LONDON, England, October 7, 2026: Spain booked their place in the UEFA Nations League quarterfinals, Harry Kane turned a record-equalling England appearance into a two-goal night at Wembley, and Switzerland reached the November window with a perfect 12 points as Matchday 4 concluded with 10 games across Leagues A, B and C.
The most important movements came at opposite ends of the competition.
Spain recovered from Ivan Perisic’s opener to beat Croatia 2-1 through two second-half goals from substitute Mikel Merino. England defeated Czechia 3-0 as Kane reached 125 men’s international appearances and raised his scoring record to 91. Switzerland beat North Macedonia 3-0 to strengthen their grip on League B Group 1, but Scotland lost ground after surrendering a halftime lead in a 2-1 home defeat to Slovenia.
League C supplied just as much consequence. Slovakia demolished Moldova 4-0, Albania needed a stoppage-time Kristjan Asllani penalty to escape San Marino, Belarus beat Finland through a first-minute goal, Bulgaria revived their Group C4 campaign in Luxembourg, and the Faroe Islands remained unbeaten despite losing a two-goal lead in a chaotic 2-2 draw with Kazakhstan.
Story at a glance
UEFA Nations League Results From October 6, 2026
UEFA’s official Nations League fixture and results center confirms Tuesday’s 10-match Matchday 4 schedule.
How Did Spain Turn Another Difficult Croatia Game Into Qualification?
Croatia did exactly what they needed after the humiliation of Saturday’s 7-0 defeat to England.
Mikel Merino Keeps Becoming Spain’s Answer When Matches Tighten
Merino’s brace deserves more attention than the simple description of “substitute scores twice.”
Harry Kane Turns His 125th England Cap Into Another Record Night
Kane entered Wembley knowing the occasion already belonged in England history.
England Need Only One More Point to Reach the Quarterfinals
England’s situation is now almost settled.
The evening completed an international window that had already seen Portugal become the first League A side to reach the last eight, a development examined in The Sports Encounter’s Matchday 4 Sunday analysis.
UEFA Nations League Results From October 6, 2026
| League | Group | Match | Result | Defining Development |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| A | A3 | Croatia vs Spain | 1-2 | Mikel Merino scored twice after halftime as Spain qualified |
| A | A3 | England vs Czechia | 3-0 | Harry Kane scored twice on his record-equalling 125th cap |
| B | B1 | Scotland vs Slovenia | 1-2 | Slovenia overturned Ryan Christie’s opener |
| B | B1 | Switzerland vs North Macedonia | 3-0 | Switzerland reached four wins from four |
| C | C1 | Albania vs San Marino | 2-1 | Kristjan Asllani converted in stoppage time |
| C | C1 | Belarus vs Finland | 1-0 | Artem Shumanskiy scored in the opening minute |
| C | C3 | Moldova vs Slovakia | 0-4 | Four different Slovakia scorers moved them six points clear |
| C | C3 | Kazakhstan vs Faroe Islands | 2-2 | Kazakhstan recovered from 2-0 down in a game featuring two red cards |
| C | C4 | Estonia vs Iceland | 0-0 | Iceland remained top while Estonia stayed within two points |
| C | C4 | Luxembourg vs Bulgaria | 0-2 | Bulgaria earned their first win of the campaign |
UEFA’s official Nations League fixture and results center confirms Tuesday’s 10-match Matchday 4 schedule.
How Did Spain Turn Another Difficult Croatia Game Into Qualification?
Croatia did exactly what they needed after the humiliation of Saturday’s 7-0 defeat to England.
They competed.
Ivan Perisic put the hosts ahead in the 17th minute and forced Spain into one of the more uncomfortable first halves of their Nations League campaign.
Luis de la Fuente’s answer came from the bench.
Merino entered and equalized in the 61st minute before scoring again late in the match to complete a 2-1 comeback. Perisic was also dismissed before Spain’s winner, leaving Croatia to defend the closing stages with 10 men.
The result takes Spain to 12 points from four matches and mathematically guarantees a top-two finish in Group A3.
