European football has entered another decisive international period.
The 2026/27 UEFA Nations League began on September 24 and runs through November.
After the first two matchdays, several major European nations have already produced contrasting stories.
Austria: Two wins, six points
Austria have made a perfect start in League B3.
First came a 3-1 win over Israel.
Then, on September 27, Austria defeated Kosovo 3-1 in Vienna.
Austria therefore sit on six points from two matches.
The Kosovo match also showed the team’s ability to establish control early.
David Affengruber opened the scoring.
Junior Adamu doubled the lead before half-time.
Carney Chukwuemeka added a third after the break.
Kosovo reduced the deficit through Edon Zhegrova’s penalty.
Austria now move into the next phase of the group campaign with a strong early position.
Germany: A difficult second matchday
Germany began the competition with a 1-1 draw against the Netherlands.
The second matchday brought a different result.
Greece defeated Germany 1-0 through a deflected strike from Dimitris Kourbelis. UEFA described it as Greece’s first victory over Germany.
That leaves Germany needing to respond in the next international fixtures.
The Nations League format leaves little time between games, which makes squad management and tactical adaptation particularly important.
The Netherlands respond
The Netherlands opened with the 1-1 draw against Germany.
On the second matchday they defeated Serbia 2-1.
That gives the Netherlands an important early boost in the group.
The upcoming fixtures will therefore be significant for determining the early structure of the group.
Portugal continue strongly
Portugal began the competition with a 1-0 victory over Wales.
On the second matchday they won 2-1 in Norway.
The result keeps Portugal among the strongest early performers in League A.
Norway had opened the campaign with a 3-2 win over Denmark, making Portugal’s away victory particularly significant in the context of the group.
England and Spain provide another major European storyline
England and Spain met during the opening international window.
The fixture was one of the headline matches of the first matchday.
The Nations League schedule also brings another England-Croatia fixture and Spain-Czechia in the following rounds.
This creates an unusually demanding sequence of high-level fixtures for several of Europe’s leading national teams.
Club football remains in the background
The international window does not erase the European club competitions.
The Champions League and Europa League remain major parts of the 2026/27 calendar.
For Austrian football, LASK is competing in the Champions League, while Salzburg and Sturm Graz are competing in the Europa League.
LASK currently sits third in the Austrian Bundesliga with 16 points after seven matches, behind Rapid and Salzburg.
The international window therefore creates a temporary shift in attention rather than a genuine break in the European football calendar.
Why this international window matters
The Nations League is particularly useful because national-team coaches have limited preparation time.
Club coaches can work with players throughout the week.
National coaches may have only a few training sessions.
That means international football rewards:
- clarity
- tactical simplicity
- quick adaptation
- communication
- squad flexibility
The strongest national teams are not necessarily those with the most famous players.
They are often the teams that can quickly create a functioning system from players who spend most of their year in completely different club environments.
Seven-day review
The past week brought several major developments:
Austria
3-1 vs Israel
3-1 vs Kosovo
→ six points from two matches.
Germany
1-1 vs Netherlands
0-1 vs Greece.
Netherlands
1-1 vs Germany
2-1 vs Serbia.
Portugal
1-0 vs Wales
2-1 vs Norway.
Norway
3-2 vs Denmark
1-2 vs Portugal.
Looking ahead
The next Nations League fixtures arrive immediately.
Austria travel to Ireland on October 1.
Austria then meet Kosovo again on October 4.
Germany face Serbia on October 1.
The international window therefore remains highly compressed, with little time between matches.
After that, attention will gradually return to the European club competitions.
For now, however, the central question is simple:
Which national teams can turn a strong opening into sustained momentum?
Austria have certainly given themselves the best possible starting point.