What Greece’s potential Nations League qualification would mean for the national team

Greece pulled off a major upset in Augsburg on Sunday night (27/09).

Ivan Jovanović’s players secured a 1-0 victory away against Germany and return home sitting first in League A Group B of the Nations League with six points.

As SPORT24 reports, the Greek national team can now dream of reaching the next stage of the competition, which is the quarter-finals.

If Greece finishes in one of the top two positions in the group, it will advance to the playoffs, facing either the second-placed or first-placed team from Groups A, C and D of League A.

If Greece tops its group, it will face one of the second-placed teams from those groups. If it finishes second, it will play against one of the group winners.

The Nations League League A quarter-final draw will take place after the group stage concludes, with the exact date yet to be announced.

What is known so far is that the first leg of the playoffs will be played between 25-27 March 2027, with the return legs scheduled for 28-30 March 2027.

If Greece eliminates its opponent, it will reach the finals, which will take place from 9-13 June.

The host of the Final Four will be decided at a later stage and will be one of the participating teams.

The format includes two semi-finals, a third-place play-off and the final.

The major benefits Greece is chasing

The benefits of a potential qualification, even reaching the Nations League playoffs, are significant and relate both to Greece’s future in the competition and its return to the finals of a major tournament after 14 years.

First, reaching the League A quarter-finals would guarantee Greece’s stay in League A and participation in the top tier of the 2028-29 edition of the competition.

Second, the national team would secure a place in the top seeding pot for the Euro 2028 qualifying draw.
This means Greece would avoid facing Europe’s biggest football nations on its path towards its first major tournament since the 2014 World Cup.

The Nations League schedule

– 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 and League A/B & League B/C promotion-relegation playoffs

– First leg: 25-27 March 2027
– Second leg: 28-30 March 2027

League C/D playoffs

– 23-28 March 2027

Final Four

– Semi-final 1: 9 June 2027
– Semi-final 2: 10 June 2027
– Third-place play-off: 13 June 2027
– Final: 13 June 2027
Greece’s Nations League fixtures and results
– Serbia – Greece 1-2
– Germany – Greece 0-1
– 01/10 Greece – Netherlands 21:45 (Toumba Stadium)
– 04/10 Greece – Germany 21:45 (Toumba Stadium)
– 13/11 Netherlands – Greece 21:45
– 16/11 Greece – Serbia 21:45 (Panthessaliko Stadium)

Why at least third place is crucial

For Greece, the goal is not only to remain in League A.

Its presence at the highest level has already ensured that it cannot drop below the second seeding pot in the Euro 2028 qualifying draw.

This is where the major incentive lies. If Ivan Jovanović’s team finishes between first and third place in the group, it will be placed in the top seeding pot for the Euro 2028 qualifiers.

That means Greece will avoid facing one of Europe’s traditional powerhouses in the qualifying stage. In the previous Euro qualifying draw, the top-seeded teams included Denmark, Portugal, Belgium, Hungary, Switzerland, Poland, the Netherlands, Croatia, Spain and Italy.

If Greece finishes fourth, it will fall into the second pot. Therefore, every result against Germany, the Netherlands and Serbia could influence the national team’s route towards the next major tournament.

What Greece needs to stay in League A

The ideal scenario is, of course, finishing in one of the top two positions in the group. In that case, Ivan Jovanović’s side will qualify for the Nations League quarter-finals and automatically secure its place in League A for 2028/29.

Third place, however, does not mean automatic relegation. The four teams finishing third in their groups will be compared, and the two best-performing teams will remain directly in the top division. The other two will have to fight for survival through playoffs against League B teams.