The 2026/27 UEFA Nations League continued on Friday with eight matches, producing wins for France, Belgium, Northern Ireland, Ukraine, Sweden, Armenia, and Montenegro. In League A, Belgium recorded a 2-0 away victory over Italy in Rome, while France edged Türkiye 1-0 in Kocaeli. These results gave both sides winning starts in Group A1 ahead of their meeting in Belgium on Monday.
Belgium's victory over Italy was one of the standout results of Friday's programme. The win gave Belgium an important three points at the beginning of their Group A1 campaign and ensured they made a positive start under Mark van Bommel. Italy, meanwhile, were left without a point from their opening fixture and will now turn their attention to their next match against Türkiye on Monday before facing France in October.
France also opened their campaign with a narrow victory, defeating Türkiye 1-0 through Kylian Mbappé's second-half goal. Mbappé struck in the 54th minute after being set up by Michael Olise, giving new France coach Zinédine Zidane a winning start in his first Nations League match in charge. However, the victory came with some concern for France as Mbappé picked up an injury in the process of scoring.
In other matches, Northern Ireland secured a narrow 1-0 victory over Georgia in Group B2, while Ukraine also made a winning start after defeating Hungary 1-0. These results put the Ukrainians alongside Northern Ireland at the top of the early Group B2 standings. Sweden recorded a 2-1 victory over Romania in Group B4, handing Sweden an early advantage in the group.
Armenia and Montenegro also began their campaigns with victories in Group C2. Armenia recorded a 2-0 victory over Latvia, while Montenegro defeated Cyprus 2-1. These results leave Armenia and Montenegro level on three points at the top of the group, while Latvia and Cyprus are still searching for their first points.
Attention now turns to Saturday, when England will host defending champions Spain in one of the most anticipated matches of the opening round. The encounter is part of Group A3 and marks England's return to League A. Spain enter the campaign as the reigning Nations League champions, and this fixture is expected to attract significant attention.
The other Group A3 fixture will see Czechia host Croatia. Croatia will be looking to begin their campaign with an away victory against Czechia, while England and Spain will meet again in the reverse fixture in November. Six other matches are scheduled for Saturday across Leagues B and C, including Slovenia hosting Scotland and North Macedonia welcoming Switzerland.
Key points
- France and Belgium secure winning starts in the 2026/27 UEFA Nations League.
- England faces Spain on Saturday in a highly anticipated match.
- Armenia and Montenegro begin their campaigns with victories in Group C2.
