An XXL draw for the Blues?

This is the novelty of the Nations League for the 2024-2025 season: the group stage of the UEFA competition does not directly give a “Final Four” with the four group winners but establishes scheduled quarter-finals next March (March 20 and 23). The French team is on track to finish in the top two of its group since the Blues are second behind Italy before facing Israel on Thursday at the Stade de France. Barring disaster, they will then play first place against the Azzurri on Sunday at San Siro. Beautiful Milanese poster.

Finishing at the top of the group or not is important, since the group winners will be pitted against a group runner-up with the advantage of playing at home in the return match. The draw for the quarter-finals of the League of Nations is already scheduled for November 22, Friday next week, in Nyon, at the headquarters of the European body. The draw will also determine the promotion/relegation play-offs between leagues A, B, C and D.

The Blues facing heavy challenges?

We are well on our way to having a prestigious draw in the quarter-finals since the favorites were present during the last two international windows (England is absent because they play in league B). If the training of
Didier Deschamps finishes second, it could thus fall against Portugal, Germany or Spain, three notable opponents of 2024. The Blues eliminated the Seleçao of Cristiano Ronaldo at the Euro before being dismissed in the semi-finals by the Seleccion . They also received a football lesson from the Mannschaft, last March at Parc OL, in a friendly.

In Group 1, Portugal is three points ahead of Croatia, before a possible final in Split in a week. In pool 3, the Germans, already qualified, are already five points ahead of the Netherlands and Hungary (their last opponent). Finally, in 4, Spain, 2024 European champion, is also guaranteed to play in the quarter-finals but travels this Thursday to its runner-up, Denmark, which has three points less.