All dates in this guide are European local dates, based on the published UEFA fixture list.
League A of the 2026/27 Nations League puts sixteen of Europe's strongest national sides into four groups across six matchdays, and it is the best place to see the Nations League 2026/27 kits in action. Group A3 — Spain, Croatia, England and Czechia — carries the widest shirt interest, followed by A2 with Germany and the Netherlands. If you are buying for the autumn window, start with the shirts attached to the opening two matchdays and pick the fan version for layering.
Key takeaways
- League A runs 24 September to 17 November 2026 across six matchdays, with 16 teams in four groups.
- Group A3 (Spain, Croatia, England, Czechia) has the widest kit interest this autumn.
- Netherlands vs Germany on 24 September 2026 opens the competition; England vs Spain follows on 26 September 2026.
- Home shirts usually stay on a two-season cycle; away and third shirts rotate faster.
- The top two teams in each League A group reach two-legged quarter-finals in March 2027.
- Colours to look for: the Croatia checkerboard, the Netherlands orange home shirt, Spain and Belgium in red.
- For the autumn window, the fan version layers better than the player version.
When does the Nations League start in 2026?
The 2026/27 Nations League league phase opens on 24 September 2026 and closes on 17 November 2026. Matchdays 1 to 4 run back to back inside a prolonged window that ends on 6 October, which means four rounds of shirts in under two weeks. The competition then breaks until 12 November, when matchdays 5 and 6 complete the group stage.
Matchday windows for the Nations League are the published UEFA scheduling windows. Individual kick-off times vary within them — the fixture table below lists them.
Nations League 2026/27 fixtures and kick-off times in European time
The fixtures below are the League A ties with the strongest shirt interest, listed in European local time with the day of the week. Working from European time matters when you plan around a matchday. The September and early-October rounds fall in Central European Summer Time (CEST, UTC+2), and the November rounds fall in Central European Time (CET, UTC+1) once the clocks go back on 25 October 2026.
All dates and kick-off times in this guide are European local time, not converted to any other zone. Kick-off is 20:45 local unless a different time is shown beside the fixture. UEFA publishes the whole fixture list under a single CET label; the zone column above splits it into CEST (UTC+2) for the September and October rounds and CET (UTC+1) for the November rounds, which is what a clock in Europe actually reads on those dates.
League A groups for 2026/27 at a glance
The League A groups for 2026/27 are set out below, with the kit storyline that makes each group worth following once the shirts are on the pitch.
Every League A kit, ranked: what to watch this autumn
The table below lists the League A sides whose current shirts — the national team shirts for 2026 and beyond — are the ones most often asked about at the start of the competition, along with the group they play in and the colours to look for on the pitch. Each team name links straight to its collection.
Nations we stock
Twenty-five nations are listed, including all sixteen League A sides we carry, plus the League B and C nations whose national team shirts by country turn up most often in the same searches. Every country below has current national team shirts in stock and links to its own collection.
Looking for a nation that is not listed yet? The national team hub collects every country page we hold, including the ones waiting on their next restock.
Group A3: the group with the most shirt interest
Spain, Croatia, England and Czechia in one group is the strongest draw of the league phase. England vs Spain on 26 September 2026 (20:45 European time) is the Matchday 1 fixture that puts two heavily revised home shirts directly against each other.
Croatia's home shirt keeps the checkerboard that makes it one of the most recognisable in the competition, while the away version comes in navy. Czechia complete the group, and their home shirt is the quietest of the four — which is exactly why it works with a jacket over it.
Group A2: Germany and the Netherlands renew a long-running fixture
Netherlands vs Germany on 24 September 2026, kicking off at 20:45 European time, is the headline fixture of the opening matchday, and both sides arrive with rebuilt kits. The Netherlands are at home in orange, with a white away shirt in the same cycle; Germany travel with a white home replica and a navy away replica.
Serbia and Greece complete the group. Germany and the Netherlands carry most of the kit interest here, and both have current home and away shirts available.
Groups A1 and A4: the rest of the top tier
Group A1 brings together France, Italy, Belgium and Türkiye — four heavyweight home shirts, three of them carrying a retro reference in the collar or trim. Italy against France on Matchday 5 is the standout tie, and it comes late enough in the autumn that the shirt you order now will have been worn four times already.
Group A4 pairs Portugal with Denmark, Norway and Wales. Portugal's away shirt in white is the one most often requested from this group, and the reverse fixture against Wales on Matchday 6 closes the league phase.
If you only follow one group, A3 is where the shirt story is loudest — but A1 is where the cheapest entry point sits, because Belgium and Türkiye shirts rarely sell out the way the big four do.
