League A · ten fixtures · six matchdays
Ten matches that will define the 2026/27 Nations League
The 2026/27 UEFA Nations League league phase runs across six matchdays, from 24 September to 17 November 2026. Every one of the ten fixtures below is in League A — the top division, where the group winners go to the Finals. Each entry carries its published date, its kick-off time in Central European time, and the reverse fixture, because every one of these ties is played twice.
Quick answer: the ten must-watch fixtures of the 2026/27 UEFA Nations League are England v Spain, Germany v Greece, Croatia v England, Portugal v Norway, France v Belgium, Italy v France, Netherlands v Greece, France v Türkiye, Spain v England and Germany v Netherlands. They are spread across all four League A groups and all six matchdays: the first is on Sat 26 Sep 2026 and the last on Mon 16 Nov 2026.
7 of the ten are the second leg of their pair and 3 are the first leg. 9 kick off at 20:45; the exception is Croatia v England at 18:00. 5 are played before the clocks change and 5 after it, so the zone switches from CEST to CET partway through the list.
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The twelve nations in these ten fixtures
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How this list was chosen
Three things decide it: the size of the occasion, the history between the two nations, and where the match sits in the calendar. That is why the list runs from matchday 1 to matchday 6 rather than clustering in the autumn, and why two fixtures appear in both directions — England v Spain and Spain v England are the two legs of the same tie, and both are worth diarising.
Every date and kick-off time here is taken from UEFA’s published league-phase fixture list and is listed in Central European time. Nothing on this page is a prediction: there are no scores, no form guides and no line-ups. It is a calendar — which is why it will still be correct after the last ball is kicked.
- 10 fixturesAll ten are League A ties, across all four groups.
- 5 before the clocks changeTheir kick-off is listed in CEST (UTC+2).
- 5 after the clocks changeThose are listed in CET (UTC+1).
- 3 pairs a week apartBoth legs inside eight days of each other.
The ten matches at a glance
| # | Date | Match | Grp | Kick-off | Reverse fixture |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Sat 26 Sep | England v Spain | A3 | 20:45 CEST | Spain v England Sun 15 Nov · 20:45 CET |
| 2 | Sun 27 Sep | Germany v Greece | A2 | 20:45 CEST | Greece v Germany Sun 4 Oct · 20:45 CEST |
| 3 | Sat 3 Oct | Croatia v England | A3 | 18:00 CEST | England v Croatia Thu 12 Nov · 20:45 CET |
| 4 | Sun 4 Oct | Portugal v Norway | A4 | 20:45 CEST | Norway v Portugal Sun 27 Sep · 20:45 CEST |
| 5 | Mon 5 Oct | France v Belgium | A1 | 20:45 CEST | Belgium v France Mon 28 Sep · 20:45 CEST |
| 6 | Thu 12 Nov | Italy v France | A1 | 20:45 CET | France v Italy Fri 2 Oct · 20:45 CEST |
| 7 | Fri 13 Nov | Netherlands v Greece | A2 | 20:45 CET | Greece v Netherlands Thu 1 Oct · 20:45 CEST |
| 8 | Sun 15 Nov | France v Türkiye | A1 | 20:45 CET | Türkiye v France Fri 25 Sep · 20:45 CEST |
| 9 | Sun 15 Nov | Spain v England | A3 | 20:45 CET | England v Spain Sat 26 Sep · 20:45 CEST |
| 10 | Mon 16 Nov | Germany v Netherlands | A2 | 20:45 CET | Netherlands v Germany Thu 24 Sep · 20:45 CEST |
Times are the published Central European kick-offs. Venues are confirmed by UEFA and the host association nearer each match, so they are deliberately not listed here.
Where the ten sit in League A
League A has four groups of four this season. All ten fixtures come from these four groups, which is what makes the list a tour of the division rather than a tour of one section of it.
| Group | Teams | In this list |
|---|---|---|
| A1 | Belgium, France, Italy, Türkiye | 3 |
| A2 | Germany, Greece, Netherlands, Serbia | 3 |
| A3 | Croatia, Czechia, England, Spain | 3 |
| A4 | Denmark, Norway, Portugal, Wales | 1 |
Group A3 is the one to watch. Croatia, England and Spain were drawn together in the inaugural 2018/19 edition, in Group A4, and the draw for 2026/27 has put those same three nations back in the same group. Three of the ten fixtures on this page come out of it.
The ten matches, one by one
01 England v Spain
England and Spain meet on matchday 1 and again on matchday 6, so this tie opens and closes the pair. The two were grouped together in the 2018/19 edition: Spain won 2–1 at Wembley, England won 3–2 in Seville. Spain have also beaten England in a major final since then.
02 Germany v Greece
A rematch inside eight days — the two legs are on Sun 27 Sep and Sun 4 Oct. The standout meeting between them is Germany’s 4–2 win in the UEFA EURO 2012 quarter-final. Greece reach this group as one of the smaller nations in the top division.
03 Croatia v England
The only fixture on this list that kicks off at 18:00 rather than 20:45 — the earliest slot of the ten. The same fixture in the 2018/19 edition was played behind closed doors in Croatia and finished 0–0. Croatia also knocked England out of the 2018 World Cup at the semi-final stage.
