Greece enters European soccer’s highest Nations League match tonight, facing Serbia in Belgrade on Thursday, September 24, 2026. Ivan Jovanović’s team begins its first League A campaign alongside Germany, the Netherlands and Serbia in Group A2.
Rajko Mitić Stadium hosts the opener, with kickoff at 9:45 p.m. Greek time and 8:45 p.m. locally. For supporters across the United States, the Greece vs Serbia Nations League match starts at 2:45 p.m. Eastern and 11:45 a.m. Pacific.
The fixture also brings a personal challenge for Jovanović, who leads Greece against his native Serbia. He acknowledged those emotions before the match but emphasized his professional responsibilities and Greece’s development.
Beyond tonight’s result, Greece’s campaign carries implications for top-flight survival and its EURO 2028 qualifying draw position. Revised relegation rules also make results across the other League A groups relevant to Greece’s prospects.
From Glasgow promotion to the League A stage
Greece earned promotion through a decisive comeback against Scotland in March 2025. After losing the first leg 1–0, Jovanović’s side won 3–0 at Hampden Park on March 23. That victory secured a 3–1 aggregate success and Greece’s place in the top division.
Giannis Konstantelias opened the scoring in Glasgow, before Konstantinos Karetsas doubled Greece’s advantage before halftime. Christos Tzolis added the third goal immediately after the restart, completing the scoring. All three goals came within a spell stretching from the 20th minute to the 46th.
However, Greece failed to carry that success into qualification for the 2026 World Cup. It finished third behind Scotland and Denmark, collecting seven points and missing the tournament. Serbia also missed qualification after finishing third behind England and Albania in its group.
Tonight therefore offers both teams their first points in a new Nations League campaign. Serbia approaches the competition with recent survival experience, having beaten Austria 3–1 on aggregate in its previous playoff.
Jovanović’s options for the Serbia opener
Jovanović included Giannis Michailidis, Manolis Saliakas and Fotis Ioannidis in his September squad. His attacking options also include Vangelis Pavlidis, Tzolis, Tasos Douvikas and Charalampos Kostoulas. Karetsas and Christos Mouzakitis feature among the midfield selections.
The defensive group includes Konstantinos Mavropanos, Konstantinos Koulierakis, Panagiotis Retsos and Kostas Tsimikas. Odysseas Vlachodimos, Christos Mandas and Konstantinos Tzolakis form the goalkeeping contingent.
Lazaros Rota, Pantelis Chatzidiakos, Dimitris Giannoulis, Tasos Bakasetas and Christos Kontouris do not appear in the announced squad. The federation’s selection announcement does not explain each omission, so it offers no basis for attributing every absence to injury.
For Serbia, Dušan Tadić’s return adds another storyline to the encounter. Speaking before the match, the midfielder discussed returning after his last appearance in 2024 and praised Jovanović’s professionalism.
What Greece needs to stay in League A
The current League A contains 16 teams across four groups. Each group’s top two teams advance to the quarterfinals and retain their top-tier places.
The survival picture changes below those positions because UEFA will introduce a different structure in 2028/29. That edition will feature three leagues instead of four, with League A expanding to 18 teams.
Under the transitional rules, the two highest-ranked third-place teams stay in League A automatically. The two lower-ranked third-place teams enter promotion-relegation playoffs against League B opposition.
Fourth place does not automatically mean relegation this season. The two highest-ranked fourth-place teams also enter playoffs, while the remaining two drop directly into League B.
For Greece, those rules make the overall rankings important alongside the Group A2 standings. A third-place finish could secure survival outright or require a playoff, depending on results elsewhere.
EURO 2028 stakes and the next fixtures
The Nations League also influences Greece’s route toward the next European Championship. UEFA will use the competition’s interim overall rankings to seed the EURO 2028 qualifying draw. Those rankings reflect the league phase, rather than the later knockout rounds.
The competition also offers a potential route into the European Championship playoffs. However, League A membership alone does not guarantee Greece a place through that route. Eligibility depends on Nations League performance and the subsequent qualifying results.
After Belgrade, Greece travels to Augsburg to face Germany on September 27. Both away fixtures carry a 9:45 p.m. kickoff in Greece.
Two home matches then follow at Toumba Stadium. Greece hosts the Netherlands on October 1 and Germany on October 4, completing four fixtures within 11 days.
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