Croatia has learned its opponents in the group stage of the Nations League, which will be held in 2026 and 2027.
Zlatko Dalić’s team is in League A, the highest tier of the competition, and is placed in the second strongest group. They will play against three other teams in the group, which are Spain, England and the Czech Republic.
Croatia has thus found itself in arguably the strongest group of this Nations League edition. The top two teams from the group advance to the quarter-finals, the third-placed team plays a play-off to stay in League A, while the bottom-placed team is relegated directly to League B.
The fifth edition of the Nations League will run from September 2026 to June 2027. Croatia has played in the finals of the Nations League in the last two editions. In 2023, they lost to Spain on penalties in the final.
Nations League is also important for Euro 2028 qualifications, as the national teams that do not qualify for the Euros can have another chance thanks to their Nations League campaign.
Nations League match schedule:
1st round: 24 – 26 September 2026
2nd round: 27 – 29 September 2026
3rd round: 30 September – 3 October 2026
4th round: 4 – 6 October 2026
5th round: 12 – 14 November 2026
6th round: 15 – 17 November 2026
League A quarter-finals: 25 – 30 March 2027
League A/B and B/C play-offs: 25 – 30 March 2027
Final tournament: 9 – 13 June 2027
