The UEFA Nations League 2026/27 campaign begins on September 24, with Portugal starting its title defense and several major European matchups scheduled during the opening round.
The new campaign brings Europe’s national teams back into competitive action following the summer international calendar. The opening schedule features Netherlands vs. Germany, Portugal vs. Wales, Norway vs. Denmark and Serbia vs. Greece on the first day.
More high-profile games follow on September 25 and 26. Italy meets Belgium, Türkiye faces France, and England hosts Spain in one of the most anticipated matches of the opening round.
The league phase will continue through November 17, when the final group matches are played. The next stages are scheduled for March 2027, followed by the finals in June.
UEFA Nations League 2026/27 Begins
The 2026/27 tournament is the fifth edition of the competition.
The league phase starts September 24 and runs through November 17. UEFA has divided the participating national teams into Leagues A, B, C and D.
The structure gives teams regular competitive fixtures against opponents within their respective level. It also creates promotion and relegation opportunities between leagues.
League A contains the highest tier of teams. Its groups feature some of the biggest national programs in European soccer.
The four League A groups are:
| Group | Teams |
|---|---|
| A1 | France, Italy, Belgium, Türkiye |
| A2 | Germany, Netherlands, Serbia, Greece |
| A3 | Spain, Croatia, England, Czechia |
| A4 | Portugal, Denmark, Norway, Wales |
Each League A group contains four teams.
Every team in those groups plays six league-phase matches, with each opponent faced twice.
Portugal Starts Its Title Defense
Portugal enters the new campaign as the reigning champion.
Its opening match is against Wales on September 24. The game starts a six-match schedule for the defending champion.
Portugal’s remaining league-phase fixtures are spread across September, October and November.
Its schedule is:
- September 24: Portugal vs. Wales
- September 27: Norway vs. Portugal
- October 1: Denmark vs. Portugal
- October 4: Portugal vs. Norway
- November 14: Portugal vs. Denmark
- November 17: Wales vs. Portugal
Portugal has already won the competition twice.
The first title came in 2019. Portugal then won the 2025 edition after defeating Spain in the final.
That 2025 final finished 2-2 after extra time. Portugal ultimately won the penalty shootout 5-3.
The result made Portugal the first two-time champion in the competition’s history.
Its opening match against Wales therefore begins a campaign in which the reigning champion attempts to defend that status.
England and Spain Headline Matchday 1
England vs. Spain is one of the biggest fixtures of the opening round.
The two teams meet at Wembley on September 26 in League A Group 3.
Spain enters the campaign as the reigning world champion after winning the 2026 FIFA World Cup. England’s first four matches come during the extended September-October international window.
England’s league-phase schedule is:
- September 26: England vs. Spain
- September 29: Czechia vs. England
- October 3: Croatia vs. England
- October 6: England vs. Czechia
- November 12: England vs. Croatia
- November 15: Spain vs. England
Spain has the same group opponents.
Its schedule begins against England before continuing with Croatia and Czechia.
The return meeting between Spain and England takes place on November 15.
The group also means England faces Croatia twice and Czechia twice before the league phase concludes.
England Deals With Squad Changes
England’s opening campaign has also been affected by injuries.
Cole Palmer, Declan Rice, Marcus Rashford, Tino Livramento and Kobbie Mainoo withdrew from the squad before the September fixtures.
James Garner and Morgan Gibbs-White were called up as replacements.
England therefore enters the opening round with several changes to its original squad.
The first match against Spain will provide an immediate test for the revised group.
The two nations will meet again later in the league phase, giving both teams another opportunity to collect points before the standings are finalized.
Netherlands vs. Germany Opens Group A2
The Netherlands and Germany meet on September 24 in Amsterdam.
The match is the first major fixture in League A Group 2.
Serbia and Greece are the other two teams in the group.
Germany’s six league-phase matches are:
- September 24: Netherlands vs. Germany
- September 27: Germany vs. Greece
- October 1: Germany vs. Serbia
- October 4: Greece vs. Germany
- November 13: Serbia vs. Germany
- November 16: Germany vs. Netherlands
The Netherlands follows the same group schedule.
That means the two teams meet twice, with the return match scheduled for November 16.
Germany also plays Greece twice and Serbia twice.
The first meeting with the Netherlands is especially important because both sides begin the competition against one another rather than a lower-ranked opponent.
France, Italy, Belgium and Türkiye Form Group A1
Group A1 brings together four prominent European teams.
France, Italy, Belgium and Türkiye are all in the same group.
The first round begins with Italy vs. Belgium and Türkiye vs. France on September 25.
Italy’s six fixtures are:
- September 25: Italy vs. Belgium
- September 28: Türkiye vs. Italy
- October 2: France vs. Italy
- October 5: Italy vs. Türkiye
- November 12: Italy vs. France
- November 15: Belgium vs. Italy
France also faces each of the other three teams twice.
Its opening game comes away against Türkiye before matches against Belgium and Italy.
The group will produce repeated meetings between four national teams during the league phase.
That makes the opening results particularly important because there are only six matches available to each side.
Norway, Denmark and Wales Join Portugal in Group A4
Group A4 features Portugal, Norway, Denmark and Wales.
