A new three weeks of international breaks are just around the corner and while Premier League fans will be counting down the days until club football returns, there’s still plenty to watch across Europe.
The 2026/27 National League season kicks off this week with some big games in the A-League. There are plenty of interesting storylines, too, from the arrival of a new head coach to some heavyweight nations meeting each other early in the tournament.
Here, 101 Great Goals are five games worth paying close attention to.
Netherlands vs Germany – September 24
The Nations League, one of European football’s biggest rivals, got off to a good start as the Netherlands took on Germany in Amsterdam.
This will also be the first official game for both managers, with Jurgen Klopp taking charge of the German team and Xavi Hernandez taking charge of the Dutch team.
That alone is impossible to ignore, especially when you consider that neither country has really thrived on the pitch in recent years, so there will be a lot of pressure on both managers to win early.
Germany reached the semi-finals of the last Nations League, while the Netherlands reached the quarter-finals, with both sides hoping to get off to a fast start this time around.
Portugal vs Wales – 24 September
Portugal begins its title defense journey against Wales in Lisbon. Jorge Jesus’ first priority after becoming Selecao coach is to defend the Nations League title.
Cristiano Ronaldo remains the obvious headliner, but Portugal have plenty of attacking talent around him and will be looking to control the proceedings at the Jose Alvalade Stadium.
Meanwhile, Wales will be looking to spoil the occasion and make a statement against the reigning Nations League champions, with Craig Bellamy hoping to finally get Wales back into the big tournament again.
It’s a tough opening task, but these are the kind of fixtures that could give the team a huge boost if they can get results.
Italy vs Belgium – September 25
A day later, Italy takes on Belgium in what should be another exciting Serie A clash.
Italy missed out on the 2026 World Cup, so interest will be high as returning coach Roberto Mancini begins his second spell in charge of the Azzurri.
Meanwhile, Belgium arrive after reaching the quarter-finals of the World Cup and will be looking to carry that momentum into the Nations League.
As both sides look to establish themselves in the new cycle, this feels like an important early test rather than just another group-stage game.
England vs Spain – September 26
England kick off their Nations League campaign when Spain visit Wembley in arguably the most important game of the campaign.
The match will bring together two of Europe’s heavyweight nations and provide England with a direct test against the reigning world champions.
It also gives Thomas Tuchel’s side a chance to win over the fans again, with many doubts still surrounding the Three Lions’ semi-final loss to Argentina in the United States.
The quality of the game isn’t low either, with the chance to see Real Madrid and Barcelona stars Jude Bellingham and Lamin Yamar go head-to-head, while Trent Alexander-Arnold, Morgan Gibbs-White and Leo Ngumoha will be looking to impress after joining the squad since the World Cup.
Belgium vs France – September 28
Just as the first games were coming to an end, Belgium and France went head-to-head in Brussels.
France will begin a new era under Zinedine Zidane, who played his first official match against Turkey early at half-time before facing Belgium three days later.
Belgium, meanwhile, could already face Italy at this point, meaning their opening Nations League schedule is anything but mild.
This could be an early indicator of both sides’ standings in the First Division, with two heavyweight sides set to face off in what should be another tight contest.