That matters because the 2026-27 Nations League format sends the winners and runners-up from every League A group into March’s quarterfinals.
Spain have therefore converted four September and October matches into an early knockout ticket.
The achievement fits the wider arc TSE identified after the opening two rounds, when Spain and England began separating themselves from Group A3.
Mikel Merino Keeps Becoming Spain’s Answer When Matches Tighten
Merino’s brace deserves more attention than the simple description of “substitute scores twice.”
Spain have plenty of players capable of controlling possession.
Merino continues to provide something slightly different: late movement into scoring positions and the willingness to attack a match when possession has stopped creating enough damage.
That quality has already appeared on major stages.
TSE followed it during the World Cup when Merino scored the stoppage-time goal that eliminated Portugal.
Spain eventually went on to win the World Cup, defeating Argentina in the final in a campaign documented in TSE’s report on La Roja’s second world title.
Three months later, they have still not allowed success to soften them.
Croatia led.
Spain changed personnel, changed the game and left with qualification secured.
Harry Kane Turns His 125th England Cap Into Another Record Night
Kane entered Wembley knowing the occasion already belonged in England history.
His 125th men’s cap moved him level with Peter Shilton at the top of England’s all-time appearance list.
He then scored twice.
A Vladimir Coufal own goal opened England’s scoring before Kane took his international total from 89 to 91. England won 3-0 and completed the window with three consecutive victories after losing their opening Nations League match against Spain.
Before kickoff, Kane had described the milestone in typically restrained terms.
“I try to never take it for granted,” he told the official England Football channels.
The football that followed matched that mentality.
Kane did not play like someone waiting for a ceremony. He remained central to England’s attacking structure and finished the night with another pair of goals.
The longevity is extraordinary because it has been accompanied by continued production. Kane is now 38 goals clear of Wayne Rooney’s previous England scoring record of 53.
England Need Only One More Point to Reach the Quarterfinals
England’s situation is now almost settled.
Thomas Tuchel’s team have nine points, three fewer than Spain and six more than Croatia.
The remaining fixtures make the arithmetic straightforward.
England host Croatia on November 12 before visiting Spain three days later. One point from those two matches guarantees a top-two finish.
The scenario is particularly striking considering how this Nations League campaign started.
Spain beat England 3-2 at Wembley on Matchday 1, a result TSE analyzed in its opening Group A3 report.
England then beat Czechia twice and demolished Croatia 7-0 away.
That response reflects a team still carrying the frustration of its World Cup semifinal defeat to Argentina but showing the depth that took it deep into the tournament in the first place. TSE’s World Cup quarterfinal report against Norway had already shown how often England could find different routes through difficult matches.
Why Switzerland’s 12 Points Matter More Than Another 3-0 Win
Switzerland’s campaign has become the cleanest promotion story in League B.
Fabian Rieder scored shortly before halftime, Johan Manzambi added the second in the 73rd minute and Dan Ndoye completed a 3-0 win eight minutes later.
North Macedonia remain without a point.
Switzerland have all 12.
The Swiss began this campaign by beating North Macedonia 3-0, then won 3-0 in Scotland and 2-1 against Slovenia. Tuesday produced another three-goal victory and another clean sheet.
Four matches have yielded 11 goals scored and only one conceded.
Switzerland are not promoted yet because Slovenia can still mathematically catch them, but the position is commanding.
A draw away to Slovenia on November 13 would take Switzerland to 13 points and guarantee first place regardless of the final match against Scotland.
Under UEFA’s current format, the League B group winner goes directly into League A, while the runner-up enters a promotion playoff.
Slovenia Turn Scotland’s Best Opportunity Into a Bigger Problem
Scotland led at halftime.
That makes the defeat more damaging.
Ryan Christie scored in the 31st minute at Hampden Park and gave Sébastien Pocognoli’s side an opportunity to move ahead of Slovenia in the race behind Switzerland.
Instead, Aljoša Matko equalized in the 56th minute and Danijel Šturm completed the comeback in the 71st.
Slovenia leave Glasgow with seven points.
Scotland remain on four.
