KLIK SAJA - Defending UEFA Nations League champions Spain are set to face off against France in a blockbuster semifinal clash of the 2024–25 edition, taking place at MHPArena in Stuttgart on Thursday night local time.
This high-stakes encounter is a rematch of the 2021–22 final, with the winner advancing to the grand final on June 8 to face either Germany or Portugal.
The losing side will contest the third-place playoff on the same day.
Spain booked their semifinal ticket after topping League A Group 4 with 16 points from six matches (W5 D1). In March, they edged out the Netherlands in a thrilling two-legged quarterfinal.
Both legs ended 2-2 in regulation time, before Xavi Simons canceled out Lamine Yamal's extra-time goal to make it 3-3 and take the tie to penalties.
Spain—fresh off winning Euro 2024—held their nerve and emerged victorious 5-4 in the shootout.
Currently ranked second in the FIFA World Rankings behind Argentina, Spain are riding a 20-match unbeaten run across all competitions (W15 D5) since their last defeat, a 2-0 loss to Scotland in Euro qualifying back in March 2023.
La Roja have netted two or more goals in 16 of those 20 matches, yet Luis de la Fuente’s men have failed to keep a clean sheet in their last four Nations League games—conceding at least twice in each of their last three.
Not since the 1980–81 season (a run of six) have Spain allowed 2+ goals in more than three consecutive games.
Spain are aiming to become the first nation to retain the UEFA Nations League title since the tournament’s inception in 2018.
Two years ago, they edged out Italy 2-1 in the semifinals and defeated France by the same scoreline in last July’s Euro 2024 semifinal.
France, meanwhile, had a disappointing Nations League campaign last time out, finishing third in their group with just five points from six games.
However, Les Bleus bounced back this edition, topping League A Group 2 with 13 points—edging Italy on goal difference.
In the quarterfinals, France pulled off a dramatic comeback after trailing Croatia 2-0 from the first leg.