The 55 participating teams were split according to their position in the UEFA National Team Coefficient Rankings following the end of the European Qualifiers for the 2018 FIFA World Cup (as per 11 October 2017; play-off results will not be included). League A includes the 12 top-ranked teams. The next 12 teams are in League B, the next 15 in League C and the remaining 16 in League D.
Apart from Malta, the other teams in League D are: Azerbaijan, FYR Macedonia, Belarus, Georgia, Armenia, Latvia, Faroe Islands, Luxembourg, Kazakhstan, Moldova, Liechtenstein, Malta, Andorra, Kosovo, San Marino, Gibraltar.
Malta will be playing in a group of four teams on a home-and-away basis between September and November 2018.
League A
Germany, Portugal, Belgium, Spain, France, England, Switzerland, Italy, Poland, Iceland, Croatia, Netherlands
- Teams will be split into four groups of three, with the group winners then contesting the UEFA Nations League Finals (semi-finals, third-place match and final) in June 2019 to become the UEFA Nations League winners. One host country will be appointed in December 2018 from among the finalist teams.
- The four sides that finish bottom of their groups will be relegated to League B for the 2020 edition.
- The top four-ranked League A teams that do not qualify for UEFA EURO 2020 will enter play-offs in March 2020, with one finals place on offer.
League B
Austria, Wales, Russia, Slovakia, Sweden, Ukraine, Republic of Ireland, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Northern Ireland, Denmark, Czech Republic, Turkey
Teams will be split into four groups of three. The four group winners are promoted to League A, with the four sides that finish bottom relegated to League C for the next competition, to be played in 2020.
The top four-ranked League B teams that do not qualify for UEFA EURO 2020 will enter play-offs in March 2020, with one finals place on offer.
League C
Hungary, Romania, Scotland, Slovenia, Greece, Serbia, Albania, Norway, Montenegro, Israel, Bulgaria, Finland, Cyprus, Estonia, Lithuania
- Teams will be split into one group of three and three groups of four. The four group winners are promoted to League B, with the four sides that finish bottom relegated to League D for the 2020 edition.
- The top four-ranked League C teams that do not qualify for UEFA EURO 2020 will enter play-offs in March 2020, with one finals place on offer.
League D
Azerbaijan, FYR Macedonia, Belarus, Georgia, Armenia, Latvia, Faroe Islands, Luxembourg, Kazakhstan, Moldova, Liechtenstein, Malta, Andorra, Kosovo, San Marino, Gibraltar
- Teams will be split into four groups of four, with the four group winners promoted to League C for the 2020 edition.
- The top four-ranked League D teams that do not qualify for UEFA EURO 2020 will enter play-offs in March 2020, with one finals place on offer.
Group stage draw*: 24 January 2018 – SwissTech Convention Centre, Lausanne
Matchday 1: 6–8 September 2018
Matchday 2: 9–11 September 2018
Matchday 3: 11–13 October 2018
Matchday 4: 14–16 October 2018
Matchday 5: 15–17 November 2018
Matchday 6: 18–20 November 2018
Finals draw: early December 2018
Finals: 5–9 June 2019
UEFA EURO 2020 play-off draw: 22 November 2019
UEFA EURO 2020 play-offs: 26–31 March 2020
*Note that Russia and Ukraine will not be drawn into the same group. The same applies to Armenia and Azerbaijan if the current UEFA Executive Committee decisions still apply when the draw is made.