That three-point separation changes the November pressure considerably. Scotland host North Macedonia next, a match they will be expected to win, while Slovenia host Switzerland.
The result also reverses the optimism created by Scotland’s 2-0 win over North Macedonia three days earlier.
TSE’s earlier League B analysis identified Switzerland and Slovenia as the teams setting the early pace. Four games into the campaign, Scotland have still not displaced either.
Slovakia Are One Result Away From Direct Promotion Control
No League C result carried a clearer promotion implication than Slovakia’s 4-0 victory in Moldova.
David Strelec scored after eight minutes.
Tomáš Suslov doubled the lead shortly before halftime. Dávid Hancko made it 3-0 on the hour and Lukáš Haraslín completed the scoring in the 75th minute.
Four goals.
Four different scorers.
Slovakia now have 10 points from four matches and sit six points clear of both the Faroe Islands and Moldova.
They have not mathematically clinched first place, but the route is simple: a draw at home to the Faroe Islands on November 13 would take them beyond the maximum total available to Moldova and guarantee promotion to League B.
That is the difference between being in control of a group and merely leading one.
The Faroe Islands Are Still Unbeaten After Another Strange Draw
Four matches.
Four draws.
The Faroe Islands may be the strangest unbeaten team in the competition.
They were close to changing that pattern in Astana.
Petur Knudsen gave the visitors the lead in the 22nd minute and Géza Dávid Turi made it 2-0 after halftime.
Then Martin Agnarsson was sent off.
Kazakhstan responded through Sergiy Malyi in the 68th minute and Nuraly Alip eight minutes later. Malyi was himself dismissed in the 85th minute, meaning both teams finished with 10 men.
The draw leaves the Faroes on four points and second in Group C3 because their goal difference is considerably better than Moldova’s.
It also continues a pattern TSE had already examined after the second round, when the Faroe Islands frustrated Moldova after also drawing Kazakhstan.
The Faroes still have not won.
Opponents still have not beaten them.
Belarus Blow Group C1 Open in the First Minute
Artem Shumanskiy needed roughly a minute to change the shape of Group C1.
His early goal gave Belarus a 1-0 victory over Finland and moved the hosts level with the Finns on seven points.
Because Belarus collected four points across the two head-to-head meetings, they now hold the stronger position between the tied teams.
Albania remain top on nine.
The November schedule could hardly be better designed for tension.
Albania host Finland on November 12. Belarus face San Marino. Three days later, Belarus host Albania while Finland face San Marino.
Two points separate first from third.
This is a dramatic reversal from Matchday 1, when Finland scored seven against San Marino and looked capable of overpowering the group. TSE’s earlier Finland-Belarus analysis showed the first warning when Belarus held the Finns 0-0.
Tuesday turned that warning into a real promotion problem.
Kristjan Asllani Rescues Albania From a San Marino Shock
Albania won.
The route to three points was far less comfortable than anyone expected.
Asllani scored in the 11th minute and appeared to have put the group leaders on course for a routine home victory.
Lorenzo Lazzari equalized for San Marino in the 66th minute.
For more than 20 minutes, Albania were staring at two dropped points against the team that had lost its first three matches by an aggregate score of 14-0.
Asllani finally converted a stoppage-time penalty to make it 2-1.
The result puts Albania on nine points, but the performance sends a different message.
League C promotion races often turn on matches against the weakest side in the group. The favorites cannot assume those points will arrive automatically.
Bulgaria Recover While Iceland and Estonia Cancel Each Other Out
League C Group 4 remains the most balanced of Tuesday’s lower-league races.
Kristiyan Balov scored in the 19th minute and Atanas Iliev added another in the 34th as Bulgaria beat Luxembourg 2-0.
The result is especially important because Bulgaria had entered Matchday 4 with only one point and no victories.
Their first win moves them to four points and back within touching distance of the top two.
Elsewhere in the group, Estonia and Iceland drew 0-0.
Iceland therefore remain first with eight points, Estonia sit second with six, Bulgaria have four and Luxembourg three.
The November matches now carry real promotion consequences rather than simply determining positions below an obvious favorite.
