UEFA reveals 2026-27 Uefa Nations League grouping

England will face Spain, Croatia, and the Czech Republic in the group stage of the 2026-27 Uefa Nations League, while Wales have been drawn alongside holders Portugal. 

The draw, made on Thursday, sets up a repeat of the Euro 2024 final, where Spain beat England 2-1, and reunites England with Croatia, familiar opponents from previous tournaments.

Both England and Wales secured promotion to League A in the 2024-25 edition and will now compete among Europe’s top-tier sides. 

England have been placed in Group A3 with Spain, Croatia, and the Czech Republic, while Wales are in Group A4 with Portugal, Denmark, and Norway. The competition will run from September 2026 to June 2027.

Scotland, preparing for their first World Cup appearance since 1998 this summer, will compete in League B Group B1 against Switzerland, Slovenia, and North Macedonia. 

Northern Ireland are in Group B2 with Hungary, Ukraine, and Georgia, and the Republic of Ireland will face Israel, Austria, and Kosovo in Group B3.

The Football Association of Ireland confirmed the Republic will fulfil their fixtures against Israel after the two sides were drawn together. 

In November, the FAI approved a motion calling on Uefa to ban Israel from European competitions over alleged statute violations. 

However, the association acknowledged that refusing to play would result in forfeited matches and potential disciplinary action.

Under the tournament format, teams play each other home and away in the group stage between September and November 2026.

The top two teams in each League A group advance to the quarter-finals in March 2027, with the semi-finals and final scheduled for June to decide the overall winner.

Group winners in Leagues B, C, and D earn promotion, while the bottom teams in Leagues A, B, and C are relegated. Second-placed teams in Leagues B, C, and D enter play-offs against third-placed teams from the league above.

As an added incentive, the best-performing Nations League teams that fail to qualify automatically for Euro 2028 will have another chance through play-offs for the final tournament spots.