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Spain and England will face each other in the next edition of the UEFA Nations League following Thursday’s draw, which also threw up a clash between France and Italy while Germany and the Netherlands will renew their rivalry.
Spain, who beat England in the final of Euro 2024, won the Nations League in 2023 and lost last year’s final, on penalties, to Portugal.
They will come up against Thomas Tuchel’s England side in Group A3, with the Czech Republic and beaten 2023 finalists Croatia completing the section.
The Nations League will be the focus for European international football for the year after the 2026 World Cup, before attention switches to Euro 2028 qualifying.
Group matches, with everyone playing each other home and away, will take place between September and November this year.
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The top two in each of the four groups in League A will advance to the quarter-finals in March 2027, the winners of which will progress to the four-team finals in June that year — likely to be hosted by one of the participating teams.
Reigning Nations League champions Portugal, who also won the inaugural edition in 2019, are in Group A4 with Denmark, Norway and Wales.
France, winners in 2021 and semi-finalists last year, will take on Italy, Belgium and Turkey in Group A1. Germany, the Netherlands, Serbia and Greece make up Group A2.
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Draw for the 2026/27 UEFA Nations League, held in Brussels on Thursday:
Group A1: France, Italy, Belgium, Turkey
Group A2: Germany, Netherlands, Serbia, Greece
Group A3: Spain, Croatia, England, Czech Republic
Group A4: Portugal, Denmark, Norway, Wales
Group B1: Scotland, Switzerland, Slovenia, North Macedonia
Group B2: Hungary, Ukraine, Georgia, Northern Ireland
Group B3: Israel, Austria, Republic of Ireland, Kosovo
Group B4: Poland, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Romania, Sweden
Group C1: Albania, Finland, Belarus, San Marino
Group C2: Montenegro, Armenia, Cyprus, Latvia/Gibraltar
Group C3: Kazakhstan, Slovakia, Faroe Islands, Moldova
Group C4: Iceland, Bulgaria, Estonia, Luxembourg/Malta
Group D1: Gibraltar/Latvia, Malta/Luxembourg, Andorra
Group D2: Lithuania, Azerbaijan, Liechtenstein
– Latvia v Gibraltar and Luxembourg v Malta meet in two-legged play-off ties in March 2026 to decide their leagues
Tottenham Hotspur have dismissed head coach Thomas Frank following Tuesday’s home defeat to Newcastle United, ending a tumultuous eight-month tenure that saw the club plummet to within five points of the Premier League relegation zone.
The 52-year-old Danish manager departs after overseeing just seven victories in 26 league matches, yielding a win percentage that ranks as the worst of any Tottenham manager in the Premier League era. His side has failed to register a single league victory in 2026 across eight attempts. Spurs confirmed the decision Wednesday morning in a statement released on social media, hours after fans at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium chanted for Frank’s removal during the 2-1 loss to Newcastle. “The club has taken the decision to make a change in the Men’s Head Coach position and Thomas Frank will leave today,” the statement read. “Thomas was appointed in June 2025, and we have been determined to give him the time and support needed to build for the future together. However, results and performances have led the Board to conclude that a change at this point in the season is necessary.”
The club thanked Frank for his commitment and wished him success in future endeavors, acknowledging that he had given maximum effort during his brief spell in north London.
Frank arrived from Brentford last summer after Tottenham paid approximately 6.7 million pounds in compensation to secure his services. He replaced Ange Postecoglou, who was dismissed despite delivering Europa League success, with the Australian’s final months marred by defensive fragility and supporter discontent.
The Danish coach had built a strong reputation at Brentford, where he guided the west London club from the Championship to established Premier League status while operating with limited resources. His ability to maximize squad potential and implement progressive tactical approaches made him an attractive candidate for Tottenham’s hierarchy. However, the transition to managing one of England’s most demanding clubs proved challenging. Frank signed a three-year contract reportedly worth eight million pounds annually, but will now receive compensation for his early dismissal.
Tottenham currently sit 16th in the Premier League table with 12 matches remaining in the campaign. The club has won just twice in their last 17 league fixtures, a catastrophic run that has drawn them into an unexpected relegation battle. Tuesday’s defeat represented the seventh home league loss of the season, prompting sections of the Tottenham support to vocally demand change. Fans also sang the name of former manager Mauricio Pochettino, who remains one of the leading candidates to replace Frank.
The result left Spurs just two positions and five points above the bottom three, a precarious situation for a club that began the season with ambitions of European qualification and silverware.
