The 2026-27 UEFA Nations League begins a new cycle of European international soccer just two months after the 2026 World Cup, with Spain, France, England, Germany and defending champion Portugal among the leading contenders.
The league phase runs from September 24 through November 17, 2026. The schedule is unusually compressed at the start: most countries will play four Nations League matches between September 24 and October 6 before returning for the final two group games in November.
Among the biggest early matchups are Netherlands-Germany, Portugal-Wales, England-Spain, Italy-Belgium, France-Türkiye and Norway-Denmark. [UEFA]
What Is The 2026 UEFA Nations League Schedule?
The six league-phase matchdays are divided between a long September-October international window and a second window in November.
| Stage | Dates |
|---|---|
| Matchday 1 | September 24-26, 2026 |
| Matchday 2 | September 27-29, 2026 |
| Matchday 3 | September 30-October 3, 2026 |
| Matchday 4 | October 4-6, 2026 |
| Matchday 5 | November 12-14, 2026 |
| Matchday 6 | November 15-17, 2026 |
| League A Quarterfinals / Promotion-Relegation Playoffs | March 25-30, 2027 |
| Nations League Finals | June 9-13, 2027 |
UEFA says the fifth Nations League edition concludes with a four-team final tournament in June 2027. [UEFA]
What Are The Opening 2026 Nations League Games?
League A begins with several major matchups involving countries that were prominent at the 2026 World Cup.
| Date | League A Match |
|---|---|
| Thursday, Sept. 24 | Netherlands vs. Germany |
| Thursday, Sept. 24 | Serbia vs. Greece |
| Thursday, Sept. 24 | Norway vs. Denmark |
| Thursday, Sept. 24 | Portugal vs. Wales |
| Friday, Sept. 25 | Italy vs. Belgium |
| Friday, Sept. 25 | Türkiye vs. France |
| Saturday, Sept. 26 | Czechia vs. Croatia |
| Saturday, Sept. 26 | England vs. Spain |
Most League A matches kick off at 20:45 Central European time, which is 2:45 p.m. ET during the September window. [UEFA]
What Are The League A Groups?
League A contains 16 countries divided into four groups of four.
| Group | Teams |
|---|---|
| A1 | France, Italy, Belgium, Türkiye |
| A2 | Germany, Netherlands, Serbia, Greece |
| A3 | Spain, Croatia, England, Czechia |
| A4 | Portugal, Denmark, Norway, Wales |
Group A3 immediately stands out because it contains world champion Spain, England and Croatia. Group A1 also puts France, Italy and Belgium together. [UEFA]
What Are The 2026 UEFA Nations League Betting Odds?
Spain entered the competition as the betting favorite after winning the 2026 World Cup.
An Oddschecker outright-market snapshot entering Matchday 1 listed Spain at 7/2, followed by France at 4/1 and England and Germany at 5/1. Portugal was available around 10/1. [Oddschecker]
| Team | Fractional Odds | Approx. American Odds |
|---|---|---|
| Spain | 7/2 | +350 |
| France | 4/1 | +400 |
| England | 5/1 | +500 |
| Germany | 5/1 | +500 |
| Portugal | 10/1 | +1000 |
Betting odds can change after every match, so these prices should be treated as a pre-Matchday 1 snapshot rather than fixed tournament odds.
Why Is Spain The Nations League Favorite?
Spain enters the Nations League immediately after winning the 2026 World Cup, defeating Argentina 1-0 in the final.
Luis de la Fuente’s team also won Euro 2024 and the 2023 Nations League. The Spanish federation rewarded De la Fuente after the World Cup by extending his contract through Euro 2032. [Reuters]
Spain entered the September international window on a 38-match unbeaten run under De la Fuente.
There are changes from the World Cup squad, however. Gavi is unavailable for the opener because of suspension, goalkeeper Joan Garcia is injured, and Spain made four squad changes following the World Cup. [Reuters]
Is Portugal The Defending Nations League Champion?
Yes.
Portugal won the 2025 Nations League by defeating Spain in a penalty shootout after the final finished 2-2 following extra time.
That made Portugal the first country to win the Nations League twice. It also won the inaugural competition in 2019. [UEFA]
| Season | Champion |
|---|---|
| 2018-19 | Portugal |
| 2020-21 | France |
| 2022-23 | Spain |
| 2024-25 | Portugal |
Is Cristiano Ronaldo Playing In The 2026 Nations League?
Yes.
Cristiano Ronaldo was selected for Portugal’s opening Nations League squad despite being 41 years old.
The tournament begins a new era for Portugal under coach Jorge Jesus, who replaced Roberto Martínez following Portugal’s exit from the 2026 World Cup.
Jesus said selection would be based on performance rather than reputation and included Ronaldo alongside established players including Bruno Fernandes, Bernardo Silva and Rúben Dias. [Reuters]
Portugal begins against Wales before facing Norway and Denmark during the compressed opening international window.
Why Is England Vs. Spain One Of The Biggest Games?
England and Spain meet at Wembley on September 26 in one of the marquee games of Matchday 1.
Spain enters as the reigning World Cup and European champion. England finished third at the 2026 World Cup under Thomas Tuchel after losing its semifinal to Argentina before beating France in the third-place game.
