The Japan Times - Five talking points on Nations League, World Cup qualifiers in Europe

EUR -
AED 4.006889
AFN 76.941747
ALL 99.18358
AMD 426.163044
ANG 1.964079
AOA 998.259563
ARS 1164.778231
AUD 1.712143
AWG 1.966517
AZN 1.871299
BAM 1.955163
BBD 2.200392
BDT 132.416838
BGN 1.955384
BHD 0.411096
BIF 3229.414159
BMD 1.090994
BND 1.451167
BOB 7.53058
BRL 6.202738
BSD 1.0898
BTN 94.62759
BWP 14.817559
BYN 3.566458
BYR 21383.489982
BZD 2.189096
CAD 1.560809
CDF 3136.609039
CHF 0.961439
CLF 0.02617
CLP 1004.246603
CNY 7.89138
CNH 7.89551
COP 4443.892886
CRC 543.60039
CUC 1.090994
CUP 28.911351
CVE 110.229575
CZK 25.064498
DJF 194.068738
DKK 7.460471
DOP 68.584816
DZD 145.664132
EGP 55.104927
ERN 16.364916
ETB 142.927417
FJD 2.516812
FKP 0.843128
GBP 0.840917
GEL 3.038391
GGP 0.843128
GHS 16.847821
GIP 0.843128
GMD 77.996549
GNF 9471.491632
GTQ 8.405385
GYD 228.000234
HKD 8.47724
HNL 27.966287
HRK 7.534625
HTG 145.192767
HUF 400.130704
IDR 17854.290381
ILS 3.976953
IMP 0.843128
INR 94.861147
IQD 1429.608347
IRR 45824.618331
ISK 146.186361
JEP 0.843128
JMD 170.752859
JOD 0.773563
JPY 163.288835
KES 141.505178
KGS 95.407469
KHR 4364.842526
KMF 493.311542
KPW 981.894948
KRW 1583.620187
KWD 0.336115
KYD 0.894621
KZT 547.542517
LAK 23645.990654
LBP 98593.638506
LKR 322.207884
LRD 217.289199
LSL 19.82076
LTL 3.221423
LVL 0.659931
LYD 5.250738
MAD 10.568749
MDL 19.386989
MGA 5100.105846
MKD 61.499365
MMK 2291.070813
MNT 3788.458267
MOP 8.734636
MRU 43.55918
MUR 49.049632
MVR 16.866773
MWK 1891.051668
MXN 21.796864
MYR 4.850672
MZN 69.43024
NAD 19.82076
NGN 1688.557054
NIO 39.957024
NOK 11.514027
NPR 151.848981
NZD 1.876173
OMR 0.420026
PAB 1.090994
PEN 3.991194
PGK 4.431305
PHP 62.470845
PKR 305.577042
PLN 4.177227
PYG 8717.412633
QAR 3.971051
RON 4.988726
RSD 117.526502
RUB 93.279738
RWF 1532.604306
SAR 4.091486
SBD 9.273222
SCR 16.280047
SDG 653.464851
SEK 11.030144
SGD 1.455055
SHP 0.85735
SLE 24.902004
SLL 22877.607976
SOS 623.819389
SRD 39.624888
STD 22581.381099
SVC 9.545924
SYP 14185.0443
SZL 19.82076
THB 36.590041
TJS 11.932636
TMT 3.818675
TND 3.358057
TOP 2.622552
TRY 39.989445
TTD 7.428386
TWD 35.972657
TZS 2869.263587
UAH 45.410799
UGX 3999.119443
USD 1.090994
UYU 46.463649
UZS 14115.452782
VES 72.306197
VND 27825.81075
VUV 134.145869
WST 3.074963
XAF 657.748722
XAG 0.032225
XAU 0.000362
XCD 2.945685
XDR 0.818764
XOF 657.748722
XPF 119.331742
YER 271.095014
ZAR 19.759657
ZMK 9820.261527
ZMW 31.347793
ZWL 351.299747
  • SCS

