European football governing body UEFA has approved the launch of a Nations League from 2018.
The new tournament, which is expected to include England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland, will be played every second year after being given the green light in Kazakhstan.
Countries who perform well in the league will win qualifying places for the 2020 European Championship, with the majority of friendlies being scrapped.
"We accept and respect that all UEFA member associations have agreed to create a new competition," chairman of the National Teams Competition committee, Wolfgang Niersbach, is quoted as saying by Sky Sports News.
"This is a big step for national teams in Europe and we hope that fans will support the format."
The format of the competition has not yet been finalised, but it likely to feature 54 different European countries split into four separate divisions dependent on their FIFA ranking.
Daniel Lewis
