France bags third place in Nations League with 2-0 win over Germany

France secured a 2-0 victory over Germany in the UEFA Nations League third-place play-off, a match defined by Kylian Mbappé’s milestone and a contentious disallowed German goal. The result saw Les Bleus claim the bronze medal, while the hosts were left ruing missed opportunities and refereeing decisions.

Germany started brightly, creating several chances in the first half, with Florian Wirtz hitting the post and Nick Woltemade forcing a sharp save from French keeper Mike Maignan. Despite their dominance, it was France who struck first: Mbappé cut inside and curled a powerful shot past Marc-André ter Stegen just before halftime, marking his 50th international goal and closing in on Thierry Henry’s record.

The pivotal moment arrived early in the second half. Deniz Undav appeared to have equalized for Germany, only for the goal to be ruled out after a lengthy VAR review. The officials determined that Niclas Füllkrug had fouled Adrien Rabiot in the buildup, a decision that drew strong criticism from Germany coach Julian Nagelsmann.


France sealed the win in the 84th minute when Mbappé, after capitalizing on a defensive error, unselfishly set up Michael Olise for a simple finish. Despite Germany’s efforts, they failed to find the net, marking only their second scoreless Nations League match in 24 outings.

With this win, France turns their focus to World Cup qualification, while Germany must regroup after a campaign marked by both promise and disappointment.