Spain vs France

In Stuttgart, Spanish champions of last year’s UEFA Nations League will meet with France in the semi-final match of this tournament on Thursday.

Although this semi-final clash is just for this season, its winners will go on to play in the Champions League final on June 8 and their opponents will compete for third place in a separate game that evening.
In March, after collecting 16 points from a possible 18 in two rounds of League A Group 4 matches (W5 D1), Spain won the exciting playoff over Netherlands by a total of two goals to one.

Following the two legged tie, there was a 2-2 result after 90 minutes, until Xavi Simons’ equalizer in extra time made it 3-3 and sent the game to penalties. Despite Uniting Kingdom taking the lead after 90 minutes of play, the Euro 2024 champions kept their heads in the shootout and beat the opposition by winning 5-4.

After their loss to Scotland in Euros qualifying, Spain have gone on to win or draw all 20 of their games, coming in second place in FIFA’s rankings, just after Argentina.

On many of these games, La Roja kept scoring two or more goals, though in their last four Nations League matches, Luis de la Fuente’s team haven’t protected a clean sheet and conceded at least twice each time, with the last coming in their last three - since 1980-81, it has happened in more than three successive games only once.

Spain are on the verge of becoming the first nation to win back-to-back UEFA Nations League titles since the tournament began in 2018. Their journey to the final has been impressive—two years ago, they edged past Italy 2-1 in the semi-finals, and they repeated that scoreline against France in the Euro 2024 semi-finals last July. Now, they have a chance to solidify their dominance in this competition.

France’s recent Nations League campaign has been a tale of resurgence. After a disappointing group-stage exit in the last edition—finishing third with just five points—they turned things around this time, topping their group with 13 points, narrowly ahead of Italy on goal difference. Their resilience was on full display in the knockout stages, where they staged a thrilling comeback against Croatia.

Trailing 2-0 after the first leg, Les Bleus fought back in Paris with goals from Michael Olise and Ousmane Dembélé, forcing penalties. Goalkeeper Mike Maignan came up with a crucial save before Dayot Upamecano sealed the win in a dramatic 5-4 shootout.

Despite being ranked third in the world, France have endured heartbreak in recent major tournaments—losing the 2022 World Cup final and falling short in the Euro 2024 semi-finals. Now, they’re determined to claim their first trophy since defeating Spain in the 2021 Nations League final.

Didier Deschamps, France’s long-serving manager, has overseen 106 wins in 167 matches—an impressive 63.47% win rate. With his tenure set to end after the 2026 World Cup, the 56-year-old will be eager to add one more trophy to his legacy.

Thursday’s final promises to be a closely fought clash. France and Spain have traded wins in their last five meetings (3-2 in France’s favor), with four of those matches decided by a single goal—including their dramatic 2021 Nations League showdown. Will Spain make history, or will France reclaim the title? The stage is set for another classic encounter.