Four matches into the 2026/27 UEFA Nations League, England, France, Germany and Portugal are at very different points in their post-World Cup plans.
All four have made changes since the tournament, but they haven’t progressed at the same speed. October so far has provided another look at what the new managers and altered squads are producing, with two league matches still to come in November.
England Have Recovered Well Under Tuchel
England’s campaign began badly with a 3-2 defeat to Spain, but Thomas Tuchel’s side have responded with three straight wins. They beat Czechia, thrashed Croatia 7-0 and then defeated Czechia again without conceding in any of those matches.
The Croatia result was the eye-catcher, but the more interesting part has been how England handled the games around it. Tuchel has changed personnel without the team losing much structure, and several players have pushed themselves further into the selection conversation.
There’s still a gap between looking comfortable against Czechia and Croatia and proving you can control Spain. England will get that chance in November, first against Croatia at Wembley and then away to Spain.
France Are Already Looking Comfortable Under Zidane
France have taken ten points from four matches under Zinedine Zidane. They have beaten Belgium twice and drawn with Italy, while Michael Olise has taken on more responsibility with Kylian Mbappé unavailable.
International form can move quickly, which is why one strong window can affect pundit predictions, supporter expectations and sports betting markets at the same time.
Four matches still aren’t much to judge a new manager by. France have Italy away in November, which should tell us more about how Zidane’s approach holds up against stronger opposition.
Germany Still Look Unsettled
Germany’s first four Nations League matches under Jurgen Klopp have been much less convincing. They drew with the Netherlands, lost at home to Greece, beat Serbia 2-0 and then drew 0-0 in Greece.
That uneven run fits what we saw in our first look at Klopp’s Germany tenure. Klopp wants Germany to play with more speed and aggression, but those habits don’t appear every week yet.
Tom Bischof and Philipp Treu impressed against Serbia, while Florian Wirtz remains Germany’s main creative outlet. The concern comes when their first attacking push doesn’t work. Serbia away and the Netherlands at home should give Klopp another chance to show that Germany can manage tighter matches without forcing the pace.
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Portugal Keep Finding Ways to Win
Portugal are the only one of these four teams to have won every Nations League match so far. They have beaten Wales, Norway twice and Denmark, with UEFA’s official Nations League results and fixtures confirming their perfect four-game record.
They’ve also had to deal with the continuing debate around Cristiano Ronaldo’s role. That hasn’t stopped the attack from functioning. João Félix has been used in different areas, and Portugal have shown they can create without funnelling everything through one player.
The November return against Denmark matters because Portugal won 4-2 in Copenhagen. Denmark now have a recent example of what went wrong and a chance to adjust.
What Each Team Still Needs to Show
England: beat stronger opposition without losing the control shown in October.
France: keep creating when Mbappé isn’t available and opponents offer less space.
Germany: turn Klopp’s preferred tempo into something they can sustain for a full match.
Portugal: keep the attack balanced while the Ronaldo question continues around the squad.
November Nations League Matches Will Tell Us More
Portugal have produced the best results so far, while France have settled quickly under Zidane. England’s response to the Spain defeat has been strong, but another match against top opposition will tell us more about Tuchel’s progress.
Germany are harder to judge. There are promising players and flashes of Klopp’s preferred style, but not enough consistency yet.
Each team now has something specific to prove. The final two league matches should make it easier to judge which changes have taken hold and which still need work.
More UEFA Nations League News
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