The international break, or window as Thomas Tuchel would like to call it, is an unwelcome disruption for many fans of club football. Be that as it may, the Three Lions have four games, and there are lots of supporters who would love them to win all four.
This extended international period sees Tuchel’s men play a quartet of Nations League clashes. Many still view the Nations League as little more than a collection of glorified friendlies. However, given England haven’t won anything of note since the 1966 World Cup (Le Tournoi in 1997 definitely doesn’t count!), we agree with those who believe that targeting this competition could be a good idea.
Winning a tournament, any tournament, might just give England that bit of belief they need to get over the line in the really big games. They have been getting closer to ending the many years of hurt but have fallen short in consecutive Euros finals, as well as losing in the quarters and semis (twice) of the World Cup.
If they are to win the Nations League, winning all four of their opening games may be necessary. And it will not be easy, with their opening fixture coming against the reigning world and European champions, Spain. However, get a win in that one, at Wembley, and they could reasonably expect to win the three fixtures that follow. That would leave them top of the pile with two thirds of the fixtures played and in with a great chance of being seeded for the knockout phase. But can they do it?
England v Spain, 26 September 2026
Top the group, and England would face a runner-up from one of the other groups in the quarters. Barring a major shock, they would expect to beat whoever they faced. However, finish second, and they would probably have a one-in-three chance of facing France, which would be a real test, despite the Three Lions’ rather meaningless 6-4 win over Les Bleus in the third-place playoff at the World Cup.
In order to win League A, Group 3, England are going to have to do something they have found difficult in recent times – beat Spain. While some were seduced by the attacking power of France at the 2026 World Cup, Spain proved why they are undoubtedly the best team in the world. They are a genuine collective who have such a strong identity and very clear beliefs about the way they want to play the game.
Tuchel must find a way to get the better of them in the opener at Wembley but the German has already lost several players due to injury. Or should we say “injury”? Almost immediately after the squad was announced, Declan Rice, Cole Palmer, Kobbie Mainoo, Marcus Rashford and Tino Livramento withdrew, with no official information given to the media about the physical condition of any of the quintet or what specific injuries were involved. Pedro Porro has also withdrawn from the Spanish squad.
The bookies make England 2/1 outsiders on the night, with the draw priced at 5/2 and the visitors 6/4 favourites. In terms of winning the group, the World Cup winners are 4/5, with England 7/5 (Croatia are 16/1, with the Czechs a distant 40/1).
England lost to Spain in the final of Euro 2024 despite scoring first. They did beat Spain in this competition in 2018 in Spain, however, having lost 2-1 at home earlier in the competition. This will be a close contest, and overall we think the draw may be the most likely outcome, a result which would leave the Three Lions probably needing a win in Spain to qualify.
Czech Republic v England, 29 September 2026
Three days after facing Spain, Tuchel’s men have the much easier task of getting three points from their visit to Prague. Czechia, to use the nation’s newer name, are ranked 48th in the world by FIFA. They finished second in qualification for the 2026 World Cup (behind the other team in this group, Croatia) and eventually qualified through the play-offs.
Over the past decade, England have been very good in qualifying for major tournaments and have rarely struggled against teams they are “supposed” to beat. We expect Tuchel may field a slightly experimental side in this one, but even so, we expect them to get the job done easily enough.
Croatia v England, 3 October 2026
England met Croatia at the World Cup and, in one of their better performances of the “it’s the hope that kills you variety”, it was their 4-2 win in the opening fixture of group L. Croatia then lost 2-1 to Portugal in the round of 32, and they are not the team they were back in 2018 when they beat England in the World Cup semi-finals. Croatia are ranked 13th by FIFA, but once again, England should return home with all three points.
England v Czech Republic, 6 October 2026
If the first three games go to plan, England will have nine points by the time they welcome the Czechs to Wembley. Fewer than our predicted seven would be a disappointment, but no matter what has gone before, they should be far too strong at home in this one. On paper this is their easiest game, and a big win would be the perfect way to end the international break.