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UEFA Nations League

UEFA Nations League Round-Up: Kane Makes History, Italy Stun France

UEFA Nations League round-up: Kane sets two England records, Italy beat France for the first time at home since 1962, Spain stay perfect. Standings and fixtures.

By eplreport 5 min read

Packed stadium under floodlights during a UEFA Nations League matchday

The UEFA Nations League league phase is into its final week, and Thursday night produced one of the more memorable evenings of the international calendar. Harry Kane became England’s outright record appearance maker and extended his goals record in the same match. Italy beat France at home for the first time in 64 years. Spain stretched an unbeaten run that now reaches 43 matches.

Two groups are still alive going into Sunday. Here is where the UEFA Nations League stands, what happens tonight and over the weekend, and how the knockout stage is decided.

Kane Rewrites the England Record Books

England beat Croatia 2-1 at Wembley in their fifth UEFA Nations League fixture, and the scoreline was almost incidental to the occasion.

Morgan Rogers put England ahead on 24 minutes, bundling in after Kane’s pass found Jude Bellingham and Josko Gvardiol failed to clear the resulting cross. Petar Sucic equalised on 59 minutes, poking in after a casual header back towards Jordan Pickford from Jarell Quansah.

Kane settled it from the penalty spot on 64 minutes, after a VAR check on referee Morten Krogh’s decision that Ivan Smolcic had pulled Quansah down at an England corner.

It was Kane’s 126th cap, taking him past Peter Shilton as England’s most-capped player, and his 92nd international goal. Before kick-off he was presented with a Ballon d’Or display, greeted by a fan tifo, and handed an award by Shilton himself in a presentation alongside the Prince of Wales.

“These occasions feel much better when you win,” Kane said, calling the night incredible. On Sunday: “It’s a perfect opportunity now to try to prove ourselves.”

The football itself was flat. England had thrashed the same opponents 7-0 in Zagreb last month and never came close to that level, with James Garner having a goal ruled out for offside on 86 minutes. Trent Alexander-Arnold, Lewis Hall and Elliot Anderson came out of it best.

Italy End a 64-Year Wait

The result of the UEFA Nations League matchday was in Milan. Michael Olise gave France an early lead after a Gianluigi Donnarumma error, and from there Italy took over.

Pio Esposito scored twice and Davide Frattesi added a third for a 3-1 win. Sebastiano Esposito missed a penalty, which hardly mattered. It is Italy’s first home victory over France since 1962 and it lifts them to the top of Group A1.

Elsewhere in the group, Belgium came from behind to win 2-1 in Türkiye. Arda Guler opened the scoring, then Kevin De Bruyne and Charles De Ketelaere replied. Türkiye have now lost all five.

Spain Stay Perfect

Spain won 2-0 in Czechia to maintain a flawless UEFA Nations League campaign. Alex Baena converted a penalty late in the first half, Ladislav Krejci was sent off, and Marc Pubill sealed it in added time.

Five games, five wins, 15 points. The world champions are now unbeaten in 43 matches.

UEFA Nations League League A Standings

After matchday five:

  • Group A1: Italy 10, France 10, Belgium 9, Türkiye 0
  • Group A2: Netherlands 8, Greece 8, Germany 5, Serbia 0
  • Group A3: Spain 15, England 12, Croatia 3, Czechia 0
  • Group A4: Portugal 12, Denmark 6, Wales 3, Norway 3

Group A1 is the tightest in the UEFA Nations League, with three teams inside two points and everything to play for on Sunday. Group A2 is level at the top, and Germany sit third on five points with two games left.

Tonight and This Weekend

Group A2 completes matchday five tonight, Friday 13 November, with Netherlands v Greece and Serbia v Germany. Group A4 follows on Saturday: Norway v Wales at 18:00 CET, then Portugal v Denmark.

Matchday six, the final round of the league phase, is spread across three days:

  • Sunday 15 November: Belgium v Italy, France v Türkiye, Croatia v Czechia, Spain v England
  • Monday 16 November: Germany v Netherlands, Greece v Serbia
  • Tuesday 17 November: Denmark v Norway, Wales v Portugal

Spain v England Decides Group A3

Both sides have already qualified for the UEFA Nations League quarter-finals, so Sunday in Madrid is about seeding rather than survival.

England can only finish top by winning by two goals or more, because Spain took the first meeting at Wembley 3-2 back in September. Anything less and Spain are group winners.

That matters because of how the UEFA Nations League knockout stage is structured: group winners are seeded and drawn against group runners-up in two-legged quarter-finals in March, with the winners advancing to the finals in June. Topping the group means a seeded draw and the second leg at home.

How the Format Works

UEFA Nations League A holds 16 teams in four groups of four, drawn from pots ranked by finishing position in the 2024/25 edition. The top two in each group reach the quarter-final draw.

At the other end, the fourth-placed sides drop into relegation play-offs. Türkiye and Czechia have already been confirmed in those, both without a point from five games.

The draw for the knockout stage and the play-offs takes place at 12:00 CET on Friday 20 November.

What It Means for the Premier League

Clubs are watching the UEFA Nations League for one reason, and it is not the football. Manchester City arrived at this break having lost three league games in a row, with Marc Guehi and Josko Gvardiol both withdrawn injured at half-time at Nottingham Forest — and Gvardiol was back in Croatia’s defence at Wembley on Thursday.

The Premier League resumes on Saturday 21 November. The fixture everyone has circled comes a day later, when Mauricio Pochettino is expected to take charge of Manchester United for the first time away at Liverpool, days after Michael Carrick’s sacking.

What to Watch on Sunday

Belgium v Italy is effectively a UEFA Nations League knockout tie already. Italy and France are level on 10 points, Belgium are a point behind, and France face a Türkiye side with nothing left to play for — which makes the Brussels fixture the one that will settle the group.

Spain v England is the glamour tie and a genuine measure of where Thomas Tuchel’s side are, three months after the World Cup. England have lost once in this campaign, to Spain. They get an immediate chance to correct it.

Full fixture confirmations and kick-off times are on UEFA’s official site, and Sky Sports has the full report from Wembley.

For more on how the domestic season has unfolded, see our Matchweek 7 round-up and our explainer on the extended international break.