Nations League night one: Klopp's Germany debut ends in a 90+2 draw
Eight games, 21 goals and two new head coaches on debut. Germany led in Amsterdam until added time; Norway needed a Haaland winner twice over; and Greece won it in the 94th minute.
Quick answers
- Matchday 1 of the Nations League opened with eight matches and 21 goals on 24 September 2026.
- Netherlands 1–1 Germany — Cody Gakpo equalised in the second minute of added time.
- It was the first match in charge for both coaches: Jürgen Klopp (Germany) and Xavi Hernández (Netherlands).
- Erling Haaland scored twice, including Norway’s 74th-minute winner against Denmark.
- Holders Portugal beat Wales 1–0 through João Félix; Cristiano Ronaldo started.
- Matchday 1 continues on 25 and 26 September with Italy v Belgium, Türkiye v France, Czechia v Croatia and England v Spain.
The short answer. The opening night belonged to late goals: the Netherlands rescued a point at 90+2, Greece won at 90+4, and Norway’s winner came in the 74th minute after Denmark had come back from two down. Germany, under Klopp for the first time, led from the 32nd minute until Gakpo’s volley — a goal scored by a player Klopp coached at Liverpool.
Every result from the opening night
League shown in the first column. All matches on 24 September 2026.
| League | Result | Scorers |
|---|---|---|
| A2 | Netherlands 1–1 Germany | Nmecha 32′ · Gakpo 90+2′ |
| A2 | Serbia 1–2 Greece | Živković 4′ · Tzolis 74′ · Douvikas 90+4′ |
| A4 | Norway 3–2 Denmark | Bobb · Haaland ×2 (74′) · Damsgaard · Højlund |
| A4 | Portugal 1–0 Wales | João Félix 22′ |
| B3 | Kosovo 1–0 Republic of Ireland | Muriqi 83′ |
| B3 | Austria 3–1 Israel | Two goals in the 90th and 93rd minutes |
| D1 | Andorra 1–2 Malta | Lopez 17′ (first goal of the season) |
| D2 | Liechtenstein 0–2 Lithuania | — |
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Three things the opening night told us
Klopp’s Germany looked like a Klopp team — and then lost the point
Germany pressed, scored through Felix Nmecha after a blocked shot, and then sat deeper. Karim Adeyemi missed the chance to make it two; Cody Gakpo, who played for Klopp at Liverpool, arrived in the second minute of added time to punish it. The Netherlands had already had a Virgil van Dijk header ruled out by VAR for interference on the goalkeeper — so the draw was not undeserved.
Haaland did what Haaland does
Norway went two up in Oslo through Oscar Bobb and Erling Haaland, then let Denmark back in with a Mikkel Damsgaard free-kick and a Rasmus Højlund header. The winner came from a short corner in the 74th minute — Haaland’s second of the night, and the goal that decided a five-goal game. The brace took his international record to 64 goals in 56 caps, past the 62 of Brazil’s Ronaldo and Zlatan Ibrahimović. Norway’s next group fixture is Portugal on Sunday, with top spot in the group on the line.
Greece and the value of a late header
Serbia led inside four minutes through Andrija Žković, assisted by Dušan Tadić on his return from international retirement. Greece hit the post, equalised through Christos Tzolis on 74 minutes and won it in the fourth minute of stoppage time, Tasos Douvikas heading in a Kosta Tsimikas cross. In a league phase decided across six games, that is two points Greece will not give back.
What is still to come on Matchday 1
| When | Fixtures |
|---|---|
| Fri 25 Sep | Italy v Belgium · Türkiye v France |
| Sat 26 Sep | Czechia v Croatia · England v Spain (Wembley) |
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England v Spain is the fixture the round has been waiting for — a rematch of the EURO 2024 final, and the first meeting between the two since.
The shirts
Current home shirts for the countries that made the opening night — printed names and numbers made to order.
2026-2027 Netherlands Home Shirt (Virgil 4)
Germany Home Shirt 1994
Norway Men's Home Jersey 2026 2027
Denmark Away Shirt 2026/27 Pro
Portugal Goalkeeper Shirt WC 2026
Spain Away Jersey 2024 2025 Cubarsi
Related reading
What were the Nations League results on 24 September 2026?
Who scored the Netherlands equaliser against Germany?
How many goals did Erling Haaland score?
How many international goals has Erling Haaland scored?
Did Portugal win their opening match?
When does Matchday 1 finish?
How many goals were scored on the opening night?
Shop national team shirts
Current home shirts for the countries in the September window — printed names and numbers made to order.
Browse national team jerseys