UEFA Nations League Matchday 1 preview: England vs Spain, Czechia vs Croatia

England host Spain and Croatia visit Czechia in League A as UEFA Nations League Matchday 1 concludes on Saturday 26 September.

We put the spotlight on previous meetings, key storylines and players to watch.

What to look out for in every League A match

England vs Spain

Player spotlight

England captain Harry Kane became the fastest player to 100 German Bundesliga goals on Friday while Jude Bellingham has started strongly under new Real Madrid coach José Mourinho, producing three goals and three assists in seven league appearances.

Spain's Ferran Torres scored a hat-trick in his first Champions League appearance for Paris Saint-Germain. New club-mate Fabián Ruiz is unbeaten across his 50 Spain appearances (W35 D15, excludes penalty shoot-outs).

Memorable match: Spain 2-1 England (EURO 2024 final, 14/07/2024)

Spain won a record-breaking fourth EURO thanks to Mikel Oyarzabal's late winner in Berlin. England had answered Nico Williams' opener through Cole Palmer midway through the second half.

Final highlights: Spain 2-1 England

The backdrop

• This pair have met ten times since the turn of the millennium. Spain lead the head-to-head with six wins to England's three.
• England return to League A after winning Group B2 in the previous edition.
• Spain were defeated finalists in 2025, losing a penalty shoot-out against Portugal in Munich.

Czechia vs Croatia

Player spotlight

Among the newcomers in Santi Denia's first squad are midfielders Roman Macek (Sparta Praha), Matěj Radosta (Teplice) and Lukáš Ambros (Anderlecht). Of Ambros, the head coach says: "He's so multi-functional, he can play in several positions."

Como midfielder Martin Baturina was named Player of the Match in the Italian side's Champions League debut – a 4-1 win over Leipzig. Luka Modrić made 50 appearances during Slaven Bilić's first spell in charge.

Memorable match: Czechia 2-2 Croatia (EURO 2016, 17/06/2016)

Czechia's chances of taking anything from this Group D meeting seemed slim after 75 minutes, but substitutes Milan Škoda and Tomáš Necid inspired them to a draw.

EURO 2016 highlights: Czech Republic 2-2 Croatia

The backdrop

• Santi Denia and Slaven Bilić take charge of their first matches after their summer appointments. Bilić also served as Croatia's head coach between 2006 and 2012.
• These sides also met during the European Qualifiers for the 2026 World Cup, Croatia winning 5-1 at home before a goalless draw in Prague.
• The 2023 runners-up Croatia reached the quarter-finals in the previous edition, suffering a dramatic loss against France. Czechia won Group B1 to earn promotion to League A.

What to look out for in League B

League B fixtures: Saturday 26 September


B1 Slovenia vs Scotland (15:00)
B1 North Macedonia vs Switzerland

All times CET; 20:45 kick-off unless stated.

The backdrop

• Scotland and Switzerland begin efforts to restore their League A status after relegation in the previous edition.
• Slovenia return for another League B campaign.
• North Macedonia aim to continue on an upward trajectory after winning promotion from League C.

Storylines and players to watch

• Switzerland had the strongest World Cup campaign of any League B team, progressing to the quarter-finals. Attacking midfielder Johan Manzambi starred in that run, returning three goals and two assists in four outings. Manzambi opened his account with new club Aston Villa on Saturday.

What to look out for in League C

League C fixtures: Saturday 26 September


C1 San Marino vs Finland (18:00)
C3 Faroe Islands vs Kazakhstan (18:00)
C4 Bulgaria vs Luxembourg (18:00)
C4 Iceland vs Estonia (18:00)
C1 Albania vs Belarus
C3 Slovakia vs Moldova

All times CET; 20:45 kick-off unless stated.

• Albania, Finland, Iceland and Kazakhstan were relegated from League B in the previous edition. Belarus, Bulgaria, Faroe Islands, Luxembourg and Slovakia competed in League C while San Marino and Moldova have stepped up from League D.
• Albania and Iceland suffered relegation despite winning seven points in League B last term (Albania directly, Iceland via the play-offs). Albania then beat League A side Serbia to second place in Group K in the European Qualifiers for the 2026 World Cup, finishing with a record of four wins, two draws and two losses.
• The Faroe Islands were similarly impressive in the European Qualifiers, winning four of eight Group L games including a memorable 2-1 home victory against Czechia.
• San Marino made history in the 2024/25 Nations League, celebrating the first and second competitive wins in their history.