🔊 Which team will take the final step towards the UEFA Nations League final? The tournament's brief history boasts just three winners, two of whom will clash in the upcoming semifinal. On June 5, spectators at the "Stuttgart Arena" will witness a showdown between Europe's elite national teams—Spain and France. "La Furia Roja" are slight favorites, but the French are still haunted by their defeat at last year's Euros, so they'll be giving it their all to seek revenge. Will "Les Bleus" succeed in their quest for redemption?

Head-to-Head

📊 We've already mentioned the match that took place in the summer of 2024. It was the semi-final of the European Championship. A quick goal from the French didn't unsettle Luis de la Fuente's squad — thanks to the efforts of Lamine Yamal and Dani Olmo, they took the lead by the middle of the first half and maintained their advantage, eventually winning the tournament.

Another significant encounter was in October 2021. Spain and France faced off in the final of the second edition of the Nations League, with the main drama unfolding in the second half. Didier Deschamps' team celebrated a comeback victory that time. Mikel Oyarzabal's goal was answered by Karim Benzema and Kylian Mbappe.

Spain Team Overview

🔴 Riding high on the success of their Euro triumph, Spain breezed through the group stage of the Nations League. After dropping points in their opening match against Serbia (0-0), they went on to win all their remaining games, accumulating the most points in League A (16). However, their path to the semifinals wasn't without hiccups. "La Roja" couldn't defeat the Netherlands either away (2-2) or at home (3-3), squandering the lead three times at "Mestalla". Consequently, the ticket to the next round was decided by a penalty shootout. Despite Lamine Yamal's missed attempt, Luis de la Fuente's protégés advanced (5-4).

🔝 Special attention should be paid to Mikel Oyarzabal. The Real Sociedad captain may not have star status, but he plays a crucial role for the national team. Remember, it was he who scored the winning goal against England in the Euro final and netted a brace in the return fixture against the Netherlands. Mikel has scored nine goals under Luis de la Fuente's leadership, making him Spain's top scorer with this coach. As for the team's rising star, Lamine Yamal, he has played five partial matches, registering 1+1 — a modest output, but the Barça academy product has shown great promise on the pitch.

France Team Overview

🔵 The French national team faced widespread criticism for their performance at the European Championship. They struggled to bounce back from their disappointing campaign, notably suffering a crushing 1-3 home defeat to Italy in the opening round of the Nations League. However, Didier Deschamps' squad eventually regrouped, avenged their loss to Italy, and topped their group. It seemed the Croatians wouldn't pose a serious threat to Les Bleus on their way to the semifinals, but that wasn't the case. Mbappe and his teammates unexpectedly fell 0-2 away, only to stage a heroic comeback at the Stade de France with goals from Michael Olise and Ousmane Dembele. In a dramatic penalty shootout, the French emerged victorious (5-4), with Mike Maignan stealing the spotlight by saving two shots.

🔝 Kylian Mbappe has netted just one goal for the national team since Euro 2024 began, yet ignoring his current dazzling form would be a disservice. While Mbappe couldn't steer Real Madrid to silverware, he significantly upped his game towards the end of the season, earning his first-ever Golden Boot. And of course, there's Ousmane Dembele. Fresh off a Champions League victory, the PSG forward is a leading contender for the Ballon d'Or. With 26 goals and 8 assists (averaging a goal every 79 minutes) in 31 matches in 2025, his stats are nothing short of phenomenal.

Latest news

Spain

🎙 Luis de la Fuente: “This tournament features three Nations League winners, three former World Cup champions, and the reigning European champions. Therefore, the Nations League cannot be considered a secondary tournament, and we place great importance on it. I've always said that this tournament is tougher than the Euro group stage. We will do everything possible and aim to make history by becoming the first team to win the Nations League twice.”

🎤 Lamine Yamal on the Ballon d'Or race: “I would choose the best player based on the year's performance. But if you want to award it on Thursday, fine, let's do it on Thursday. Honestly, I would give the Ballon d'Or to the best over the entire year, and frankly, I'd keep it for myself.”

❌ Regarding the squad, La Roja will miss several key players. Rodri and Dani Carvajal are still not ready to assist their teammates after severe injuries. Ferran Torres recently underwent an appendectomy. Additionally, Ayoze Perez, who received the Telmo Zarra Trophy for being the top Spanish scorer in La Liga with 19 goals, is not included in the 'Final Four' due to a hamstring injury.

France

🎙 "This Spanish national team has repeatedly showcased their skill. They are the best team in Europe and probably the world. Some of their players might be fresher than ours right now. I have yet to see a team that has fully solved the Yamal problem. Add players like Nico Williams, and you have a very, very fast team. But that doesn't mean we will approach the match waving a white flag," stated Didier Deschamps.

🎤 The 21-year-old talent of Les Bleus, Rayan Cherki, who has been called up to the senior squad for the first time, also shared his thoughts: "Lamine Yamal is incredible on the field. He can do everything. We need to play against him with full focus. The French team has its own strengths, so we'll concentrate on ourselves and be as prepared as possible."

❌ The French are facing significant personnel issues in defense. Three key defenders are injured—Jules Kounde, Dayot Upamecano, and William Saliba. Eduardo Camavinga won't be available in midfield either. It's also important to note that many players recently participated in the Champions League final, so there might be concerns regarding their physical condition.

🟨 Referee and Yellow Cards

🟨 Referee and Yellow Cards

An English officiating team, led by Michael Oliver, has been appointed for the match. Oliver has already officiated three matches in the current Nations League campaign. While he hasn't encountered Spain yet, he has crossed paths with France. The Brit issued eight yellow cards in the second leg of the quarterfinal between Les Bleus and Croatia, with seven coming during regular time. Oliver isn't known for being sparing with his cards, averaging 4.5 yellow cards over his last ten games.

Spain's national team has been picking up slightly more yellow cards during the tournament (2.1 compared to 2), but the overall number of yellow cards in their matches is significantly higher (4.9 compared to 3.9). This is largely because Yamal and company tend to draw more fouls from opponents (2.8) than the French do (1.9).

With France's defense set to be experimental, it's hard to imagine them easily containing Spain's skillful wingers. Analyzing the odds, we suggest a bold bet on France's individual total of over 2.5 yellow cards.

⚽️ Goals Prediction

Recent head-to-head encounters between Spain and France have been high-scoring affairs. We have little doubt that a total of over 2.5 goals will hit in the upcoming match. The current form of both teams' attacking leaders suggests offense will prevail over defense. As further evidence supporting this bet, consider that the last five matches involving Spain have all featured at least three goals.

🚩 Corners Prediction

Corners are also expected to be plentiful, given both teams' affinity for set pieces. Spain averages 5.5 corners per game during the tournament, while France averages even more at 7. The overall number of corners per game stands at 9.1 and 10.3, respectively. Based on these figures, a cautious bet on over 8.5 corners seems reasonable. Less than a year ago at the Euros, the teams combined for 10 corner kicks.

In conclusion, our editorial team anticipates a closely contested and intriguing match-up. The Spanish side are likely to dominate possession, while the French won't resist this approach too much. This scenario suits both teams, and we believe they will find ways to breach each other's defenses. Neither Spain nor France have displayed exemplary defensive play in previous stages, but with their attacking talents, goals seem inevitable. We expect the match to end in a 2-2 draw in regular time and are backing both teams to score (yes).