UEFA are expected to announce the introduction of a new Nations League for national and regional teams from 2018 and tougher, Europe-wide sanctions against match-fixing at their congress on Thursday.

The annual meeting of the 54 member associations will almost certainly endorse both proposals when they vote in the snowy capital of the central Asian country of Kazakhstan.

The Nations League competition will largely replace friendly games and become, in effect, the third major international competition for European teams after the World Cup and European Championship.

The plan would involve teams playing in three or four divisions, with promotion and relegation between them. The competition would culminate in a "final four" tournament with two semifinals and a final taking place at a neutral venue in the summer of odd-numbered years.