2026/27 UEFA Nations League draw: Date, time, tournament format and Scotland's potential opponents explained
Everything you need to know about this week’s draw as Steve Clarke’s men learn their UEFA Nations League opponents.
After being relegated to League B in 2024, Scotland will learn their opponents for the upcoming UEFA Nations League in the fifth edition of the competition.
There is a feel-good factor currently around the Scotland National Team after successfully qualifying for the World Cup, breaking a 28-year curse in the process. Despite this, their last Nations League campaign wasn’t as fruitful, as Steve Clarke’s side finished third in a group consisting of Portugal, Croatia and Poland, missing out on the knockout stages by a point.
While Scotland didn’t disgrace themselves against some of Europe’s elite, third place means that they have now been relegated to League B, bringing a new challenge to the side as they look to instantly get back amongst the big boys. Not known to be the most straightforward of formats, here’s a look at everything you need to know about the 2026/27 Nations League ahead of this week’s draw, including the countries Scotland could face:
When and where is the UEFA Nations League draw?
The League phase draw will take place in Belgium’s capital, Brussels on Thursday, February 12th. It is scheduled to get underway at 5pm GMT (6pm local time).
Who can Scotland face in the UEFA Nations League?
The 16 teams allocated to League B are divided into four draw pots: Pot 1 will contain the four teams ranked 17th to 20th; Pot 2 will contain the four teams ranked 21st to 24th; Pot 3 will contain the four teams ranked 25th to 28th; Pot 4 will contain the four teams ranked 29th to 32nd.
The Pots for League B are as follows:
Pot 1 - Scotland, Hungary, Poland, Israel
Pot 2 - Switzerland, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Austria, Ukraine
Pot 3 - Slovenia, Georgia, Republic of Ireland, Romania
Pot 4 - Sweden, North Macedonia, Northern Ireland, Kosovo
Scotland will be up against one team from pot two, three and four for the upcoming campaign, therefore will avoid Hungary, Poland and Israel. An ideal draw for Clarke’s men would be something along the lines of Bosnia and Herzegovina, Georgia and North Macedonia, while they’ll want to avoid the likes of Switzerland, Slovenia and Sweden.
When are UEFA Nations League games scheduled to be played?
The key dates for the Nations League are as follows:
League phase draw: 12 February 2026
Matchday 1: 24-26 September 2026
Matchday 2: 27-29 September 2026
Matchday 3: 30 September-3 October 2026
Matchday 4: 4-6 October 2026
Matchday 5: 12-14 November 2026
Matchday 6: 15-17 November 2026
League A quarter-finals: 25-30 March 2027
League A/B and B/C play-offs: 25-30 March 2027
Final tournament: 9-13 June 2027
League C/D play-offs: 23-28 March 2028
How does the UEFA Nations League affect Euro 2028 qualification?
The 2026-27 UEFA Nations League is also expected to be linked to qualification for UEFA EURO 2028, in the United Kingdom and the Republic of Ireland, as some nations will have a second opportunity to seal qualification for the play-offs based on their UEFA Nations League results.
If Scotland win their League B group and don’t qualify for the European Championships automatically, they will have a chance to qualify through the back door of the Nations League. Steve Clarke’s men famously took full advantage of this in 2020, when they progressed to the Euros finals after beating Israel and Serbia via the play-offs.