    0.0200

    11.01

    +0.18%

  • CMSD

    0.1900

    23.54

    +0.81%

  • GSK

    0.7600

    40.25

    +1.89%

  • NGG

    0.9300

    64.14

    +1.45%

  • BCC

    0.6500

    100

    +0.65%

  • CMSC

    0.1100

    23.33

    +0.47%

  • AZN

    -0.2300

    77.37

    -0.3%

  • BCE

    0.2300

    23.7

    +0.97%

  • RIO

    0.4300

    63.47

    +0.68%

  • RBGPF

    66.7800

    66.78

    +100%

  • BTI

    0.4800

    41.84

    +1.15%

  • JRI

    0.1700

    13

    +1.31%

  • RYCEF

    -0.0100

    10.44

    -0.1%

  • BP

    0.3700

    33.76

    +1.1%

  • RELX

    0.6700

    49.6

    +1.35%

  • VOD

    0.3100

    9.86

    +3.14%

Five talking points on Nations League, World Cup qualifiers in Europe
Five talking points on Nations League, World Cup qualifiers in Europe / Photo: JOSE JORDAN - AFP

Five talking points on Nations League, World Cup qualifiers in Europe

International football gets underway in Europe for the first time in 2025 as the Nations League moves into the quarter-finals stage and the continent's 2026 World Cup qualifying campaign gets underway.

Text size:

Nations League promotion/relegation play-offs are also on the cards in a week where all the European big guns are in action.

AFP Sport looks at five talking points ahead of the action:

- Spain title defence gets serious -

Spain face the Netherlands on Thursday in the Nations League quarter-final, with Luis de la Fuente's side looking to win their third-straight title after success in the 2023 edition of the competition and their stunning European Championship victory last year.

Euro 2024 break-out stars Lamine Yamal and Nico Williams, as well as Dani Olmo and Alvaro Morata are in the squad which will play a two-legged tie against the Dutch with a semi-final berth awaiting the winners.

Denmark take on Portugal and France face Croatia in the last eight as well for this first edition of the expanded Nations League final phase.

- Battle of the hosts -

Germany and Italy clash in the other quarter-final, with the winner not only advancing to the last four but also confirming their status as hosts of the Nations League finals.

Germany travel to Euro 2020 winners Italy for the first leg at Milan's San Siro on Thursday, before the reverse fixture takes place three days later in the Westfalenstadion in Dortmund.

The four-team final tournament begins with the semi-finals on June 4-5. The final is scheduled for June 8.

- Tuchel debut -

England begin their journey to reach the 2026 World Cup with a new manager at the helm following the appointment of former Bayern Munich, Paris Saint-Germain and Chelsea boss Thomas Tuchel.

The German will be under no illusions that his reign will ultimately be judged by success in major tournaments as England seek to win their first silverware since the 1966 World Cup.

"Exciting and a bit surreal," Tuchel said last Friday of becoming the first German to lead England.

"It's a big honour and I'm very proud of it. I'm very well aware of it, I will make sure that I earn my rights to be in this place."

Tuchel will make his debut next Friday when Albania travel to Wembley, before Latvia visit London on March 24.

- Start of the end for Deschamps -

One coach whose achievements Tuchel will doubtless be desperate to replicate is outgoing France coach Didier Deschamps, who announced in January he would be stepping down from his role after the 2026 World Cup in North America.

The captain of France's first World Cup-winning side in 1998 took over as coach in 2012 and masterminded his country's second triumph in football's biggest tournament six years later.

"All good things come to an end, and you also need to know when to stop," Deschamps said in January.

"It has been 12 years, and it will have been 14, which is fine. I have done my time, and I still have time left."

Fittingly, Deschamps will begin the end of his reign as France boss against Croatia in the Nations League quarter-finals -- the same side he defeated in the 2018 World Cup final.

- Courtois returns from wilderness -

Real Madrid's Thibaut Courtois was included in the Belgium squad on Friday for the first time since going into self-imposed exile following a dispute with then coach Domenico Tedesco in summer 2023.

But following the appointment of Rudi Garcia as Belgium boss in January, the 32-year-old opened himself up to a return from the international wilderness.

Ahead of Courtois' inclusion, Koen Casteels -- Belgium's No 1 in his absence -- announced he was "no longer available for the national team" and stated that other squad members were also not best pleased with the Madrid man's expected return.

Belgium will defend their place in League A in a two-legged tie against Ukraine.

S.Suzuki--JT