The match immediately puts two of the outright betting favorites against each other in a difficult Group A3 that also includes Croatia and Czechia.
England then travels to Czechia on September 29 and Croatia on October 3 before hosting Czechia on October 6. [Betfair]
What Is Different About France In The Nations League?
The tournament marks the beginning of the Zinedine Zidane era with France.
Zidane has taken over the national team following Didier Deschamps’ long tenure. His first competitive Nations League group includes Italy, Belgium and Türkiye.
France opens against Türkiye before facing Belgium on September 28 and Italy on October 2.
The combination of Kylian Mbappé and a new coach is one of the reasons France sits near the top of the betting market at approximately 4/1. [Oddschecker]
Why Is Germany Vs. Netherlands Important?
Germany and the Netherlands begin their Nations League campaigns against each other in Group A2.
The match is also part of a new chapter for Germany under former Liverpool manager Jürgen Klopp.
Germany is priced alongside England at approximately 5/1 in the early outright market despite coming off another disappointing World Cup. [Betfair]
The Netherlands, Serbia and Greece make Group A2 another section in which qualification for the quarterfinals is far from automatic.
Why Are Teams Playing Four Nations League Games So Quickly?
The first international window is unusually long.
UEFA scheduled Matchdays 1 through 4 between September 24 and October 6, meaning most teams play four competitive matches in roughly two weeks.
The official UEFA draw announcement described it as a prolonged international window in which teams would generally play four Nations League matches in close succession. [UEFA]
The final two league games are then played during the November window.
How Does The 2026-27 Nations League Format Work?
League A, League B and League C each contain four groups of four countries. Teams play every other country in their group twice — once home and once away — for six matches apiece.
League D has two groups of three teams.
In League A, the top two teams from each group advance to the quarterfinals in March 2027. Those quarterfinals are played over two legs.
The four quarterfinal winners advance to the Nations League Finals in June. [UEFA]
How Does Nations League Promotion And Relegation Work?
The Nations League uses promotion and relegation between its divisions.
League A group winners and runners-up advance to the quarterfinals, while the fourth-place team in each League A group is relegated directly to League B.
Third-place League A teams enter promotion-relegation playoffs against League B opponents.
Similar systems operate between Leagues B and C, while the League C/D playoffs are scheduled for March 2028. [UEFA]
What Are The Biggest Nations League Games To Watch?
The league phase includes a large number of major international matchups. Some of the most notable are:
- Netherlands vs. Germany — September 24
- Portugal vs. Wales — September 24
- Italy vs. Belgium — September 25
- Türkiye vs. France — September 25
- England vs. Spain — September 26
- Belgium vs. France — September 28
- Spain vs. Croatia — September 29
- Germany vs. Serbia — October 1
- France vs. Italy — October 2
- Croatia vs. England — October 3
- Portugal vs. Norway — October 4
- France vs. Belgium — October 5
- Croatia vs. Spain — October 6
- England vs. Croatia — November 12
- Spain vs. England — November 15
- Germany vs. Netherlands — November 16
- Wales vs. Portugal — November 17
UEFA’s official fixture list contains the complete schedule across all four leagues. [UEFA]
How Can You Watch The UEFA Nations League In The United States?
FOX Sports holds U.S. television rights to the 2026-27 UEFA Nations League, with games appearing across FS1, FS2 and FOX Soccer Plus.
UEFA also lists FuboTV and ViX among the U.S. streaming options. [UEFA]
FOX’s opening-window coverage includes Norway-Denmark, England-Spain, Spain-Croatia, France-Belgium, France-Italy and Portugal-Norway among its featured games. [FOX Sports]
2026-27 UEFA Nations League Draw
The official UEFA draw placed Spain, England, Croatia and Czechia together in Group A3 while defending champion Portugal landed with Denmark, Norway and Wales in Group A4.
2026 UEFA Nations League FAQ
When does the 2026 UEFA Nations League start?
The 2026-27 Nations League league phase begins September 24, 2026. [UEFA]
When does the Nations League group stage end?
The league phase concludes November 17, 2026.
When are the Nations League quarterfinals?
The League A quarterfinals are scheduled during the March 25-30, 2027 international window.
When is the 2027 Nations League Final?
The four-team Nations League Finals take place from June 9 through June 13, 2027. [UEFA]
Who won the last UEFA Nations League?
Portugal won the 2025 competition, defeating Spain on penalties after a 2-2 draw in the final. Portugal is the only two-time Nations League champion.
Who is favored to win the 2026-27 Nations League?
Spain entered Matchday 1 as the betting favorite at approximately 7/2, or +350 in American odds, followed by France, England and Germany. [Oddschecker]
Is Cristiano Ronaldo playing in the Nations League?
Yes. The 41-year-old Ronaldo was selected in new Portugal coach Jorge Jesus’ first squad for the September 2026 Nations League matches. [Reuters]
Where can I watch the Nations League in the United States?
FOX Sports is the U.S. television broadcaster, with games across FS1, FS2 and FOX Soccer Plus. FuboTV and ViX are also listed by UEFA as U.S. viewing options. [UEFA]
