England’s 2026/27 UEFA Nations League Fixtures: Spain, Croatia & Czechia
England play six matches in the 2026/27 UEFA Nations League league phase, all in League A Group A3 against Spain, Croatia and Czechia, between 26 September and 15 November 2026. This page lists England’s six fixtures in date order with the confirmed kick-off time of each, the venue direction, the return leg of every tie, and the rest of Group A3. Kick-off times are local Central European time: CEST (UTC+2) for Matchdays 1 to 4, then CET (UTC+1) for Matchdays 5 and 6 after the clocks change on 25 October 2026.
England’s six fixtures at a glance
| # | Date | H / A | Fixture | Kick-off | Other leg |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Sat 26 Sep | Home | England vs Spain | 20:45 CEST | 15 Nov 20:45 CET |
| 2 | Tue 29 Sep | Away | Czechia vs England | 20:45 CEST | 6 Oct 20:45 CEST |
| 3 | Sat 3 Oct | Away | Croatia vs England | 18:00 CEST | 12 Nov 20:45 CET |
| 4 | Tue 6 Oct | Home | England vs Czechia | 20:45 CEST | 29 Sep 20:45 CEST |
| 5 | Thu 12 Nov | Home | England vs Croatia | 20:45 CET | 3 Oct 18:00 CEST |
| 6 | Sun 15 Nov | Away | Spain vs England | 20:45 CET | 26 Sep 20:45 CEST |
How to read the times. Every kick-off is the published local time in Central Europe. Matchdays 1 to 4 are CEST (UTC+2); Matchdays 5 and 6 are CET (UTC+1), because European summer time ends on 25 October 2026. The same clock time therefore means an hour earlier in UTC in November than it did in September. The other leg column gives the return fixture of each tie; the H / A column shows whether England are at home or away.
England’s fixtures in date order
1. England vs Spain — Saturday 26 September 2026
This is the first competitive meeting between the two since the UEFA EURO 2024 final in Berlin, which Spain won 2–1 through Mikel Oyarzabal’s 86th-minute goal. It opens Group A3, and the same pairing closes the group in Spain on Matchday 6.
2. Czechia vs England — Tuesday 29 September 2026
England won the most recent competitive meeting between the two, 1–0 at Wembley in the group stage of UEFA EURO 2020. Czechia had also been England’s opponents in EURO 2020 qualifying, when England scored five at home.
3. Croatia vs England — Saturday 3 October 2026
Croatia knocked England out of the 2018 World Cup, coming from behind to win the semi-final 2–1 after extra time. England won the next competitive meeting, 1–0 in their opening match at UEFA EURO 2020. This is the only one of England’s six fixtures with an 18:00 kick-off.
4. England vs Czechia — Tuesday 6 October 2026
The return fixture, in England. Group A3’s Matchday 4 falls on the same evening as Croatia vs Spain, so both of the group’s Matchday 4 matches kick off at the same time.
5. England vs Croatia — Thursday 12 November 2026
The return fixture, in England, and the first time the two have met on English soil since the EURO 2020 group match at Wembley. It is Matchday 5, the first matchday after European summer time ends.
6. Spain vs England — Sunday 15 November 2026
The reverse of the EURO 2024 final and the last match of England’s group campaign. It shares its date with Croatia vs Czechia, so Group A3 finishes with both matches kicking off simultaneously.
Group A3: the full picture
England are one of four teams in Group A3. All twelve group matches are listed below by matchday, so you can see what else is being decided on the same evenings as England’s games. Home teams are listed first, and England’s own fixtures are marked.
| Date | Fixture | Kick-off |
|---|---|---|
| Matchday 1 · 24–26 September 2026 · CEST | ||
| Sat 26 Sep | Czechia vs Croatia | 20:45 |
| Sat 26 Sep | England vs Spain | 20:45 |
| Matchday 2 · 27–29 September 2026 · CEST | ||
| Tue 29 Sep | Czechia vs England | 20:45 |
| Tue 29 Sep | Spain vs Croatia | 20:45 |
| Matchday 3 · 30 September – 3 October 2026 · CEST | ||
| Sat 3 Oct | Croatia vs England | 18:00 |
| Sat 3 Oct | Spain vs Czechia | 20:45 |
| Matchday 4 · 4–6 October 2026 · CEST | ||
| Tue 6 Oct | Croatia vs Spain | 20:45 |
| Tue 6 Oct | England vs Czechia | 20:45 |
| Matchday 5 · 12–14 November 2026 · CET | ||
| Thu 12 Nov | Czechia vs Spain | 20:45 |
| Thu 12 Nov | England vs Croatia | 20:45 |
| Matchday 6 · 15–17 November 2026 · CET | ||
| Sun 15 Nov | Croatia vs Czechia | 20:45 |
| Sun 15 Nov | Spain vs England | 20:45 |
Because every team plays the other three home and away, each side plays six matches, three at home and three away. Group A3 is the only one of the four League A groups that contains both a EURO 2024 finalist in the opposite half of the draw and a World Cup semi-final opponent for England — Spain and Croatia respectively — alongside Czechia, who England have met in two of their last three European Championship campaigns.
