The Nations League group stage kicks off this Thursday, with several teams entering new chapters in their histories. Spain, who recently clinched the World Cup title in July, are the clear favorites. They won the Nations League in 2023 and reached the final in 2025. Coach Luis de la Fuente, whose contract has been extended until 2032, has included most of the World Cup-winning squad in his lineup. Ferran Torres, who scored in the World Cup final, is among those selected and has started the season strongly with Paris Saint-Germain. Spain’s Group 3 features England, Croatia, and the Czech Republic—all of which participated in the World Cup. Their first match is against England at Wembley, but the English team will be without key players Declan Rice, Cole Palmer, and Marcus Rashford due to injuries. France is also starting fresh under Zinédine Zidane, who is in his first coaching role. Zidane has moved on from the era of Didier Deschamps and has brought in new players like Jérémy Jacquet and Lucas Da Cunha. France’s opening match is in Turkey on Friday, where they will face Belgium and Italy. Both of those teams have also undergone coaching changes. Roberto Mancini has returned to Italy with the goal of restoring the national team’s former success, while Mark van Bommel has taken charge of the Netherlands, aiming to rebuild after their recent struggles. Portugal, current holders of the Nations League title, have made a surprising move by recalling Cristiano Ronaldo, despite his lackluster performance in the World Cup. At 41, Ronaldo has been included in the squad by new coach Jorge Jesus, who emphasized that players are judged by their performance: “CR7 is a player like any other: if he has performance he plays, if he doesn't he doesn't play.” Portugal’s group includes Norway, Denmark, and Wales, and the team will look to defend their title successfully. Germany and the Netherlands are also entering new eras, with Xavi and Jürgen Klopp taking on new coaching roles. Klopp, who left Liverpool in 2024, is tasked with rebuilding the German team after their early exit from the World Cup to Paraguay. Germany will face the Netherlands in Amsterdam, where both teams were eliminated in the Round of 16. Xavi has been given the responsibility of leading the Netherlands’ reconstruction. The group stage will run until early October, with the quarterfinals scheduled for March 2027 and the semifinals in June of the same year.