UEFA's executive committee is set to meet in Thessaloniki, Greece, on Tuesday, September 15, where it will announce venues for the next European club finals and reveal changes to the Nations League and to World Cup and European Championship qualifying, European football's governing body said.
The changes will affect the format of the UEFA Nations League and of qualifying for the World Cup and EURO from 2028 onward, based on the "Swiss system" already used in the Champions League.
Under the new format, a 36-team competition made up of top national sides will see each country play six matches, three at home and three away, against opponents of varying strength determined by three seeding pots drawn for the tournament.
UEFA's Swiss system
The Swiss system was introduced by UEFA in the Champions League, replacing the old group stage with a single 36-team table in which clubs play a fixed number of matches against opponents from different seeding pots before a knockout phase begins. UEFA now plans to extend a similar model to national-team competitions.
The Nations League, UEFA's competition for national teams, was launched in 2018 and is currently organized into four divisions, or Leagues, ranked by team strength.
Full agenda of the Thessaloniki meeting
According to UEFA, the executive committee's agenda in Thessaloniki includes:
- Venues for the 2028 and 2029 UEFA Champions League finals
- Venues for the 2028 and 2029 UEFA Europa League finals
- Venues for the 2028 and 2029 UEFA Conference League finals
- Venues for the 2028 and 2029 UEFA Women's Champions League finals
- Venues for the 2027 and 2028 UEFA Super Cup
- Venue for the 2027 UEFA Futsal Champions League finals
- Regulations for the UEFA Women's European Championship, including the Women's Nations League and Women's EURO qualifying for 2027-29
- Regulations for UEFA men's and women's youth competitions for 2027/28
- Amendments to the 2026/27 UEFA Nations League regulations, including a new playoff system moving to three leagues instead of four, under a new concept approved in May
