Overview
- France meet defending champion Spain on Thursday in the Nations League semi-final in Stuttgart.
- Ousmane Dembélé has netted 33 goals and 15 assists in 49 appearances for PSG this season, spearheading their Champions League triumph and positioning himself as a leading Ballon d’Or contender.
- Didier Deschamps’ cautious tactics have drawn criticism after a low-scoring European Championship and face intensified scrutiny ahead of his announced 2026 World Cup exit.
- First-choice defenders William Saliba, Dayot Upamécano and Jules Koundé are sidelined by injury, prompting Lucas Hernandez, Ibrahima Konaté and Chelsea’s Malo Gusto to fill the gaps.
- Zinedine Zidane is widely viewed as Deschamps’ likely successor, though the French Football Federation plans to delay any official appointment until after the 2026 World Cup.