What the 2026/27 national team kits have in common
There is a second side to picking between these shirts, and it is timing: teams move between levels and shirts follow them. The full mechanism is covered in how promotion and relegation decide which of these shirts is worth buying.
- Deeper tonal patterns printed into the base fabric, rather than a flat colour block.
- Simplified collars and trims compared with the previous cycle.
- Slimmer body cuts across both versions, with fan versions catching up to player-version shaping.
- Retro references pulled from shirts worn between 1990 and 1998.
- Lighter crests — bonded rather than densely embroidered on the player versions.
The practical effect for buyers is that sizing feels tighter than it did two cycles ago. Measuring your chest before ordering matters more now than it used to.
Fan version vs player version: which should you buy for the autumn window?
The fan version suits this stage of the competition. The league phase runs from late September into mid-November, so a jacket goes over the top of whatever you wear, and the looser cut leaves room for a layer underneath.
The player version is the closer match to what the squads wear, with a denser knit and a slimmer taper through the body. It is the better pick if you want the fitted look and you are not planning to layer it.
National team jersey size chart: how to measure in three steps
Fan version and player version share these chest bands, but the player version pulls in at the waist. If you are between two sizes and plan to layer the shirt, take the larger one.
Frequently asked questions
When does the 2026/27 Nations League league phase start and finish?
When does the 2026/27 Nations League league phase start and finish?
The league phase runs from 24 September to 17 November 2026. Matchdays 1 to 4 are packed into a prolonged window from 24 September to 6 October 2026, and matchdays 5 and 6 follow from 12 to 17 November 2026.
Which teams are in League A of the 2026/27 Nations League?
Which teams are in League A of the 2026/27 Nations League?
Sixteen teams across four groups. Group A1: France, Italy, Belgium, Türkiye. Group A2: Germany, Netherlands, Serbia, Greece. Group A3: Spain, Croatia, England, Czechia. Group A4: Portugal, Denmark, Norway, Wales.
Which Nations League fixture should I watch for the new kits?
Which Nations League fixture should I watch for the new kits?
England against Spain on 26 September 2026 is the fixture with the widest kit interest, because both nations opened the season with heavily revised home shirts. Netherlands against Germany on 24 September 2026 is the other standout — it is the opening night of the whole league phase.
How many matchdays are there before the finals?
How many matchdays are there before the finals?
Six. Each League A team plays the other three teams in its group home and away across those six matchdays. The top two teams in each group — eight in total — move into two-legged quarter-finals in March 2027.
Where does the League A league phase lead?
Where does the League A league phase lead?
The four group winners and four runners-up advance to quarter-finals played over two legs from 25 to 30 March 2027. The four quarter-final winners reach the Nations League finals, which take place from 9 to 13 June 2027.
Do national teams wear new kits for the league phase?
Do national teams wear new kits for the league phase?
Often, yes. Home shirts are usually on a two-season cycle, so a shirt launched for the 2026 cycle stays in use through this league phase. Away and third shirts rotate more frequently, and several sides introduced fresh away designs for the autumn.
Which kit version should I buy for autumn matches?
Which kit version should I buy for autumn matches?
The fan version suits the autumn window better. The league phase runs into November, and the looser cut leaves room for a layer underneath, while the lighter knit is easier to wash and wear repeatedly.
How do national team jersey sizes run in the 2026 cycle?
How do national team jersey sizes run in the 2026 cycle?
Closer to the body than in previous cycles. The fan version keeps a relaxed shoulder, while the player version tapers through the waist. Measure your chest and compare it with the size chart before ordering, rather than relying on the size of an older shirt.
Can I wear the same shirt for all six matchdays?
Can I wear the same shirt for all six matchdays?
Home shirts, yes — as long as you wash it the way the care label describes. Names and numbers printed rather than stitched are the part that ages fastest, so wash inside out and avoid a hot tumble dry.
Which nations wear the most recognisable shirts this autumn?
Which nations wear the most recognisable shirts this autumn?
Croatia's checkerboard and the Netherlands in orange are the two most instantly readable, and both are in League A. Spain, England, Germany and Italy all arrive with revised home shirts for the 2026 cycle.
Do national teams change kits between matchdays?
Do national teams change kits between matchdays?
Rarely within a single league phase for home shirts. Sides may switch between home and away depending on kit clashes, so the same two teams can look completely different in the reverse fixture.
Where can I see all the national team shirts in one place?
Where can I see all the national team shirts in one place?
The national team hub groups every country we currently stock by flag and country name, so you can go straight from a group in this guide to the shirt for the team you follow.
Start from the group page for the team you follow, then check the chest measurement on the size chart before ordering. For the autumn window, the fan version is the easier shirt to wear from September through November.