The draws for the 2026/2027 UEFA Nations League were held in Brussels on Thursday evening, shortly after the conclusion of the 50th UEFA Congress, outlining Malta’s potential pathway in the competition.
Malta’s league placement will ultimately depend on the outcome of their March promotion/relegation play-off against Luxembourg.
Should Malta remain in League D, they will compete in Group D1 alongside either Gibraltar or Latvia, and Andorra.
However, if Emilio De Leo’s side secure a historic promotion to the third-tier of the competition, Malta would be placed in League C4 together with Iceland, Bulgaria and Estonia.
The play-off against Luxembourg will be contested over two legs, with promotion to League C at stake – a milestone the Malta men’s national team has yet to achieve since the inception of the Nations League.
The first leg will be played at the National Stadium, Ta’ Qali, on March 26, with kick-off scheduled for 18:00.
The return leg will take place on March 31 at the Stade de Luxembourg, also kicking off at 18:00.
The league phase of the 2026/2027 UEFA Nations League will begin with an extended international window from September 24 to October 6, during which teams will play four matches in close succession.
The competition is also expected to play a role in the qualification pathway for UEFA EURO 2028 in the United Kingdom and the Republic of Ireland.
Elsewhere, Spain and England will face each other in the next edition of the UEFA Nations League following yesterday’s draw, which also threw up a clash between France and Italy while Germany and the Netherlands will renew their rivalry.
Spain, who beat England in the final of Euro 2024, won the Nations League in 2023 and lost last year’s final, on penalties, to Portugal.
They will come up against Thomas Tuchel’s England side in Group A3, with the Czech Republic and beaten 2023 finalists Croatia completing the section.
The Nations League will be the focus for European international football for the year after the 2026 World Cup, before attention switches to Euro 2028 qualifying.
Group matches, with everyone playing each other home and away, will take place between September and November this year.
The top two in each of the four groups in League A will advance to the quarter-finals in March 2027, the winners of which will progress to the four-team finals in June that year – likely to be hosted by one of the participating teams.
Reigning Nations League champions Portugal, who also won the inaugural edition in 2019, are in Group A4 with Denmark, Norway and Wales.
France, winners in 2021 and semi-finalists last year, will take on Italy, Belgium and Turkey in Group A1. Germany, the Netherlands, Serbia and Greece make up Group A2.
THE DRAW
Group A1: France, Italy, Belgium, Turkey
Group A2: Germany, Netherlands, Serbia, Greece
Group A3: Spain, Croatia, England, Czech Republic
Group A4: Portugal, Denmark, Norway, Wales
Group B1: Scotland, Switzerland, Slovenia, North Macedonia
Group B2: Hungary, Ukraine, Georgia, Northern Ireland
Group B3: Israel, Austria, Republic of Ireland, Kosovo
Group B4: Poland, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Romania, Sweden
Group C1: Albania, Finland, Belarus, San Marino
Group C2: Montenegro, Armenia, Cyprus, Latvia/Gibraltar
Group C3: Kazakhstan, Slovakia, Faroe Islands, Moldova
Group C4: Iceland, Bulgaria, Estonia, Luxembourg/Malta
Group D1: Gibraltar/Latvia, Malta/Luxembourg, Andorra
Group D2: Lithuania, Azerbaijan, Liechtenstein
Note: Latvia v Gibraltar and Luxembourg vs Malta meet in two-legged play-off ties in March 2026 to decide their leagues.
League Phase dates:
Matchday 1: September 24-26.
Matchday 2: September 27-29.
Matchday 3: September 30-October 3.
Matchday 4: October 4-6.
Matchday 5: November 12-14.
Matchday 6: November 15-17.