Five talking points on Nations League, World Cup qualifiers in Europe
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England begin their journey to reach the 2026 World Cup with former Bayern Munich, Paris Saint-Germain and Chelsea boss Thomas Tuchel.
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PARIS – International football gets under way in Europe for the first time in 2025 as the Nations League moves into the quarter-final stage and the continent’s 2026 World Cup qualifying campaign gets going.
Nations League promotion and relegation play-offs are also on the cards in a week when all the European big guns are in action. AFP Sport looks at five talking points ahead of the action.
Spain’s title defence gets real
Spain travel to face the Netherlands on March 20 in the Nations League quarter-final first leg, with Luis de la Fuente’s side looking to win their third consecutive title after success in the 2023 edition of the competition and their stunning European Championship triumph in 2024.
Euro 2024 breakout stars Lamine Yamal and Nico Williams, as well as Dani Olmo and Alvaro Morata, are in the squad who will play the return leg at home three days later.
Denmark take on 2019 winners Portugal, 2021 champions France face Croatia, while Germany meet Italy in the remaining last-eight ties of this first edition of the expanded Nations League final phase.
Battle of the hosts
The Germany-Italy clash in the Nations League quarter-finals is not just to determine who will advance to the last four, as the winners of the titanic encounter between two top footballing nations will also confirm their status as hosts of the 2025 Finals.
Julian Nagelsmann’s side travel to Euro 2020 winners Italy, coached by Luciano Spalletti, for the first leg at Milan’s San Siro on March 20, before the reverse fixture takes place three days later at the Westfalenstadion in Dortmund.
The four-team final tournament begins with the semi-finals on June 4 and 5. The final is scheduled for June 8.
Tuchel’s England debut
England begin their journey to reach the 2026 World Cup with a new manager at the helm following the appointment of former Bayern Munich, Paris Saint-Germain and Chelsea boss Thomas Tuchel.
He will be under no illusions that his reign will ultimately be judged by success in major tournaments as the Three Lions seek to win their first silverware since the 1966 World Cup.
“Exciting and a bit surreal. It’s a big honour and I’m very proud of it. I’m very well aware of it. I will make sure that I earn my rights to be in this place,” Tuchel said on March 14 of becoming the first German to lead England.
The 51-year-old will make his debut on March 21 when Albania travel to Wembley, before Latvia visit London on March 24 for their Group K qualifiers.
End nearing for Deschamps
One coach whose achievements Tuchel will doubtless be desperate to replicate is outgoing France boss Didier Deschamps, who announced in January he would be stepping down from his role after the 2026 World Cup in North America.
The captain of France’s first World Cup-winning side in 1998 took over as coach in 2012 and masterminded his country’s second triumph at football’s biggest tournament six years later.
“All good things come to an end, and you also need to know when to stop. It has been 12 years, and it will have been 14, which is fine. I have done my time, and I still have time left,” Deschamps said in January.
Fittingly, he will begin the end of his reign against Croatia in the Nations League quarter-finals – the same side France defeated in the 2018 World Cup final.
Courtois makes return
Real Madrid goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois was included in the Belgium squad on March 14 for the first time since going into self-imposed exile following a dispute with then coach Domenico Tedesco in the summer of 2023.
However, following the appointment of Rudi Garcia as Belgium boss in January, the 32-year-old opened himself up to a return from the international wilderness.
Ahead of Courtois’ inclusion, Koen Casteels – Belgium’s No. 1 in his absence – announced he was “no longer available for the national team” and stated that other squad members were also not best pleased with the Real man’s expected return. Belgium will defend their place in League A in a two-legged tie against Ukraine. AFP
