Like France under Zinédine Zidane, Germany and the Netherlands are entering new eras with their new managers. Both the Netherlands and Germany exited the World Cup frustrated following painful eliminations. Both nations are rebuilding and will face each other in the Nations League opener. Meanwhile, Cristiano Ronaldo has made no secret of his desire to reach the highly symbolic milestone of scoring 1,000 goals for his national team, although he insists that this is “not an obsession”.
In the Women’s Champions League, Lyon thrashed Swiss side Servette Geneva in their opening European match. Last season’s runners-up left their opponents with no chance. The defending champions also got off to a flying start, securing a 5–2 victory over Paris-based PFC.