European football governing body, UEFA, has announced that a women’s Nations League will begin in 2023.
The UEFA President, Aleksander Ceferin, who made this known on Thursday, said the competition, which will link into qualification for the European Championship and the World Cup, will start in autumn 2023.
He said for the men’s UEFA Nations League, countries will be divided into leagues based on their ranking, with promotion and relegation between the leagues.
Ceferin stated that there would be three tiers with teams playing in groups of three or four within those tiers.
The UEFA President said: “I said this summer that we will continue to invest in women’s football, and we are.
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“Off the back of a historic UEFA Women’s Euro, it is now time to further develop women’s national team football.
“We have built an open, competitive, and continuous system in which every match will matter, a true reflection of the European sports model.
“I am convinced that this format will help all European national associations and keep the dream of qualifying for a major international tournament alive.”
Proposals for a revamp of the women’s national team competitions, including the introduction of a Nations League, were presented to member-associations by a working group in Frankfurt last month.
This had happened ahead of the qualifying draw for the men’s Euro in 2024.
The new formats were officially ratified by UEFA’s ruling executive committee on Wednesday.
The men’s Nations League was first played in 2018, with the idea that it would provide more meaningful and competitive matches to replace international friendlies.
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