Ronaldo hunts 1,000 as Portugal open their Nations League defence
Cristiano Ronaldo, 41, starts against Wales on 979 career goals as the holders begin the 2026-27 Nations League, in a week that also brings Zidane's France debut and a sold-out England v Spain.
Cristiano Ronaldo starts Portugal's Nations League title defence against Wales in Lisbon on 24 September, 21 goals short of 1,000 for his career. At 41 he has 979, 833 for his clubs and 146 for Portugal, per Al Jazeera, and he has said he wants the milestone to come in a Portugal shirt.
The holders begin in Lisbon
The fifth edition of the UEFA Nations League starts on 24 September with 54 nations across Leagues A, B, C and D, according to UEFA.com. Portugal, who won the 2025 final by beating Spain 5-3 on penalties, host Wales at the Estádio José Alvalade at 19:45 GMT, and Ronaldo is confirmed to start, per Al Jazeera.
The calendar is compact. Matchday 1 runs from 24 to 26 September and matchday 2 from 27 to 29 September. The league phase ends on 17 November, and the quarter-finals follow in March 2027, per Al Jazeera. Two matchdays are packed into the first week, and the rest of the league phase follows through the autumn before the knockout rounds in the spring.
The road to 1,000
Ronaldo has been open about what he is chasing. He said he wants to reach 1,000 goals in a Portugal shirt, calling it the "cherry on the cake", and that his two aims are to win the Nations League and hit the milestone, per Malay Mail. He also refused to set a date for his retirement from international football, per Malay Mail.
| Ronaldo's career goals | Goals |
|---|---|
| For clubs | 833 |
| For Portugal | 146 |
| Career total | 979 |
| Still needed for 1,000 | 21 |
The numbers frame the challenge plainly. Twenty-one goals is a big total for any player in a season, and some of them will have to come for Portugal if he is to reach 1,000 in the national shirt as he wants. The Wales game is the first chance of this campaign.
Three new coaches in two days
Ronaldo's chase is not the only story of the opening week. Jürgen Klopp and Xavi Hernández both take charge for the first time on 24 September, when Germany visit the Netherlands in Amsterdam. Klopp could not resist a line about his opposite number, per beIN Sports: "The coach knows the players from television. I actually know more of the Dutch players personally than Xavi. I don't know if that's an advantage, but it's still a fact." Xavi called the game a "great challenge", per beIN Sports.
A day later, on 25 September, Zinédine Zidane makes his debut as France head coach against Turkey, having named five uncapped players in his first squad, per Yahoo Sports. Three high-profile coaches will have taken charge of three of Europe's biggest national teams within 48 hours.
| Date | Fixture | Why it matters |
|---|---|---|
| 24 Sep, 19:45 GMT | Portugal v Wales | Holders open; Ronaldo on 979 goals |
| 24 Sep | Netherlands v Germany | First games for Xavi and Klopp |
| 25 Sep | France v Turkey | Zidane's debut; five uncapped players named |
| 26 Sep, 18:45 GMT | England v Spain | Sold out; Spain are world champions |
England v the world champions
The week closes with England hosting Spain at Wembley on 26 September at 18:45 GMT in Group A3. The match is sold out, per ESPN. Spain arrive as world champions after beating Argentina 1-0 in the World Cup final, per ESPN, which makes it the first major test of the new Nations League for both sides.
What to watch
For Portugal, the question is simple: how quickly Ronaldo starts closing the 21-goal gap, and whether the holders make a winning start. Elsewhere, the three debuts will give the first evidence of what Klopp, Xavi and Zidane are building, and England against Spain will show how close anyone is to the world champions. By 29 September every League A side will have played twice, and the shape of the groups will be clearer.