Best Premier League XI of the Nations League Window
The September and October 2026 international break gave several Premier League stars an opportunity to shine for their countries. From Viktor Gyökeres’ goalscoring run to Martin Ødegaard’s creative influence, several players delivered impressive performances across the Nations League fixtures.
My team uses a 4-4-2 formation, rewarding individual performances rather than club reputation.
Defensive unit
1. Goalkeeper – Senne Lammens (Manchester United, Belgium)
Lammens earns his place after averaging an impressive 8.33 rating across three full appearances. Belgium secured victories against Italy and Türkiye before losing narrowly to France. His performances offered Manchester United another encouraging sign of his quality.
2. Right-back – Michael Kayode (Brentford, Italy)
Kayode made his mark in attack by scoring during Italy’s 4-1 victory over Türkiye. That contribution helped Italy respond emphatically after their opening defeat against Belgium.
3. Centre-back – Virgil van Dijk (Liverpool, Netherlands)
Van Dijk remains my defensive leader after playing every minute of an unbeaten international window. Against Greece, he scored, completed 100 of 105 passes, made 33 clearances and won 15 aerial duels. Those numbers underline the Liverpool and Dutch captain’s importance to the Netherlands.
4. Centre-back – Nico Elvedi (Leeds, Switzerland)
Elvedi played all 360 minutes across Switzerland’s four matches and averaged a 7.95 rating. His consistency earns him the second centre-back position ahead of defenders with less evidence across the window.
5. Left-back – Riccardo Calafiori (Arsenal, Italy)
Calafiori scored his first Italy goal during the victory over Türkiye. His attacking instincts give this side another route into the final third, while his experience at Arsenal suits a system that encourages full-backs to contribute going forward.
Midfield unit
6. Central midfield – Bruno Fernandes (Manchester United, Portugal)
Fernandes recorded two assists across three starts, averaging 7.73. His finest display came in Portugal’s 4-2 win over Denmark, where he created three big chances and earned an 8.6 rating.
7. Central midfield – Martin Ødegaard (Arsenal, Norway)
Four assists across four appearances made Ødegaard the Premier League’s most productive creator during this window. Norway’s results against Portugal disappointed, yet his passing and chance creation justified his inclusion.
8. Right midfield – Dan Ndoye (Nottingham Forest, Switzerland)
Ndoye delivered two goals and three assists in 334 minutes across four matches. Five direct goal involvements represent an outstanding return, making him one of the window’s most productive attacking players.
9. Left midfield – Mikkel Damsgaard (Brentford, Denmark)
Damsgaard scored twice and supplied an assist in three appearances. His free-kick against Norway stood out, while his creativity helped Denmark score both goals against Wales.
Attacking unit
📊 UEFA Nations League 2026 — Top Goal Scorers 🥇 🏴 Harry Kane — 6 Goals 🥈 🇫🇷 Michael Olise — 4 Goals 🥈 🇮🇪 Troy Parrott — 4 Goals 🥈 🇫🇮 Leo Walta — 4 Goals 🥈 🇪🇸 Lamine Yamal — 4 Goals ⚽️ 🇳🇴 Erling Haaland — 3 Goals ⚽️ 🇩🇰 Rasmus Højlund — 3 Goals ⚽️ 🇵🇹 João Félix — 3 Goals ⚽️ 🇸🇪 Viktor Gyökeres — 3 Goals ⚽️ 🇵🇱 Robert Lewandowski — 3 Goals 😳 😳 😳
— Pksports (@Pksportshq) October 6, 2026
10. Striker – Viktor Gyökeres (Arsenal, Sweden)
Four goals in 345 minutes made Gyökeres my leading striker. He scored in every appearance and delivered decisive contributions, including winners against Romania.
11. Striker – Erling Haaland (Manchester City, Norway)
Haaland scored three goals from 2.50 expected goals across the window, including two against Denmark and one against Portugal. The Manchester City striker’s international tally reached 65 goals in 57 appearances, with 22 Nations League goals.
Arsenal can claim a strong case through Gyökeres, Ødegaard and Calafiori. Mikel Merino deserves special mention after scoring three times in just 109 minutes for Spain, while Bukayo Saka scored twice in England’s 7-0 victory over Croatia. Merino’s impact makes his omission particularly difficult, but Gyökeres’ sustained scoring earns the starting role.
Honourable mention goes to Ireland’s Troy Parrott.