Contenders eye ‘big titles’ as Nations League semis kick off

The Nations League semi-finals start on Wednesday with Germany, Spain, France and Portugal seeking to fine tune their sides with the World Cup just one year away.

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Tournament hosts Germany face Portugal in Munich on Wednesday and title holders Spain face France in Stuttgart a day later.

The winners will face off in the Bavarian capital on Sunday.

Created in 2018, the Nations League lacks the history and esteem of football's major international tournaments and has been criticised for adding to an already crowded calendar.

But as Spain and France have shown in recent years, the competition can be a perfect launchpad to reach greater heights.

France's Nations League triumph in 2021 came just over a year before their run to the World Cup final in Qatar, where they lost on penalties to a Lionel Messi-inspired Argentina.

Spain, runners-up against France in 2021, beat Croatia on penalties to win the 2023 Nations League; a year later, the Spanish were crowned Euro 2024 champions.

While some of the larger nations have fielded experimental line-ups, recent winners have used the tournament to develop and improve.

THE ‘BIG TITLES’

Of the final four, only Germany are yet to win a Nations League title, with Portugal's success coming in the opening tournament in 2019.