France begin another international cycle this Thursday, but the Nations League already carries the outline of a different future. UEFA has adjusted the promotion and relegation rules for the edition now starting, while approving a broader redesign for 2028-29.
Les Bleus have been placed in League A Group 1 alongside Turkey, Belgium and Italy. The group phase will run across six matchdays and conclude in mid-November, as in previous editions.
Quick facts
- France face Turkey, Belgium and Italy in League A Group 1.
- The top two in each League A group reach the quarter-finals, scheduled for 25-30 March.
- Only the two lowest-ranked fourth-placed League A teams will be relegated automatically.
- No team will go down directly from Leagues B or C in this transitional edition.
- From 2028-29, the competition is set to move from four leagues to three divisions of 18 nations.
The immediate change gives Didier Deschamps’ side a little more protection at the bottom of the table. In earlier editions, all four teams finishing last in League A groups were automatically relegated. This time, only the two weakest fourth-placed finishers will drop.
Finishing outside the first two will nevertheless leave France exposed to a March play-off. The two lowest third-placed teams in League A, together with the two best fourth-placed sides, will meet League B runners-up to determine who remains in the top division.
The reward at the other end remains clear: a place in the top two sends a team into the quarter-finals at the end of March. For a France squad returning from the summer World Cup, the group offers heavyweight tests immediately, with Italy and Belgium familiar major opponents and Turkey an increasingly difficult assignment.
A transition towards three leagues
The altered relegation system is designed to prepare UEFA for the 2028-29 overhaul. The Nations League will then be reduced from four tiers to three, with 18 countries in each division. League C could contain a 19th side should Russia be readmitted.
League B and League C group winners will be promoted during the transition, while all six teams in League D will also go up. There will be no direct relegation from either League B or League C in the current campaign.
From 2028-29, each league will feature three groups of six. Yet teams will still play only six matches, creating an uneven fixture model: each nation will face one opponent home and away, while meeting the other four on a single-match basis.
The draw will use three pots of two teams. Sides drawn from the same pot will play each other twice, while opponents from the other pots will be split between one home fixture and one away fixture.
European qualifying plans also reshaped
The Nations League changes will be followed by a revised qualifying structure for the European Championship and World Cup. Leagues A and B will be combined into three groups of 12, while League C will retain three groups of six.
In League C, teams will play six different opponents over six matchdays. The new qualification system will begin after Euro 2028; qualifying for that tournament itself will use 12 groups of four or five nations, following the model used for the latest World Cup qualification campaign.
