UEFA introduces new Women's Nations League with Paris 2024 qualification up for grabs
The two finalists in League A of the three-league tournament will join hosts France as the European representatives in the Paris 2024 Women's Olympic Football Tournament. The Nations League begins in autumn of 2023.
Football
UEFA has announced the introduction of a new Women's Nations League that will define the European teams that will qualify for Paris 2024.
France, as host country, have already been allocated a place in the upcoming Women's Olympic Football Tournament. They will be joined by the finalists of League A of a three-league Nations League tournament that begins in autumn 2023.
READ MORE: How teams can qualify for the Paris 2024 football tournaments
New Women's Nations League format a "true reflection of the European sports model"
The new format will see nations split into three leagues, with League A and B consisting of 16 teams drawn into four groups of four and League C drawn into four groups of four and one of three.
Nations will play every other team in their group in home and away matches with the top four teams in League A progressing to the Nations League Finals, which consist of single-leg semi-finals, a third-place match and a final.
The two finalists will earn automatic qualification for the Olympic Games Paris 2024, however should host country France reach the final the last of the three European Olympic qualification spots will go to the winner of the third-place match.
The tournaments will also have a significant impact on European Qualifiers for EURO 2025 with team's positions in the continental qualifiers defined by their final positions in the Women's Nations League.
UEFA President Aleksander Čeferin said of the new format: "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.”
What is the format of the Paris 2024 women's football tournament?
A total of 12 teams will compete in the Paris 2024 Women's Olympic Football Tournament, with the places of France (hosts), the USA, Brazil and Colombia already booked.
The competition begins with group stage matches on Thursday 25 July 2024 and ends with the final on Saturday 10 August 2024.
Teams will be split into three groups of four, with the top two teams from each group and two best third-placed teams advancing to the quarter-finals on Saturday 3 August.
The semi-finals will take place on Tuesday 6 August with the gold medal match taking place the following Saturday.
At Tokyo 2020, the highest-placed European team was Sweden who ended the tournament with a silver medal after losing in the final to Canada.