Spain find out Nations League opponents for 2026-27 campaign

Madrid, Spain – Spain will open their 2026-27 UEFA Nations League campaign in September against Croatia, England and Czechia after the draw for League A Group A3 was confirmed on Monday. La Roja, seeded alongside Portugal, Germany and France, will again target a place in the final four after falling to Portugal on penalties in last season’s decider.

The league phase runs from September to November 2026, with quarter-finals scheduled for March 2027 and the final tournament set for 9-13 June 2027. Spain’s first fixtures will come in the opening international window after this summer’s World Cup.

Group A3 shapes as one of the competition’s most eye-catching pools. England return to the top tier after promotion from League B, while Czechia also climbed up ahead of Ukraine, Georgia and Albania. Croatia, ever-present in League A, provide another stern test for Luis de la Fuente’s side.

Recent history adds spice to the ties. Spain beat Croatia 3-1 in their Euro 2024 opener in Germany before edging England 2-1 in the Berlin final to lift the trophy. The rematches promise subplots: Barcelona and Real Madrid stars Marcus Rashford, Trent Alexander-Arnold and Jude Bellingham could line up against several club-mates, while Croatia captain Luka Modric may face La Roja in Spain for the first time since leaving Real Madrid, provided he extends his career beyond the World Cup.

Czechia, winless in seven previous meetings with Spain, last faced La Roja in a 2022 Nations League fixture.

Injury clouds hover over the squad. Samu Aghehowa will miss the World Cup and is likely to sit out the early Nations League games, while the Spanish federation will monitor the progress of Marc Cucurella and Mikel Merino as they race to be fit for the World Cup and subsequent Nations League duties.

Spain, finalists in each of the last two editions, will hope to go one step further in 2027 and claim their first Nations League crown.