04 Portugal v Norway
The quickest turnaround on the list: Norway host Portugal on Sun 27 Sep and the return comes seven days later. Norway have beaten Portugal once in the fixture — 1–0 in Oslo in Euro 2012 qualifying — and Portugal have won the large majority of the rest.
05 France v Belgium
France beat Belgium 1–0 in the 2018 World Cup semi-final, and the two also met in the 1986 World Cup third-place play-off. The legs are seven days apart, with Belgium at home first.
06 Italy v France
Two finals sit inside this fixture: Italy won the 2006 World Cup final on penalties, and France won the UEFA EURO 2000 final. It is one of the November fixtures, so it kicks off at 20:45 CET rather than CEST.
07 Netherlands v Greece
Greece’s only win over the Netherlands came in a 2016 friendly; the Dutch won both of the two Euro 2024 qualifying meetings between them in 2023. This is the second leg of the pair.
08 France v Türkiye
Türkiye’s only win in the fixture was a 2–0 home victory in Euro 2020 qualifying, with the return in France drawn 1–1. This meeting falls on the final matchday, with France at home.
09 Spain v England
The second leg of the tie that opens this list, and part of the Group A3 reunion with Croatia. It is one of two fixtures on this page played on matchday 6.
10 Germany v Netherlands
The last of the ten to be played, on the final matchday. The fixture carries the 1974 World Cup final and the 1988 European Championship semi-final, and it is the reverse of the very first League A match of the season.
Kick-off times: CEST until 25 October, CET after it
UEFA publishes its schedules in local Central European time, and this season crosses the end of European summer time. Clocks go back on Sunday 25 October 2026, which falls between matchday 4 and matchday 5. So the first half of this list is CEST (UTC+2) and the second half is CET (UTC+1).
The important part is what does not change. The wall-clock kick-off stays at 20:45 in Central Europe either way — only the UTC offset moves. Read the two halves of the list separately and the times reconcile.
| Local slot | Zone | UTC | UK | US Eastern | India (IST) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 18:00 | CEST | 16:00 | 17:00 | 12:00 | 21:30 |
| 20:45 | CEST | 18:45 | 19:45 | 14:45 | 00:15 (+1d) |
| 20:45 | CET | 19:45 | 19:45 | 14:45 | 01:15 (+1d) |
What the two legs mean for this list
The league phase is a double round-robin, so every fixture on this page has a return. 7 of the ten listed here are the second leg and 3 are the first. Three pairs — Germany–Greece, Portugal–Norway and France–Belgium — are separated by just seven days, which means the same two teams meet twice inside a single international window.
England and Spain are the exception in the other direction: their two matches sit at opposite ends of the calendar, on matchday 1 and matchday 6. For the full 156-match calendar, the group tables and the promotion, relegation and Finals picture, use the complete 2026/27 Nations League fixture guide.
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2026/27 Nations League must-watch matches: FAQ
Which are the biggest matches in the 2026/27 UEFA Nations League?
The ten fixtures listed above: England v Spain, Germany v Greece, Croatia v England, Portugal v Norway, France v Belgium, Italy v France, Netherlands v Greece, France v Türkiye, Spain v England and Germany v Netherlands. All ten are League A ties.
When are these ten matches played?
They run across all six matchdays, from Sat 26 Sep 2026 to Mon 16 Nov 2026. Five are before the clocks change and five after.
What time do they kick off?
Nine of the ten kick off at 20:45 Central European time. Croatia v England on Sat 3 Oct 2026 is the exception at 18:00. The September and early-October fixtures are CEST (UTC+2); the November fixtures are CET (UTC+1).
Why do some kick-off times say CEST and others CET?
European summer time ends on Sunday 25 October 2026, between matchday 4 and matchday 5. Matchdays 1 to 4 are listed in CEST and matchdays 5 and 6 in CET. The local wall-clock time does not change — 20:45 stays 20:45 — but its UTC offset does.
Are these fixtures two-legged?
Yes. The league phase is a double round-robin, so every tie is played home and away. Each entry above lists the reverse fixture with its date and kick-off time.
How were these ten matches chosen?
By the size of the occasion, the history between the two nations and where the match sits in the calendar. The list deliberately spans all four League A groups and all six matchdays rather than concentrating on one team.
Are all ten matches in League A?
Yes. All ten come from League A groups A1 to A4, the top division of the competition, whose four group winners qualify for the Finals.
Where can I find the complete 2026/27 Nations League fixture list?
The full 156-match league-phase calendar, the 14 groups and the kick-off-time breakdown are in our complete 2026/27 Nations League fixture guide. This page covers only the ten selected ties.
Have any of these kick-off times been changed?
The times published here are the ones in UEFA’s league-phase fixture list. Football schedules do move, so check the fixture list and the host association before travelling.
Confirmed fixture information as of 28 September 2026. Dates, matchdays and kick-off times are taken from the UEFA league-phase fixture list for the 2026/27 UEFA Nations League. Only the ten fixtures named on this page are covered; venues are confirmed by UEFA and the host association nearer each match. Sources: UEFA, The FA, RFEF, FIGC, KNVB, FPF, DBU, HNS, NFF, HFF, TFF.