RFS, Nõmme Kalju and Kauno Žalgiris set the tone for 2026!

We are a month in and Baltic football has already given us contenders, warning signs and a few early surprises. In this episode of the Baltic Football Podcast, we break down the start of the season across Latvia’s Virslīga, Estonia’s Premium Liiga and Lithuania’s Toplyga: why RFS look steadier than expected, why Nõmme Kalju are the early surprise package, whether Kauno Žalgiris are setting the standard in Lithuania, and what is going wrong at Vilnius Žalgiris.We also get into FK Auda’s pace and depth, TransINVEST’s statement result, Riga FC’s uneven start, standout players in the Baltics, rising attendances in Lithuania, and the first refereeing controversy in Estonia.(00:01:28) RFS and the early Virslīga picture(00:03:02) Are Nõmme Kalju the biggest surprise so far?(00:03:47) FK Auda and TransINVEST catch the eye(00:06:41) Lithuania focus: Kauno Žalgiris set the pace(00:10:02) Vilnius Žalgiris problems and the wider Toplyga race(00:12:54) Bigger crowds and why Lithuania feels like the place to be(00:15:14) Latvia focus: Virslīga storylines so far(00:20:31) Ogre, Jelgava and the lower-table questions(00:23:12) Is Virslīga becoming a two-team title race?(00:25:56) Estonia focus: Nõmme Kalju, Flora concerns and Paide expectations(00:27:55) Estonian refereeing: Levadia want to see the manager (00:35:14) Racism in Baltics and in Baltic football(00:41:14) Latvia national team: Gibraltar, Paolo Nicolato and what comes next(00:42:14) Denniss Cirkins chooses Latvia over IrelandTo stay atop football news from Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia, visit www.balticfootballnews.com and follow Baltic Football News on all major social networks!