Who is in the Nations League finals? Meet the contenders
Belgium, France, Italy and Spain will compete in the UEFA Nations League finals in October 2021.
Nations League finals in-depth
In principle, the winner of Group A1 (Italy) will be appointed as finals hosts. The formal appointment of the host will be confirmed at the UEFA Executive Committee meeting on 3 December, followed by the draw of the semi-final and final pairings.
BELGIUM
Group A2 winners: W5 D0 L1 F16 A6
Top scorer: Romelu Lukaku (5)
Results
05/09: Denmark 0-2 Belgium
08/09: Belgium 5-1 Iceland
11/10: England 2-1 Belgium
14/10: Iceland 1-2 Belgium
15/11: Belgium 2-0 England
18/11: Belgium 4-2 Denmark
Coach: Roberto Martínez
A Spanish midfielder who carved out a niche in English football, Martínez has been in charge of Belgium since 2016.
Key player: Kevin De Bruyne
The 2019/20 UEFA Champions League midfielder of the season continues to flourish for club and country. Martínez’s creative heartbeat.
One to watch: Youri Tielemans
A relatively youthful 23 in a side packed with established talent, Leicester’s versatile midfielder has a venomous shot from distance, not to mention great distribution.
FRANCE
Group A3 winners: W5 D1 L0 F12 A5
Top scorer: Olivier Giroud (3)
Results
05/09: Sweden 0-1 France
08/09: France 4-2 Croatia
11/10: France 0-0 Portugal
14/10: Croatia 1-2 France
14/11: Portugal 0-1 France
17/11: France 4-2 Sweden
Coach: Didier Deschamps
Deschamps captained Les Bleus to victory at the 1998 FIFA World Cup and UEFA EURO 2000. France boss since 2012, he led them to World Cup glory in 2018 and can secure the second international double of his career at EURO 2020.
Key player: Antoine Griezmann
The influence of EURO 2016’s best player and top scorer on the team has deepened with time; he also scored three and set up seven in UEFA EURO 2020 qualifying, and has since overtaken Zinédine Zidane in France’s all-time top scorer ranking.
One to watch: Clément Lenglet
The centre-back has settled with minimal fuss at Barcelona and, having only made his senior France debut in June 2019, now looks to be first choice alongside Raphaël Varane at the heart of Deschamps’ defence.
ITALY
Group A1 winners: W3 D3 L0 F7 A2
Top scorer: Domenico Berardi (2)
Results
04/09: Italy 1-1 Bosnia and Herzegovina
07/09: Netherlands 0-1 Italy
11/10: Poland 0-0 Italy
14/10: Italy 1-1 Netherlands
15/11: Italy 2-0 Poland
18/11: Bosnia and Herzegovina 0-2 Italy
Coach: Roberto Mancini
One of the best forwards of his generation, though never that lucky with the Azzurri, Mancini is eager to sparkle as an international coach after winning club trophies in Italy, England and Turkey.
Key player: Marco Verratti
Like his coach, the midfielder is yet to replicate his club form with the national team. Mancini’s possession-based football, however, seems just perfect for the Paris man.
One to watch: Gianluigi Donnarumma
At 21,…
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