The Republic of Ireland will discover their opponents for the 2026-27 UEFA Nations League campaign this week, as the official draw takes place in Brussels on Thursday.

Heimir Hallgrímsson's side will be in the draw for League B, placed in Pot 3 for the ceremony. The campaign will also have an impact on the qualification pathway for UEFA EURO 2028, which Ireland will co-host.

Here is everything you need to know ahead of the draw.

Draw Details

The draw ceremony for the 2026-27 UEFA Nations League will be held at the Brussels Expo in Belgium, beginning at 5pm Irish time on Thursday. The draw is live on the UEFA website here.

Who Can Ireland Face?

The Republic of Ireland secured their place in League B following a crucial play-off victory over Bulgaria last March. Based on UEFA rankings, the 16 teams in League B have been divided into four pots, with Ireland placed in Pot 3.

This means we will be drawn in a group with one team from each of the other three pots. The potential opponents are:

• Pot 1: Scotland, Hungary, Poland, Israel

• Pot 2: Switzerland, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Austria, Ukraine

• Pot 4: Sweden, North Macedonia, Northern Ireland, Kosovo

How Does This Impact EURO 2028 Qualification?

As co-hosts for UEFA EURO 2028, the Republic of Ireland, along with England, Scotland, and Wales, have a unique qualification pathway.

While the primary objective for the team is to qualify directly on merit through the standard qualifying groups, UEFA has reserved two host nation places as a safety net. These spots would only come into play if more than two of the four co-hosting nations fail to qualify automatically.

There is a significant incentive to qualify directly, as host nations that secure their place on merit will be guaranteed to play all of their group stage matches at home. For Ireland, this would mean playing in Group E fixtures at the Dublin Arena (Aviva Stadium). Furthermore, should Ireland qualify as group winners, the team would play their Round of 16 match in Dublin.

For teams who do not qualify automatically, the Nations League provides a potential second chance through the play-offs. The structure of these play-offs will depend on how many, if any, of the reserved host nation places are required.

When Will the Matches Be Played?

The group stage of the UEFA Nations League will be played across two international windows in late 2026. The opening four matches will take place in a new, extended window from September to October, with the final two fixtures scheduled for November.

The full group stage schedule is as follows:

• 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

The competition will then conclude in 2027, with the quarter-finals and promotion/relegation play-offs scheduled for March, followed by the four-team Finals in June.

FAI.ie and the official Republic of Ireland social media channels will have full details and reaction from the draw on Thursday evening.