104 days after failing in the second round of the European Championship, world champion France still has the chance of a European title. This Sunday (8.45 p.m. in the FAZ live ticker for the Nations League, on ARD and DAZN), the team around striker Kylian Mbappé is playing in a duel between two great football powers against Spain to win the Nations League. “We came here to play in the final. We're in and a trophy is at stake. We'll do everything we can to win it, ”said coach Didier Deschamps.

In the semifinals on Thursday in Turin, Les Bleus defeated Belgium, the first in the world rankings, 3-2 despite being 2-0 down.

That was "fabulous," Deschamps said.

Opponent Spain had prevailed the day before in Milan 2-1 against European champions Italy.

"That was a historic night," said Spain midfielder Koke.

The French are personally handicapped in the game to succeed Portugal to superstar Cristiano Ronaldo, which had won the premiere two years ago with a 1-0 in the final against the Netherlands.

After Lucas Digne of Everton had already left the national team due to muscular problems, Adrien Rabiot is now also out.

The Juventus midfielder has contracted the coronavirus. The 26-year-old was isolated from his teammates after the positive test and is in quarantine, the French football association announced on Saturday. Since no other player can be nominated, Deschamps now has to make do with 21 players. Rabiot could be replaced by Aurélien Tchouaméni in the starting XI, who had already been substituted for him against Belgium.

Meanwhile, the Spaniards have demonstrated social commitment with a special campaign in their training camp near Milan.

As a sign of the fight against breast cancer, coach Luis Enrique's players completed their final training session on Saturday with pink bibs.

The Spanish Football Association announced on its website that it was intended to support World Day Against Breast Cancer on October 19.

He also published a team photo in which the players and coach Enrique are wearing the pink camisole.

It is not the first time that the national team has done this.

According to the association, the futsal selection and the women's national team also took part in the campaign for World Day Against Breast Cancer.