Spain-France: history, favorite, pet peeve, 5 questions about the Nations League final

Whatever happens, a page of history will be written this Wednesday for women's football, and even more so for the French team. The 2023-24 Nations League is the first edition in history for women. The competition was inaugurated during the 2018-19 season for men. It will therefore necessarily be a new line in the prize list, and simply a first line for the Blues in the event of victory. Indeed, France will play its first final of a major tournament. She had never done better than the semi-finals, whether at the Olympics, the Euro or the World Cup.

Spain is quite logically the favorite, due to its status as world champion acquired last August. She made short work of the Netherlands in the semi-final of the League of Nations on Friday (3-0), where France had to grit their teeth to eliminate Germany (2-1). In addition to that, La Roja will play at home, in a stadium with 57,000 seats, only a hundred of which should be occupied by French supporters. “It’s 50-50,” refuted midfielder and 2023 Ballon d’Or Aitana Bonmati to L’Équipe. France has great players capable of creating a lot of danger. Physically, it’s a very strong team.”

The locations of the matches were determined during a draw carried out on December 11, 2023 in Nyon (Switzerland), at UEFA headquarters. France knew from that moment that it would host Germany in the semi-final, then that it would travel either to Spain or the Netherlands for a possible final. The match will be played at La Cartuja, a 57,000-seat sports stadium built for the 2004 and 2008 Olympics, which Seville ultimately did not host.

Yes. The French team is undefeated in the 13 matches it has played against Spain in its history, with a record of 10 wins and 3 draws. It is the nation she has faced the most without ever losing. Conversely: it is the selection that Spain has challenged the most without ever winning. Their last confrontation dates back to a friendly match on August 31, 2019 in Clermont-Ferrand (victory for the Blues 2-0). France and Spain had not met in competition since the group stage of Euro 2013 in Sweden (Les Bleues won 1-0).

Also read: Eugénie Le Sommer and the League of Nations: “Imitating the boys would be great”

Never change a winning team. According to L'Équipe, the Bleues coach, Hervé Renard, should bring back the same eleven players as against Germany in the semi-final (2-1). In the absence of Wendie Renard injured in the right thigh and operated on at the end of December, Griedge Mbock and Maëlle Lakrar will be returned to central defense. Selma Bacha on the left and Kadidiatou Diani on the right will occupy the attacking lanes, with Eugénie Le Sommer supporting Marie-Antoinette Katoto. Coming into play against Germany, Sandie Toletti and Delphine Cascarino should again be substitutes.

France's likely eleven: Peyraud-Magnin - Karchaoui, Mbock, Lakrar, De Almeida - Geyoro, Henry - Bacha, Le Sommer, Diani - Katoto