Stuttgart, June 8 (UNI) France clinched the bronze medal in the UEFA Nations League after defeating hosts Germany 2–0 in the third-place play-off here on Sunday, with Kylian Mbappé scoring his 50th international goal to headline a resilient performance by Les Bleus.
Amid a vibrant atmosphere at the Mercedes-Benz Arena, Julian Nagelsmann’s Germany started aggressively, threatening early through Nick Woltemade and Niclas Fullkrug. However, France goalkeeper Mike Maignan produced a fine save in the 2nd minute, and Lucas Digne heroically cleared Fullkrug’s effort off the line three minutes later. Florian Wirtz then rattled the post in the 37th minute as Die Mannschaft dominated the opening stages.
But the breakthrough came for France just before the break. In the 45th minute, Mbappé drifted inside from the left and curled a stunning strike beyond Marc-André ter Stegen, bringing up his half-century of international goals. The Paris Saint-Germain forward is now just one goal behind Thierry Henry, France’s second all-time leading scorer.
Germany’s momentum faltered in the second half, and France seized control. Marcus Thuram struck the woodwork on 59 minutes, and Mbappé forced Ter Stegen into a remarkable save with an acrobatic volley in the 79th minute.
Les Bleus finally sealed victory in the 84th minute when a defensive mix-up allowed Mbappé to race through. Rather than shoot, he unselfishly squared the ball for substitute Michael Olise, who tapped in his first international goal to settle the tie.
Coach Didier Deschamps praised the composure and maturity shown by his young squad, saying the result was “a performance full of promise” ahead of their World Cup qualifying campaign.
France will next face Ukraine on September 5 in Group D of the European qualifiers for the 2026 FIFA World Cup, while Germany take on Slovakia a day earlier in Group A.
Both nations will now turn their focus to the 2026 FIFA World Cup qualifiers as the European campaigns resume in September.
