Nations League: A guide to the 'third' international tournament

When are the games played? When will it start? Will England be seeded?

Behind the times: Steven Gerrard’s England are still turning their back on change, beaten by teams with better tactics and more technically gifted players (EPA)

Uefa has approved the new Nations League tournament which will replace most international friendlies from 2018, the governing body has announced.

Here, we guide you through what is known about the 'third' international tournament...

:: There will be four divisions, each containing 12-14 teams based on UEFA's coefficients. England and other top European sides will be in Division A.

:: Each division will have four mini-leagues - so England would play three or four other Division A teams on a home-and-away basis between September and November 2018.

:: The winners of each mini-league go into their division's semi-finals and then final at a neutral venue in June 2019. Each division winner will qualify for Euro 2020 meaning one of the smaller nations in Division D will be guaranteed a place at the Euros.

:: The remaining 20 qualification places for Euro 2020 will be decided via the usual qualifying groups in matches played from 2019, possibly going on as late as March 2020.

:: Four of Europe's 13 qualifying places for the 2022 World Cup may also be decided via the top two divisions of the Nations League.

:: TV income is likely to organised in a similar way to the Champions League, with each country being awarded half the value of its Nations League TV rights deal, and the rest shared out across the 54 nations via participation money and match bonuses.