Nations League Opens With New Coaches and Three Major Fixtures

The 2026–27 UEFA Nations League begins on 24 September with the Netherlands hosting Germany, one of several prominent fixtures in the opening round. UEFA’s schedule also has England at home to Spain on 26 September and Belgium facing France on 28 September. The competition’s first four matchdays run through 6 October.

The Netherlands–Germany opener is a test of two new managers. Jürgen Klopp is due to take charge of Germany for the first time, while Xavi Hernández begins his Netherlands tenure. Germany have two wins and two draws from the teams’ four most recent meetings, UEFA says. Past meetings frame the contest but offer no guarantee in a new coaching cycle.

England’s meeting with Spain reprises the Euro 2024 final. Spain won that match 2-1, and England return to League A after promotion from the previous edition. For Thomas Tuchel’s side, a high-profile opener offers an immediate measure of the level required in a competitive group; Spain’s task is to sustain its recent advantage rather than rely on the earlier result.

France’s trip to Belgium adds another new coaching storyline, with Zinédine Zidane beginning his France tenure and Mark van Bommel taking over Belgium. UEFA records five straight French wins in the most recent meetings. The broader significance is that this is a league phase: opening results feed into group standings and later qualification, so the immediate headlines should be read alongside the series of fixtures still to come. League A quarterfinals are scheduled for March 2027 and the finals for June 2027.