The group begins with two matches on September 24.
Portugal hosts Wales, while Norway meets Denmark.
Denmark then faces Wales on September 27, while Norway hosts Portugal on the same day.
Portugal’s schedule creates a quick sequence of matches. It plays Wales, Norway and Denmark before facing the same teams again later.
The final Group A4 matches are scheduled for November 17.
Denmark meets Norway, while Wales hosts Portugal.
This group therefore remains active throughout the opening September-October window and the November international period.
How the League Phase Works
The competition uses four divisions.
Leagues A, B and C contain groups of four teams. League D has two groups, with three teams in Group D1 and two teams in Group D2.
Teams in Leagues A, B and C generally play six league-phase matches.
League D teams have four matches.
The results determine each team’s position within its group.
Promotion and relegation are important parts of the structure. Teams can move between leagues depending on their results and the subsequent playoff process.
The format gives national teams a competitive pathway beyond individual international windows.
It also allows smaller European nations to play meaningful matches against teams closer to their level.
2026/27 League Groups
The full group structure is:
League A
- Group A1: France, Italy, Belgium, Türkiye
- Group A2: Germany, Netherlands, Serbia, Greece
- Group A3: Spain, Croatia, England, Czechia
- Group A4: Portugal, Denmark, Norway, Wales
League B
- Group B1: Scotland, Switzerland, Slovenia, North Macedonia
- Group B2: Hungary, Ukraine, Georgia, Northern Ireland
- Group B3: Israel, Austria, Republic of Ireland, Kosovo
- Group B4: Poland, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Romania, Sweden
League C
- Group C1: Albania, Finland, Belarus, San Marino
- Group C2: Montenegro, Armenia, Cyprus, Latvia
- Group C3: Kazakhstan, Slovakia, Faroe Islands, Moldova
- Group C4: Iceland, Bulgaria, Estonia, Luxembourg
League D
- Group D1: Gibraltar, Malta, Andorra
- Group D2: Lithuania, Azerbaijan, Liechtenstein
The structure provides a broad range of competitive matchups across European national soccer.
Important Dates for the 2026/27 Campaign
The opening stage takes place over several international windows.
The key dates are:
| 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 |
| Quarterfinals | March 25-30, 2027 |
| Finals | June 9-13, 2027 |
The first four matchdays arrive unusually close together.
The competition begins September 24 and continues through October 6, giving many teams four matches during the extended international window.
The final two league-phase rounds take place in November.
What Happens After the League Phase?
The league phase determines which teams advance and which teams enter promotion or relegation pathways.
The best League A teams move toward the quarterfinal stage.
The quarterfinals are scheduled for March 25-30, 2027.
Those ties will determine the four teams that reach the final tournament.
The final tournament is scheduled for June 9-13, 2027.
The host and exact venues for the finals have not yet been confirmed.
This means the competition has several stages still to come after the November league-phase conclusion.
For the teams in League A, the November standings will therefore have consequences well beyond the opening group matches.
The Extended International Window
One of the notable features of the 2026/27 schedule is the long opening international period.
The first four matchdays run from September 24 through October 6.
Teams will generally play four competitive matches during that period.
This creates a demanding schedule for players who also have regular club commitments.
Squad depth can become particularly important when teams have several games in quick succession.
England, Portugal, Spain, Germany, France and Italy all face multiple fixtures during this period.
The November window then provides the final two league-phase matches.
Potential Euro 2028 Connection
The 2026/27 competition also has a connection to the qualification process for UEFA Euro 2028.
Results from the competition can provide some national teams with another route into the Euro 2028 playoff process.
That adds another layer of importance to the league phase.
Teams are not simply competing for group positions. Their results can also affect future qualification opportunities.
The Euro 2028 tournament will be hosted by the United Kingdom and Republic of Ireland.
What U.S. Soccer Fans Should Watch
For viewers in the United States, the opening schedule provides several major international matchups within a short period.
The most prominent early games include:
- 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
- Germany vs. Greece — September 27
- Norway vs. Portugal — September 27
- Belgium vs. France — September 28
- Türkiye vs. Italy — September 28
- Czechia vs. England — September 29
The schedule continues almost immediately into the next round.
Fans can therefore follow several major national teams without waiting weeks between competitive matches.
The final league-phase games arrive in November, when the group standings will determine which teams continue toward the 2027 finals.
The Latest Status
As of September 24, the 2026/27 campaign is at its opening stage.
The first matches are being played today, with Netherlands vs. Germany, Serbia vs. Greece, Norway vs. Denmark and Portugal vs. Wales among the League A fixtures.
Additional League A matches begin on September 25 and September 26.
The biggest opening-round matchup comes on September 26 when England hosts Spain at Wembley.
The competition remains wide open at the start of the league phase. No final group standings have been determined, and the teams still have multiple fixtures ahead before the November conclusion.
Portugal begins as the defending champion, while Spain, England, Germany, France, Italy and the Netherlands enter another competitive international campaign.
The next several weeks will establish the early group picture before the final two rounds in November decide which teams move forward.
The new campaign is underway, and the opening fixtures have set up a packed schedule of European international soccer—share your thoughts on the matches and stay tuned for the latest developments.