How Do the Five Groups Stand After Tuesday’s Matches?
| Group | Leader | Second | Key Consequence |
|---|---|---|---|
| A3 | Spain – 12 pts | England – 9 pts | Spain qualified; England need one point |
| B1 | Switzerland – 12 pts | Slovenia – 7 pts | Switzerland need one point at Slovenia to guarantee promotion |
| C1 | Albania – 9 pts | Belarus – 7 pts | Only two points separate the top three |
| C3 | Slovakia – 10 pts | Faroe Islands – 4 pts | Slovakia can clinch promotion with a draw next time out |
| C4 | Iceland – 8 pts | Estonia – 6 pts | All four teams remain relevant to the promotion race |
What Changed Most During the September-October Nations League Window?
The extended opening window was designed to give teams four competitive matches in less than two weeks.
That compressed schedule has created unusually clear evidence before the competition pauses until November.
Spain look exactly like reigning world champions should look. They have encountered different match states, different opponents and moments of difficulty without dropping a point.
England recovered from losing to Spain and now have one foot in the quarterfinals. Kane remains productive, but Tuchel has also widened the pool around him.
Switzerland have separated themselves more decisively than any League B team involved on Tuesday.
Slovakia have done something similar in League C.
The uncertainty sits elsewhere.
Scotland must chase Slovenia. Finland have gone from seven goals in one night to third place in their group. Albania lead but nearly dropped points against San Marino. Iceland still lead C4, yet Bulgaria’s victory means no one in that group can treat November as administrative.
That is what four matches have achieved.
The Nations League is no longer waiting for its group races to take shape.
Most of them already have.
What Should Fans Watch When the Nations League Returns in November?
England vs Croatia: One point guarantees England’s quarterfinal place. Croatia need an extraordinary reversal after losing 7-0 to England in Rijeka.
Slovenia vs Switzerland: Switzerland can secure direct promotion with a draw, while Slovenia need the victory to keep a realistic route to first place.
Albania vs Finland: This may be the decisive match in Group C1 because Belarus can simultaneously reach 10 points by beating San Marino.
Slovakia vs Faroe Islands: Slovakia can clinch League B promotion with one point. The Faroes still have not lost in four Nations League matches.
Bulgaria vs Iceland: Iceland can take another major step toward League B, while Bulgaria’s first victory has given them something meaningful to defend.
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Which Teams Qualified for the Nations League Quarterfinals on October 6?
Spain secured their place in the League A quarterfinals by beating Croatia 2-1. Portugal had already qualified from Group A4 earlier in Matchday 4.
What Was the Croatia vs Spain Score?
Spain beat Croatia 2-1 after coming from behind. Ivan Perisic scored for Croatia before substitute Mikel Merino scored twice for Spain.
How Many England Goals Does Harry Kane Have Now?
Kane scored twice against Czechia to increase his England record to 91 international goals.
How Many England Caps Does Harry Kane Have?
Kane reached 125 appearances against Czechia, drawing level with Peter Shilton as the most-capped player in England men’s history.
Did England Qualify for the Nations League Quarterfinals?
Not mathematically on October 6. England have nine points and need one point from their remaining matches against Croatia and Spain to guarantee a top-two finish.
What Is Switzerland’s Nations League Record?
Switzerland have four victories from four matches in League B Group 1, with 11 goals scored and only one conceded.
Who Beat Scotland?
Slovenia defeated Scotland 2-1 at Hampden Park. Ryan Christie gave Scotland the lead before Aljoša Matko and Danijel Šturm scored in the second half.
Who Leads League C Group 3?
Slovakia lead Group C3 with 10 points after beating Moldova 4-0. A draw against the Faroe Islands in November would secure direct promotion.
Who Leads League C Group 1?
Albania lead with nine points. Belarus and Finland both have seven, with Belarus holding the stronger head-to-head position between the tied teams.
Are the Faroe Islands Unbeaten?
Yes. The Faroe Islands have drawn all four of their Nations League matches, including Tuesday’s 2-2 draw in Kazakhstan.
