At Wembley, Spain will arrive as world champions and England will open a new UEFA Nations League campaign under the weight of a home meeting that stands above the opening round. Their Group A3 contest on Saturday 26 September is the headline fixture as the 2026/27 edition begins across the continent.
The news from the competition
The first matchday runs from 24 to 26 September, with fixtures scheduled throughout all four Nations League divisions. League A brings together several of Europe’s established powers immediately: the Netherlands face Germany, Italy meet Belgium and France travel to play Türkiye, while Portugal begin against Wales.
England and Spain complete the top-tier programme in London. England will be looking for a positive start in A3, while Spain come into the match following their World Cup triumph.
Below the elite division, League B offers relegated sides a route back towards the top flight and recently promoted teams an early chance to establish themselves. Kosovo will be one of the sides to watch after Vedat Muriqi’s play-off second-leg hat-trick secured promotion to this level.
Sweden have Viktor Gyökeres, the leading scorer in the 2024/25 Nations League with nine goals, as they prepare to face Romania. Georgia’s attacking options include Georges Mikautadze, who scored seven times in the previous edition, and Khvicha Kvaratskhelia. Switzerland, meanwhile, can call on Johan Manzambi after his notable displays for the national side at the last World Cup.
League C begins on Friday and Saturday. Montenegro’s Nikola Krstović returns to the competition after scoring a hat-trick against Türkiye in the 2024/25 campaign. Albania, who collected seven points in the last edition, and the Faroe Islands, winners of four matches in European qualifying for the 2026 World Cup, are also among the teams carrying momentum into the opening fixtures.
Opening matchday calendar
Thursday 24 September
| Division | Group | Match |
|---|---|---|
| League A | A2 | Netherlands vs Germany |
| League A | A2 | Serbia vs Greece |
| League A | A4 | Norway vs Denmark |
| League A | A4 | Portugal vs Wales |
| League B | B3 | Austria vs Israel |
| League B | B3 | Kosovo vs Republic of Ireland |
Friday 25 September
| Division | Group | Match |
|---|---|---|
| League A | A1 | Italy vs Belgium |
| League A | A1 | Türkiye vs France |
| League B | B2 | Georgia vs Northern Ireland |
| League B | B2 | Hungary vs Ukraine |
| League B | B4 | Poland vs Bosnia and Herzegovina |
| League B | B4 | Sweden vs Romania |
| League C | C2 | Armenia vs Latvia |
| League C | C2 | Montenegro vs Cyprus |
Saturday 26 September
| Division | Group | Match |
|---|---|---|
| League A | A3 | Czech Republic vs Croatia |
| League A | A3 | England vs Spain |
| League B | B1 | Slovenia vs Scotland |
| League B | B1 | North Macedonia vs Switzerland |
| League C | C1 | San Marino vs Finland |
| League C | C3 | Faroe Islands vs Kazakhstan |
| League C | C4 | Bulgaria vs Luxembourg |
| League C | C4 | Iceland vs Estonia |
| League C | C1 | Albania vs Belarus |
| League C | C3 | Slovakia vs Moldova |
