France and Spain spar in a top-tier Nations League semifinal on Thursday that will determine the second finalist of the tournament after Germany and Portugal meet the day before.
It’s a marquee matchup between two national teams who are considered among the favourites to win the World Cup next summer, presenting a delicious clash of young superstars on either side of the matchup.
Kylian Mbappe is back from his brief exile last fall and in full swing, ready to rock alongside Ballon d’Or candidates and Champions League title winners Ousmane Dembele and Desire Doue.
They will face Barcelona teenager Lamine Yamal whose global profile has risen significantly over the last six months from future superstar to current icon.
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Spain vs. France predicted lineups, team news
Spain head coach Luis de la Fuente has made a few key calls in this squad, such as leaving out rising Real Madrid defender Raul Asencio and Barcelona forward Ferran Torres. He is also without Dani Carvajal who is still recovering from his ACL tear, and Rodri was not called in either despite returning from injury right at the end of the club season.
He will need to piece together a back line, which will likely look similar to the defensive unit that beat the Netherlands on penalties back in March. Pau Cubarsi could step in for Robin Le Normand in the middle, while it’ll be between Pedro Porro and Oscar Mingueza on the right.
In the middle, De la Fuente must decide if he trusts Gavi to play 90 minutes after he struggled to earn a starting spot for Barcelona this season amid fitness concerns, otherwise the Arsenal-bound Martin Zubmiendi could be handed the spot.
Spain predicted lineup (4-3-3, right to left): Simon (GK) — Porro, Cubarsi, Huijsen, Cucurella — Olmo, Zubimendi, F. Ruiz — Lamine Yamal, Morata, N. Williams.
Spain injuries: D. Carvajal (ACL), Rodri (fitness).
Spain full roster
Goalkeepers: David Raya, Alex Remiro, Unai Simon.
Defenders: Marc Cucurella, Pau Cubarsi, Alex Grimaldo, Dean Huijsen, Oscar Mingueza, Robin Le Normand, Pedro Porro, Dani Vivian.
Midfielders: Alex Baena, Gavi, Isco, Fermin Lopez, Mikel Merino, Dani Olmo, Pedri, Fabian Ruiz, Martin Zubimendi.
Forwards: Samu Aghehowa, Alvaro Morata, Yeremy Pino, Mikel Oyarzabal, Nico Williams, Lamine Yamal.
France are stacked up front, but have suffered injuries that have limited them at the back. Most notably, they are without William Saliba in the middle and Jules Kounde on the right, while Eduardo Camavinga misses out along with his Real Madrid teammate Ferland Mendy.
The biggest task for head coach Didier Deschamps is sorting through the litany of forwards to pick from, with a number of talented in-form attackers. Kylian Mbappe is a lock to start as he returned from a short national team exile in March, and it seems likely that Ousmane Dembele will too. That leaves the third spot down to either prolific Bayern Munich right winger Michael Olise, Champions League final hero Desire Doue, Inter Milan forward Marcus Thuram, or PSG star Bradley Barcola.
Deschamps could deploy Olise, Doue, or Barcola on the right with Dembele through the middle, or he could put Thuram in the middle and move Dembele to right wing.
France predicted lineup (4-3-3, right to left): Maignan (GK) — Gusto, Konate, Pavard, T. Hernandez — Guendouzi, Tchouameni, Rabiot — Olise, Dembele, Mbappe.
France injuries: J. Kounde (hamstring), F. Mendy (muscle), E. Camavinga (hamstring), W. Saliba (hamstring).
France full roster
Goalkeepers: Lucas Chevalier, Mike Maignan, Brice Samba.
Defenders: Loic Bade, Lucas Digne, Malo Gusto, Lucas Hernandez, Theo Hernandez, Pierre Kalulu, Ibrahima Konate, Clement Lenglet, Benjamin Pavard.
Midfielders: Matteo Guendouzi, Manu Kone, Adrien Rabiot, Aurelien Tchouameni, Warren Zaire-Emery.
Forwards: Bradley Barcola, Rayan Cherki, Ousmane Dembele, Desire Doue, Randal Kolo Muani, Kylian Mbappe, Michael Olise, Marcus Thuram.
Spain vs. France score prediction
France have an incredible attacking unit, but their midfield and back line have a few weaknesses. Barcelona suffered from the absence of Jules Kounde, and France will too as Spain come together to secure a spot in the final.
Predicted score: Spain 3-2 France
Spain vs. France: Live stream, TV channel
Here’s how to watch this match across selected areas of the world’s major regions:
| Region | Date | Kickoff Time | TV | Streaming |
| USA | Thu, Jun. 5 | 3 p.m. ET / 12 p.m. PT | FS1 | Fubo, ViX, FOX Sports app |
| Canada | Thu, Jun. 5 | 3 p.m. ET / 12 p.m. PT | — | DAZN |
| UK | Thu, Jun. 5 | 8 p.m. BST | — | Amazon Prime Video |
| Australia | Fri, Jun. 6 | 7 a.m. AEST | — | Optus Sport |
| India | Fri, Jun. 6 | 12:30 a.m. IST | — | JioTV, Sony LIV |
