2021 UEFA Nations League final

Pre-show at the final in San Siro, Milan.
Event	2021 UEFA Nations League Finals
Spain France 1 2
Date	10 October 2021 (2021-10-10)
Venue	San Siro, Milan
Man of the Match	Karim Benzema (France)[1]
Referee	Anthony Taylor (England)[2]
Attendance	31,511[3]
Weather	Clear night 12 °C (54 °F) 57% humidity[4]
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The 2021 UEFA Nations League final was a football match that determined the winners of the final tournament of the 2020–21 UEFA Nations League. It was the second final of the international football competition involving the men's national teams of the member associations of UEFA. The match was held on 10 October 2021 at the San Siro in Milan, Italy, and was contested by Spain and France.^[5]

France won the match 2–1 for their first UEFA Nations League title.

The final was played at the San Siro in Milan, home to Milan and Inter Milan.

This section is empty. You can help by adding to it. (October 2021)

Note: In all results below, the score of the finalist is given first (H: home; A: away).

Spain		Round	France
Opponents	Result	League phase	Opponents	Result
Germany	1–1 (A)	Match 1	Sweden	1–0 (A)
Ukraine	4–0 (H)	Match 2	Croatia	4–2 (H)
Switzerland	1–0 (H)	Match 3	Portugal	0–0 (H)
Ukraine	0–1 (A)	Match 4	Croatia	2–1 (A)
Switzerland	1–1 (A)	Match 5	Portugal	1–0 (A)
Germany	6–0 (H)	Match 6	Sweden	4–2 (H)
Group A4 winner Pos Team v t e Pld Pts 1  Spain 6 11 2  Germany 6 9 3   Switzerland 6 6 4  Ukraine (R) 6 6 Source: UEFA (R) Relegated		Final standings	Group A3 winner Pos Team v t e Pld Pts 1  France 6 16 2  Portugal 6 13 3  Croatia 6 3 4  Sweden (R) 6 3 Source: UEFA (R) Relegated
Opponents	Result	Nations League Finals	Opponents	Result
Italy	2–1	Semi-finals	Belgium	3–2

On 8 October 2021, the UEFA Referees Committee announced the officiating team for the final, led by 42-year-old English referee Anthony Taylor of the Football Association. He was joined by seven of his compatriots, including assistant referees Gary Beswick and Adam Nunn. Craig Pawson served as the fourth official, while Stuart Burt was selected as the reserve assistant referee. At UEFA headquarters in Nyon, Switzerland, Stuart Attwell worked as the video assistant referee (VAR) for the match. Chris Kavanagh and Lee Betts were appointed as assistant VAR officials, along with Dutchman Pol van Boekel.^[2]

Taylor has been a FIFA referee since 2013. The match was his third UEFA final as lead referee, having officiated the 2015 UEFA European Under-19 Championship final and the 2020 UEFA Super Cup. He also was selected as a referee at UEFA Euro 2020, where he officiated three matches. He previously served as an additional assistant referee at UEFA Euro 2016, including the final,^[6] as well as in the 2015 UEFA Europa League final and 2016 UEFA Champions League Final.^[7][8] Domestically, he officiated the FA Cup final in 2017 and 2020, the Football League Cup final in 2015, and the FA Community Shield in 2015. The final was the fourth time Taylor had refereed Spain (two wins and one loss) and the third for France (one win and one loss).^[9]

Spain had all their players available for selection.^[4] However, Ferran Torres was a doubt with an ankle issue which required him to be substituted out of Spain's semi-final against Italy and miss Spain's final training session.^[10] France had two players missing, after left-back Lucas Digne left the squad due to a muscle injury,^[11] while midfielder Adrien Rabiot testing positive for SARS‑CoV‑2.^[12]

Both teams made two changes to their starting line-ups after their semi-final victories. Spain replaced centre-back Pau Torres with Eric García and midfielder Koke with Rodri, while France replaced centre-back Lucas Hernandez with Presnel Kimpembe and COVID-positive Rabiot with Aurélien Tchouaméni.^[4]

After a goalless first half, Mikel Oyarzabal put Spain into the lead after 64 minutes with a low finish from the left to the bottom right corner of the net after a pass from Sergio Busquets which French defender Dayot Upamecano failed to cut out.^[13] This goal came seconds after Théo Hernandez shot against the underside of the crossbar for France. Two minutes later Karim Benzema scored to make it 1–1, cutting in from the left to the edge of the penalty area before shooting to the top right corner of the net past Unai Simón who managed to get a touch on the ball but could not prevent it going into the net.^[14] With ten minutes remaining Kylian Mbappé got the winning goal when he received the ball from Théo Hernandez before shooting low under the advancing goalkeeper Simón from the left. Mbappé was initially in an offside position from the pass but as the ball was deflected into his path by Eric García he became onside and so the goal was given.^[15][16]

10 October 2021 (2021-10-10)

20:45 CEST

Spain	1–2	France
Oyarzabal 64'	Report	Benzema 66' Mbappé 80'

San Siro, Milan

Attendance: 31,511^[3]

Referee: Anthony Taylor (England)

Spain[4]

France[4]

GK 23 Unai Simón RB 2 César Azpilicueta CB 19 Aymeric Laporte  86' CB 12 Eric García LB 17 Marcos Alonso CM 9 Gavi  75' CM 5 Sergio Busquets (c) CM 16 Rodri  84' RF 11 Ferran Torres  84' CF 22 Pablo Sarabia  61' LF 21 Mikel Oyarzabal Substitutions: FW 7 Yeremy Pino  61' MF 8 Koke  75' MF 20 Mikel Merino  84' MF 18 Pablo Fornals  84' Manager: Luis Enrique

GK 1 Hugo Lloris (c) CB 5 Jules Koundé  55' CB 4 Raphaël Varane  43' CB 3 Presnel Kimpembe RM 2 Benjamin Pavard  79' CM 6 Paul Pogba  46' CM 8 Aurélien Tchouaméni LM 22 Théo Hernandez AM 7 Antoine Griezmann  90+2' CF 19 Karim Benzema CF 10 Kylian Mbappé  90' Substitutions: DF 15 Dayot Upamecano  43' DF 12 Léo Dubois  79' MF 17 Jordan Veretout  90+2' Manager: Didier Deschamps

• France–Spain football rivalry

• Official website