European national soccer teams are set to return to action this week after the World Cup, with several top coaches making their debuts. Zinedine Zidane and Jürgen Klopp, two Champions League-winning coaches, will lead their new teams in the Nations League. Zidane will coach France against Turkey and Belgium, while Klopp will take charge of Germany against the Netherlands and Serbia. The Nations League program features 54 European national teams and marks the first four-game, two-weekend break on the FIFA international calendar.
The new international match calendar, managed by FIFA, aims to reduce disruption to club soccer and ensure players from outside Europe make fewer long-haul flights to represent their country. The calendar combines two-game breaks in September and October into a single block of four. This change was pushed by FIFA in 2021 as part of its failed plan to play World Cups every two years. Club leaders had long wanted fewer but longer international breaks to limit disruption in their seasons.
Zidane, a 54-year-old French coach, has waited five years for his chance to coach France. He inherits a team with a richly talented squad captained by Kylian Mbappé. Zidane's first challenge will be against Turkey and Belgium, with Italy and Belgium to follow. He previously won three straight Champions League titles with Real Madrid and is expected to bring greatness to the French team. Zidane's patient wait to coach France ended in July when he was appointed to succeed Didier Deschamps.
Klopp, who left Liverpool two years ago, takes over a Germany team in need of his energy and inspiration. Germany has not reached a Euros final since 2008 and last won a World Cup knockout game in the 2014 final. Klopp's first squad selection featured 44 players, and he wore a cap with a slogan designed to reclaim the national flag from far-right politics. His first games will be against the Netherlands, Greece, and Serbia.
Thomas Tuchel, another German star coach, will lead England against Spain on Saturday. Tuchel had England within 10 minutes of reaching a first World Cup final in 60 years but ultimately lost to Argentina. He claimed that 99.9% of fans don't focus on his tactics and substitutions. Tuchel will start shaping a new narrative at Wembley against World Cup winner Spain.
Cristiano Ronaldo, 41, will continue his Portugal career under new coach Jorge Jesus. Ronaldo was named in Jesus' first squad last week, looking to add to his 233 national team games and 146 goals. Portugal will start its Nations League title defense against Wales, and Ronaldo may face Erling Haaland for the first time on Sunday in Oslo. Haaland already has 62 goals for Norway, including seven in just five games at the World Cup.
The Nations League format features 16 top-ranked teams playing in four round-robin groups through November. The top two in each group will advance to quarterfinals played over two legs in March. A Final Four mini-tournament will be hosted by one of the semifinalists from June 9-13. The final standings will help some teams enter qualifying playoffs in March 2028 for that year’s European Championship.
Key points
- Zidane and Klopp make their debuts as coaches of France and Germany.
- Ronaldo continues his Portugal career at 41.
- The Nations League features 54 European national teams and a new format leading to a Final Four mini-tournament.
