, Tue 6 Oct) · Croatia (H, Thu 12 Nov) · Spain (A, Sun 15 Nov) ↑ Table
Croatia · 3rd after matchday 2, 3 pts
10 points (three wins and a draw) from their last four games make the top two certain; 7 points (two wins and a draw) rule out finishing fourth.
Czechia (A, won 2–1) · Spain (A, lost 1–4) · England (H, Sat 3 Oct) · Spain (H, Tue 6 Oct) · England (A, Thu 12 Nov) · Czechia (H, Sun 15 Nov) ↑ Table
Czechia · 4th after matchday 2, 0 pts
Winning all four makes the top two certain; 10 points (three wins and a draw) rule out finishing fourth.
Croatia (H, lost 1–2) · England (H, lost 0–2) · Spain (A, Sat 3 Oct) · England (A, Tue 6 Oct) · Spain (H, Thu 12 Nov) · Croatia (A, Sun 15 Nov) ↑ Table
Group A4 · Portugal, Norway, Denmark, Wales
Portugal · 1st after matchday 2, 6 pts
7 points (two wins and a draw) from their last four games make the top two certain; 4 points (a win and a draw, or four draws) rule out finishing fourth.
Wales (H, won 1–0) · Norway (A, won 2–1) · Denmark (A, Thu 1 Oct) · Norway (H, Sun 4 Oct) · Denmark (H, Sat 14 Nov) · Wales (A, Tue 17 Nov) ↑ Table
Norway · 2nd after matchday 2, 3 pts
10 points (three wins and a draw) from their last four games make the top two certain; 7 points (two wins and a draw) rule out finishing fourth.
Denmark (H, won 3–2) · Portugal (H, lost 1–2) · Wales (A, Thu 1 Oct) · Portugal (A, Sun 4 Oct) · Wales (H, Sat 14 Nov) · Denmark (A, Tue 17 Nov) ↑ Table
Denmark · 3rd after matchday 2, 3 pts
10 points (three wins and a draw) from their last four games make the top two certain; 7 points (two wins and a draw) rule out finishing fourth.
Norway (A, lost 2–3) · Wales (H, won 2–0) · Portugal (H, Thu 1 Oct) · Wales (A, Sun 4 Oct) · Portugal (A, Sat 14 Nov) · Norway (H, Tue 17 Nov) ↑ Table
Wales · 4th after matchday 2, 0 pts
Winning all four makes the top two certain; 10 points (three wins and a draw) rule out finishing fourth.
Portugal (A, lost 0–1) · Denmark (A, lost 0–2) · Norway (H, Thu 1 Oct) · Denmark (H, Sun 4 Oct) · Norway (A, Sat 14 Nov) · Portugal (H, Tue 17 Nov) ↑ Table
FAQ
Why did the relegation rule change for 2026/27?
What happens if teams in a group are level on points?
How are third-placed teams from different groups compared?
Is there extra time in the quarter-finals and play-offs?
Where are the 2027 Nations League finals?
Sources: UEFA, the 2026/27 to 2028/29 transition, and the 2026/27 regulations: Article 15 (level on points in a group), Article 19 (ranking across groups), Article 16 (play-offs), Article 17 (quarter-finals and finals) and Article 18 (extra time and penalties).
Updates
Thu 1 Oct
First version, after matchday 2.
Next: the refresh after matchday 3 (Sat 3 Oct).
Not affiliated with or endorsed by UEFA. “UEFA Nations League” is named for identification only.