England's Nations League knockout place confirmed

England will play in the 2026-27 UEFA Nations League quarter-finals after securing their place in the League A knockout stage with a 2-1 win over Croatia at Wembley Stadium, with a prize up for grabs at the conclusion of the competition.

But what is the format of the Nations League and what is it stake for the Three Lions? And when do they play next? Here's everything you need to know.

Which League are England in?

The Three Lions are back in League A for the fifth edition of the competition, following their promotion from League B under the interim charge of Lee Carsley in the autumn of 2024.

England discovered their opponents for the Nations League 2026-27 when the draw was made in Brussels back in February, with the Three Lions placed into Group 3 in League A with Spain, Croatia and Czechia.

And after four wins from the first five games in Group 3, Thomas Tuchel's side are in second place and guaranteed the top-two place they need to reach the quarter-finals.

How does the Nations League work?

The draw saw teams divided into four leagues – Leagues A, B, and C include 16 teams each, divided into four groups of four teams, while League D includes six teams divided into two groups of three.

For England, there were six fixtures - three at home and three away - to determine the final rankings in each group.

One fixture remains, an away match against top side Spain, who are three points clear of England, having beaten Tuchel's team in the previous head-to-head. 

But the Three Lions have a superior goal difference, meaning top spot is still up for grabs when they meet at 7.45pm GMT on Sunday 15 November.

Knockout format

Following the conclusion of the league phase, the winners and runners-up in each group from League A will advance to the quarter-finals – played over two legs, home and away – which are scheduled to take place in March 2027.

The finals will then be contested between the four quarter-final winners in June 2027. The finals are played in a knockout format, including the semi-finals, third place play-off and final.

Portugal are the defending Nations League champions, having won the 2025 finals.

When do England play?

Thomas Tuchel’s side will play four of their six games in the newly-extended September and October international window. The group will then be rounded off with two games in November.

Matchday 1: England 2-3 Spain

Matchday 2: Czechia 0-2 England

Matchday 3: Croatia 0-7 England

Matchday 4: England 3-0 Czechia

Matchday 5: England 2-1 Croatia

Matchday 6: Spain v England
7.45pm GMT, Sunday 15 November 2026

Who can England play in the quarter-finals?

Here are the potential opponents who are still in contention for a quarter-final place in the other three groups in League A, ordered by league position as of 12 November 2026.

Group 1: Italy, France, Belgium

Group 2: Netherlands, Greece, Germany

Group 4: Portugal, Denmark, Wales, Norway

When is the quarter-finals draw?

The draw for the quarter-finals will take place on Friday 20 November 2026, 11.00am GMT. 

How are England approaching the competition?

“The target is to go out of the group into the quarter-finals in March and then go to the final four in June,” said head coach Tuchel, speaking ahead of the upcoming camp.

“I think we had a cycle of ten matches in the US, including our friendly matches before the World Cup. We had eight wins, one draw and one loss which is a very good record, so now we want to create another cycle of ten matches.

“We have six in the group phase, then hopefully two quarter-finals, one semi-final and the final.”