10 Must-Watch Matches in the 2026/27 UEFA Nations League
The 2026/27 UEFA Nations League league phase runs from 24 September to 17 November 2026, and every League A group contains at least one fixture between teams that have met in a major-tournament knockout tie in recent seasons. This page lists ten of those matches in date order, with the confirmed kick-off time for each in local Central European time and the return leg of every tie. Kick-off times are CEST (UTC+2) up to and including Matchday 4, then CET (UTC+1) from Matchday 5 after the clocks change on 25 October 2026.
The ten matches at a glance
| # | Date | Match | Grp | Kick-off | Other leg |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Sat 26 Sep | England vs Spain | A3 | 20:45 CEST | 15 Nov 20:45 CET |
| 2 | Sun 27 Sep | Germany vs Greece | A2 | 20:45 CEST | 4 Oct 20:45 CEST |
| 3 | Sat 3 Oct | Croatia vs England | A3 | 18:00 CEST | 12 Nov 20:45 CET |
| 4 | Sun 4 Oct | Portugal vs Norway | A4 | 20:45 CEST | 27 Sep 20:45 CEST |
| 5 | Mon 5 Oct | France vs Belgium | A1 | 20:45 CEST | 28 Sep 20:45 CEST |
| 6 | Thu 12 Nov | Italy vs France | A1 | 20:45 CET | 2 Oct 20:45 CEST |
| 7 | Fri 13 Nov | Netherlands vs Greece | A2 | 20:45 CET | 1 Oct 20:45 CEST |
| 8 | Sun 15 Nov | France vs Türkiye | A1 | 20:45 CET | 25 Sep 20:45 CEST |
| 9 | Sun 15 Nov | Spain vs England | A3 | 20:45 CET | 26 Sep 20:45 CEST |
| 10 | Mon 16 Nov | Germany vs Netherlands | A2 | 20:45 CET | 24 Sep 20:45 CEST |
How to read the times. Every kick-off below is the local time in Central Europe, as published by UEFA. Matchdays 1 to 4 sit before the end of European summer time, so they are CEST (UTC+2); Matchdays 5 and 6 sit after the change on 25 October 2026, so they are CET (UTC+1). The same clock time therefore means an hour earlier in UTC in November than it did in September. The other leg column gives each tie’s return fixture.
The ten matches in date order
1. England vs Spain — Saturday 26 September 2026
This is a repeat of the UEFA EURO 2024 final in Berlin, where Mikel Oyarzabal’s 86th-minute goal gave Spain a 2–1 win and a record fourth European title. It opens the campaign for both teams, and it is the first of two meetings between them inside eight weeks.
2. Germany vs Greece — Sunday 27 September 2026
Germany and Greece have met once before at a major tournament: the UEFA EURO 2012 quarter-final in Gdansk, which Germany won 4–2. It was Germany’s 15th consecutive competitive win, then a world record; UEFA’s report of that match noted that Greece have still never beaten them.
3. Croatia vs England — Saturday 3 October 2026
England’s 2018 World Cup run ended in the semi-final against Croatia, who came from behind to win 2–1 after extra time. England won the next competitive meeting between the two, 1–0 in their opening group match at EURO 2020. This is also the only one of the ten fixtures with an 18:00 kick-off.
4. Portugal vs Norway — Sunday 4 October 2026
Portugal are two-time Nations League champions, having won the 2018/19 and 2024/25 editions, and are the competition’s only multiple winners. Norway come with Erling Haaland, the Nations League’s all-time leading scorer. The first leg of this tie was played in Norway on Matchday 2.
5. France vs Belgium — Monday 5 October 2026
France beat Belgium 1–0 in the 2018 World Cup semi-final and again in the EURO 2024 round of 16, when Randal Kolo Muani’s shot went in off Jan Vertonghen. The two were also in the same group in the 2024/25 Nations League, and France won both of those meetings.
6. Italy vs France — Thursday 12 November 2026
Italy and France were paired in the same 2024/25 group and produced mirrored 3–1 results: Italy won in Paris, then France won in Milan to take top spot. The first leg of this tie is in France on Matchday 3.
