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The first international break of the season arrives as national teams gear up for the 2024-2025 Nations League, starting this weekend. Spain, crowned European champions last July 14 and holders of the 2023-2024 Nations League trophy, will look to defend their title.
Spain finds itself in Group 4 alongside Switzerland, which impressed in the last continental tournament; Serbia, featuring Juventus striker Dusan Vlahovic, who underperformed; and Denmark, which failed to replicate its remarkable run to the semifinals of the previous Euro tournament, being eliminated in the round of 16 by hosts Germany.
Spain and Serbia will face off tomorrow at 20:45 CET at the Rajko Mitić Stadium in Belgrade, while Denmark and Switzerland will play at the same time at the Parken Stadium in Copenhagen.
Group 1 of League A will see Cristiano Ronaldo’s Portugal host Luka Modric’s Croatia at the Estádio da Luz in Lisbon. Meanwhile, in Glasgow, Scotland will face Poland, completing the group.
On Friday, Luciano Spalletti’s Italy will take on Kylian Mbappé’s France. Following Italy’s failure to qualify for the World Cup in Qatar and their disappointing showing at the last Euros, Spalletti is tasked with rebuilding a competitive squad ahead of the next World Cup. Sandro Tonali returns to the squad after suspension, while new call-ups include Caleb Okoli and Marco Brescianini. Gianluca Scamacca is out due to injury, and Federico Chiesa, recently transferred from Juventus to Liverpool, is also unavailable.
Among Spalletti’s options is Mattia Zaccagni, who kept Italy’s hopes alive with a crucial equalizer against Croatia in the Euros, securing their spot in the round of 16. However, the recent loss to Switzerland still lingers. Spalletti acknowledged that overcoming such a disappointment isn’t easy, but a strong Nations League campaign and World Cup qualification could help ease the pain.
Alongside France, Italy’s Group 2 also includes Belgium and Israel, who will face off at the Nagyerdei Stadium in Debrecen. The first matchday will conclude on Saturday with Group 4 action as Germany hosts Hungary at the Merkur Spiel-Arena in Düsseldorf. The fixture is a rematch of their Euro group stage encounter, where Germany triumphed 2-0, led by young talents Florian Wirtz and Jamal Musiala.
The other two teams in the group, coached by Julian Nagelsmann and Marco Rossi, are the Netherlands and Bosnia-Herzegovina. The Oranje, who finished third at the Euros alongside France, aim to continue their strong form in the Nations League, but must first overcome Edin Dzeko’s Bosnia to start the tournament on a high note.
