France are outright favourites with BOYLE Sports to put their World Cup disappointment behind them and win the 2026/27 Nations League .
World champions Spain are a close second with England and Germany also among the frontrunners as they seek to win the competition for the first time.
Here we take a closer look at the leading contenders to win the fifth edition of the Nations League .
France
France @ 11/4
France are set to be under the leadership of legendary former player Zinedine Zidane when they kick off their Nations League campaign against Turkey on September 25. Zidane was a huge success as Real Madrid boss but he will have a job on his hands to match what Didier Deschamps achieved during his 14 years in charge of Les Bleus, which included winning the 2018 World Cup , finishing runners-up in 2022 and claiming the 2021 Nations League title .
Deschamps was unable to go out on a high, with the star-studded French suffering a semi-final exit at this year’s World Cup before losing 6-4 to England in the third-place play-off, but he leaves the country in a very healthy position.
Spain
Spain @ 3/1
Any nation hoping to be crowned Nations League winners next year are likely to have to get past the all-conquering Spanish first. Their run to World Cup glory this summer was phenomenal, conceding only one goal in eight matches while seeing off the likes of Argentina , France and Portugal , but it was by no means a flash in the pan.
Luis de la Fuente’s side won Euro 2024 with seven wins out of seven and have reached three successive Nations League finals, lifting the trophy in 2023. If that was not impressive enough, the only defeat La Roja have suffered in their last 38 matches was a penalty shoot-out loss to Portugal in the 2025 Nations League final.
Germany
Germany @ 9/2
Germany finished fourth in the 2025 Nations League but that is about as good as it has been for the stumbling European powerhouses in recent years. The four-time world champions failed to get out of the group stage at the 2018 and 2022 World Cups while they suffered a shock last-32 exit this summer after losing on penalties to Paraguay .
Germany have also struggled to make an impression at the European Championship since reaching the semi-finals in 2016, and have slumped to 12th in the FIFA world rankings . However, they too could be under notable new leadership for the Nations League , with the DFB having held talks with Jurgen Klopp about replacing Julian Nagelsmann .
England
England @ 9/2
England finished third at this summer’s World Cup , their best showing since winning the tournament in 1966, but plenty of questions remain over the Thomas Tuchel era. The Three Lions shone only sporadically in North America and were indebted to the contributions of Jude Bellingham and Harry Kane for getting as far as they did.
England have only ever qualified for the Nations League Finals once, finishing third under Gareth Southgate in 2021, and were even relegated to the second tier in 2022. But they are back amongst the elite now and will fancy their chances of progressing out of a group that includes Spain , Croatia and Czechia .
Portugal
Portugal @ 8/1
Veteran coach Jorge Jesus has replaced Roberto Martinez as Portugal boss following an underwhelming World Cup campaign which saw them knocked out by Spain in the last 16. Cristiano Ronaldo’s future with the national team remains in the air but Jesus will almost certainly be planning for life after their record-breaking captain, and the 71-year-old has an embarrassment of riches at his disposal to make the transition a smooth one.
Portugal are the only two-time winners of the Nations League , lifting the trophy in 2019 and again last year, and they should in contention once more after being drawn in a favourable-looking group that includes Denmark, Norway and Wales .
Other leading candidates: Netherlands 12/1, Norway 16/1, Belgium 16/1, Italy 33/1, Denmark 33/1.
Betting Tips
2026-27 Nations League Betting Tips
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