7. Netherlands vs Greece — Friday 13 November 2026
Greece and the Netherlands were drawn together in EURO 2024 qualifying. The Netherlands won 3–0 at home and 1–0 in Athens, and Greece finished third behind France and the Dutch. The first leg of this tie is in Greece on Matchday 3.
8. France vs Türkiye — Sunday 15 November 2026
Türkiye and France were in the same EURO 2020 qualifying group, and Türkiye won the meeting in Konya 2–0. The return at the Stade de France finished 1–1 after Kaan Ayhan’s late header. The first leg of this tie is in Türkiye on Matchday 1.
9. Spain vs England — Sunday 15 November 2026
The return of the EURO 2024 final rematch: the first meeting is in England on Matchday 1. Group A3 closes with this fixture, and it shares its date with France vs Türkiye in Group A1.
10. Germany vs Netherlands — Monday 16 November 2026
Germany and the Netherlands were together in the 2024/25 Nations League: the Amsterdam meeting finished 2–2 and Germany won 1–0 in Munich. The first leg of this tie was played in the Netherlands on Matchday 1, and it is the last of the ten fixtures by date.
How the League A campaign works
League A holds the 16 highest-ranked teams in the competition, split into four groups of four. Every team plays the other three home and away, so each side plays six matches, and the four League A groups reached this season are A1 (France, Italy, Belgium, Türkiye), A2 (Germany, Netherlands, Serbia, Greece), A3 (Spain, Croatia, England, Czechia) and A4 (Portugal, Denmark, Norway, Wales).
All ten fixtures above are League A matches. 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, and Matchdays 5 and 6 follow on 12–17 November 2026. Group winners and runners-up then play home-and-away quarter-finals on 25–30 March 2027, with the four winners reaching the finals on 9–13 June 2027. UEFA states that the 2026/27 edition is expected to be linked to EURO 2028 qualification, with Nations League results giving some teams a second route into the play-offs.
The full fixture list — all 156 matches across Leagues A, B, C and D, with every group and every kick-off time — is in the 2026/27 UEFA Nations League fixture guide.
Frequently asked questions
When does the 2026/27 Nations League league phase start and finish?
It runs from 24 September 2026 to 17 November 2026. Matchdays 1 to 4 are played between 24 September and 6 October, and Matchdays 5 and 6 between 12 and 17 November.
What time do these matches kick off in European time?
Most fixtures kick off at 20:45 local Central European time. Matchdays 1 to 4 are CEST (UTC+2) and Matchdays 5 and 6 are CET (UTC+1). Croatia vs England on 3 October is the exception in this list, with an 18:00 CEST kick-off.
Are all ten of these matches in League A?
Yes. They come from all four League A groups: A1 (France, Italy, Belgium, Türkiye), A2 (Germany, Netherlands, Serbia, Greece), A3 (Spain, Croatia, England, Czechia) and A4 (Portugal, Denmark, Norway, Wales).
How do teams reach the 2026/27 Nations League finals?
The League A group winners and runners-up — eight teams — play home-and-away quarter-finals on 25–30 March 2027. The four winners go to the finals, a four-team tournament held on 9–13 June 2027.
Does the 2026/27 Nations League affect EURO 2028 qualification?
UEFA states that the 2026/27 edition is expected to be linked to EURO 2028 qualification, with Nations League results giving some teams a second chance to enter the play-offs for the final tournament.
Why is England vs Spain on this list?
It is a repeat of the UEFA EURO 2024 final, which Spain won 2–1 in Berlin. The same two teams also meet again in Spain on 15 November 2026, so Group A3 decides the tie over two legs in this campaign.
Related pages
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).
Shop the shirts from these fixtures
All twelve nations in the ten fixtures above — England, Spain, France, Italy, Germany, the Netherlands, Portugal, Croatia, Greece, Norway, Belgium and Türkiye. Sizes and full product details are on each product page.
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