Ousmane Dembélé versus Lamine Yamal, the other match in the France-Spain duel in the Nations League

Originally, this competition, which sees European national teams face off every two years, is not the one that attracts the most crowds. Established by the Union of European Football Associations (UEFA) in 2018 , its main purpose was to reduce the number of friendly matches. However, the France-Spain match looming on Thursday, June 5 at 9 p.m. in Stuttgart (Germany), in the semi-finals of the men's Nations League, is a prestigious encounter, which is not lacking in interest or stakes.

Firstly, because it pits two great footballing countries against each other. Also, because Les Bleus rediscover their bête noire. Over the past twenty-five years, La Roja has been the team that has beaten them the most, with seven wins in eleven encounters. Didier Deschamps ' men still remember the last defeat, on July 9, 2024, in the Euro semi-finals, notably with a goal from prodigy Lamine Yamal (1-2).

"We know that we are facing one of the best, if not the best team at international level," said the coach on May 21, when announcing his expanded list of 25 players, marked by numerous absences in defense and the first call-up of Lyon striker Rayan Cherki .

This match will also be an opportunity for the five French players from Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) – Ousmane Dembélé, Désiré Doué, Bradley Barcola, Lucas Hernandez and Warren Zaïre-Emery – to debut their new status as European champions, five days after their 5-0 performance against Inter Milan, led by Benjamin Pavard and Marcus Thuram, in the Champions League final in Munich (Germany). The seven finalists also joined the group in Clairefontaine (Yvelines) early Monday evening – the gathering began on Friday, May 30.

While Kylian Mbappé has shone individually this season with Real Madrid , without winning any major titles with the Merengue, the reunion between the French team captain and his former PSG teammates will be particularly closely watched. There will be questions about his positioning and that of Ousmane Dembélé, who both play in the center for their respective clubs. After splashing his talent in the Champions League final (two goals and an assist), Désiré Doué will also be the center of attention.

But this France-Spain match is above all an opportunity to see the two favorites for the Ballon d'Or , which will reward the best player of the year on September 22, face off: Lamine Yamal and Ousmane Dembélé . The 17-year-old FC Barcelona prodigy has increased the pressure in advance, believing that the distinction will be decided largely on this match. "If people want to play him on Thursday, then we play him on Thursday," he declared, a few days before the deadline in an interview with COPE radio.

A winner of the Spanish league (La Liga) and the Spanish Cup with his club, this pure product of the Catalan team made his mark with his dazzling performances in the Champions League semi-final double-header, lost to Inter Milan (3-3 in the first leg, 4-3 aet in the return). While he has enjoyed a meteoric rise and greater media exposure than the Frenchman – particularly on social media – he has, however, been less consistent than his main rival during the season.

His statistics (19 goals and 26 assists in 60 matches, all competitions combined) are less impressive than those of the Parisian (35 goals and 15 assists in 55 matches, all competitions combined). The latter was also named best player of the 2024-2025 Champions League by UEFA, at the end of a season which saw PSG win a quadruple (European Cup, league, domestic cup and Champions Trophy) that only the Lisbon Lions of Celtic Glasgow achieved before them, in 1966-1967 (with the League Cup instead of the Champions Trophy).

Beyond the numbers, it is above all Ousmane Dembélé's influence on his team's game that has left its mark, with this hybrid role of leader and center forward, entrusted to him by his coach Luis Enrique . At 28, the former Rennes player has had the best season of his career and embodies humility, like the Spanish midfielder Rodri, who won the Ballon d'Or last year.