UEFA has confirmed that Euro 2024 will remain a 24-team tournament, but announced an expanded Nations League competition.
The governing body had been considering a 32-team European Championship, but said on Wednesday that “no changes” had been proposed to the tournament in Germany.
UEFA has announced that the new format will be implemented after Euro 2024.
As well as The Nations League has confirmed that the tournament will be extended beyond September 2024.
This will be the highlight of the competition A new round will be played in March, which UEFA aims to “create continuity”. between the group stage in November and the semi-final and final stages in June.
The winners and runners-up of League A Group will compete in a two-legged home-and-away quarter-final, with the winners advancing to the final four.
The third-placed teams in League A and the second-placed teams in League B will play a promotion/relegation playoff. It will be the same format for the third-placed team in B-League and the second-placed team in C-League.
In other changes, European qualifiers for the European Championship and World Cup will be more consolidated, with teams drawn into 12 groups of four and five teams.
The teams, drawn in groups of five, will begin qualifying in March, or in June if they are still competing in the UEFA Nations League quarter-finals or promotion/relegation matches. The teams divided into four groups will start their campaign in September.
“The expansion of the UEFA Nations League into the March International Match Calendar window will only apply to selected teams, with the remaining teams available to start European qualifiers,” UEFA said.
The statement added: “The new content of the UEFA Nations League knockout round, combined with the compact format of the European qualifiers, will create compelling links without increasing the total number of matches.”
It has also been confirmed that the 2023 UEFA Super Cup has been changed to Athens, Greece. It will be held on Wednesday, August 16.
The game was originally due to be played in the Russian city of Kazan, but as the country’s invasion of Ukraine continues, no task force has been set up by UEFA to discuss their return to the European fold, and none has been involved.
Russian national teams and clubs have been expelled from UEFA membership FIFA competitions since the end of February due to the conflict.
THERE IS DEEP
Russian football teams will be excluded from UEFA competitions
(Photo: Getty Images)