How the league phase works
League A holds the 16 highest-ranked teams in the competition, split into four groups of four. Each team plays six matches, three at home and three away, and the group is decided on a double round-robin: every pairing meets twice, once on each side’s ground, in Matchdays 1–6. England are in their first League A campaign since returning via promotion, with the group drawn as A3 (Spain, Croatia, England, Czechia).
The league phase is unusually compressed this season. Matchdays 1 to 4 are played inside one extended window from 24 September to 6 October 2026; Matchdays 5 and 6 follow on 12–17 November 2026. The League A group winners and runners-up — eight teams — then play home-and-away quarter-finals on 25–30 March 2027, and the four winners reach the finals on 9–13 June 2027. The 2026/27 edition is also expected to be linked to UEFA EURO 2028 qualifying, giving teams a second route into the play-offs.
League A’s bottom team in each group is relegated directly to League B, while the third-placed team goes into a promotion/relegation play-off against a League B runner-up. That is why the November matchdays still carry something for every side in Group A3, not just for England.
Kick-off times in European time
England’s six fixtures use just three kick-off slots in local Central European time. Because the competition crosses the end of European summer time, the same two slots that appear in September and October map to a different absolute time in November.
| Local kick-off | UTC | UK | US Eastern | Beijing | England fixtures |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 20:45 CEST | 18:45 | 19:45 BST | 14:45 EDT | 02:45 (+1 day) | Matchdays 1, 2 and 4 |
| 18:00 CEST | 16:00 | 17:00 BST | 12:00 EDT | 00:00 (+1 day) | Matchday 3 |
| 20:45 CET | 19:45 | 19:45 GMT | 14:45 EST | 03:45 (+1 day) | Matchdays 5 and 6 |
Read the blocks separately. The first two rows are Matchdays 1 to 4, under CEST; the last row is Matchdays 5 and 6, under CET. A 20:45 local kick-off is 18:45 UTC in the September window and 19:45 UTC in November. In Beijing time it appears as 02:45 the following morning in September and 03:45 the following morning in November. UK and US Eastern times look unchanged across the two blocks only because those regions change their clocks at different dates; the underlying UTC time still moves by an hour.
Frequently asked questions
When do England play in the 2026/27 Nations League?
England play six league phase matches between 26 September and 15 November 2026. Matchdays 1 to 4 fall between 26 September and 6 October, and Matchdays 5 and 6 on 12 and 15 November.
Who are England’s opponents in the 2026/27 Nations League?
England are in League A Group A3 with Spain, Croatia and Czechia. They play each of the three home and away, which makes six matches in total.
What time do England’s matches kick off?
Five of England’s six fixtures kick off at 20:45 local Central European time, and Croatia vs England on 3 October kicks off at 18:00. Matchdays 1 to 4 are CEST (UTC+2) and Matchdays 5 and 6 are CET (UTC+1).
How many home games do England have?
Three: Spain at home on 26 September, Czechia at home on 6 October and Croatia at home on 12 November. The other three fixtures are away.
Why is England vs Spain on Matchday 1 significant?
It is the first competitive meeting between the two since the UEFA EURO 2024 final, which Spain won 2–1 in Berlin. The reverse fixture is the last match of England’s group campaign, in Spain on 15 November.
What happens after England’s group finishes?
The League A group winners and runners-up reach two-legged quarter-finals on 25–30 March 2027, and the four winners play the finals on 9–13 June 2027. The bottom team in each League A group is relegated, and the third-placed team goes to a promotion/relegation play-off.
Related reading
Dates, groups and kick-off times: UEFA’s published 2026/27 Nations League league-phase fixture list and competition pages. Head-to-head details: UEFA match reports and results archives. Times are local Central European time (CEST before 25 October 2026, CET after). Venues and any late schedule changes are confirmed closer to each matchday.
Shop the shirts from Group A3
England’s home and away shirts, plus the shirts of their three Group A3 opponents, Spain, Croatia and Czechia. Sizes and full product details are on each product page.
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