UEFA have approved the launch of a Nations League from 2018. The new tournament will be played every second year after it received unanimous support from UEFA's 54 member associations in Kazakhstan. Countries can win qualifying places for the 2020 European Championship if they perform well in the league, which will replace the majority of friendlies. The exact format of the competition is yet to finalised, but is expected to feature 54 countries split into four divisions according to rankings, with promotion and relegation.
Wolfgang Niersbach, chairman of the National Teams Competition Committee said "We accept and respect that all UEFA member associations have agreed to create a new competition. This is a big step for national teams in Europe and we hope that fans will support the format."
