Women's Nations League to be introduced for first time in 2023
- Published
England won the 2022 Women's European Championship
A Women's Nations League will take place for the first time next year.
European football's governing body Uefa announced the new competition will begin in Autumn 2023 in the lead up to the 2025 Women's European Championship.
The men's Nations League was introduced in 2018 to replace international friendlies with more competitive games.
"Off the back of a historic Women's Euros, it's now time to further develop women's national team football," said Uefa president Aleksander Ceferin.
"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."
The Women's Nations League will see countries placed into leagues of three or four teams based on ranking, with promotion and relegation between three tiers and the winners of the four top-tier groups contesting the Nations League finals.
The competition will link into qualification for both the 2025 European Championship and the 2027 World Cup, with a country's Nations League rank determining a team's starting league position in the qualifiers.
The European qualifiers, which begin in Spring 2024, will determine qualification for the European Championships and a team's starting league position in the following Nations League campaign.
Every four years, the Nations League finals will also determine which three European sides qualify for the Olympics.
For 2024, Olympic hosts France will be joined by the two Nations League finalists - or third-placed team if France reach the final.
MPs to look at 'building on England success'
Meanwhile, sexism and inequality in football will be examined by MPs during the men's World Cup in Qatar, which begins on 20 November.
The Women and Equalities Committee plans to hold two sessions to explore how opportunities presented by England's win at the 2022 Euros can be used to challenge sexist attitudes towards female football players, fans and managers, and to encourage women's participation.
The role of the footballing industry more broadly in tackling violence against women and girls will also be examined, with the first session taking place on 16 November.
"It is no secret that sexist attitudes towards women in football are rife," said MP Caroline Nokes, chair of the Women and Equalities Committee.
"The Lionesses' historic Euro win sparked record interest in the women's game. We must build on that success and root out harmful and outdated cultures."