Spain are headed back to the UEFA Nations League final, one win away from lifting a trophy for the third straight summer, after outlasting France 5-4 in a scintillating second semifinal on Thursday.

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Lamine Yamal scored twice (up to 6 senior goals at the age of 17) as last summer’s EURO 2024 winners (and the 2023 Nations League winners) built 4-0 and 5-1 leads in the second half, but France fought back to make things interesting in stoppage time. Perhaps Les Bleus should have had a goal (or two, or three) before Kylian Mbappe finally got them on the board in the 59th minute, but Spain’s Unai Simon made five saves — at least three of them fantastic — in the first half alone.

Nico Williams and Mikel Merino made it 1-0 and 2-0 in the 22nd and 25th minutes, both set up by makeshift center forward Mikel Oyarzabal’s brilliant hold-up play. Yamal converted from the penalty spot in the 54th and Pedi made it 4-0 a minute later after Spain took the ball back from the kickoff, marched down the field and scored again.

Kylian Mbappe scored from the spot to make it 4-1, but Yamal quickly restored the four-goal lead that would surely be insurmountable at that point, right? Not quite, because Rayan Cherki was determined to make his debut a memorable one. The 21-year-old got the ball 25 yards from goal, turned and uncorked a left-footed blast that Simon had no hope of saving. An own goal made it 4-3 in the 84th and Randal Kolo Muani cut it to 5-4 in the 94th minute, but that’s as close as France would get to the unthinkable comeback.

Spain will face Portugal in the final at Allianz Arena in Munich on Sunday (3 pm ET). France will play Germany for 3rd place at 9 am ET.

Spain vs France live updates – by Andy Edwards

Spain vs France final score: 5-4

Goalscorers: Nico Williams (22′), Mikel Merino (25′), Lamine Yamal (54′ – PK, 67′), Pedri (55′), Kylian Mbappe (59′ – PK), Rayan Cherki (79′), Dani Vivian 84′ – OG), Randal Kolo Muani (90’+4)

GOAL! Spain 5-4 France: Kolo Muani makes it a one-goal game in stoppage (90’+4)

GOAL! Spain 5-3 France: Vivian puts it in his own net with plenty of time left (84′)

GOAL! Spain 5-2 France: Cherki smashes a beauty on his debut (79′)

GOAL! Sprain 5-1 France: Yamal pokes another one past Maignan (67′)

GOAL! Spain 4-1 France: Mbappe scores from the penalty spot (59′)

GOAL! Spain 4-0 France: Pedri finishes a liquid sequence right after the restart (55′)

GOAL Spain 3-0 France: Yamal converts from the penalty spot (54′)

GOAL! Spain 2-0 France: Merino slots home at the near post (25′)

GOAL! Spain 1-0 France: Williams slams it home after Yamal, Oyarzabal set him up (22′)

Spain starting lineup

Simon – Porro, Le Normand, Huijsen, Cucurella – Zubimendi, Merino, Pedri – Yamal, Williams, Oyarzabal

France starting lineup

Maignan – Kalulu, Konate, Lenglet, Hernandez – Kone, Rabiot, Olise – Dembele, Doue, Mbappe

How to watch Spain vs France live, stream link and start time

Kick off time: 3 pm ET Thursday (June 5)
Venue: MHPArena — Stuttgart, Germany
How to watch, TV channel: FS1

The winner will face Portugal, the only other nation with a Nations League trophy to their name, in the final at Allianz Arena in Munich on Sunday (2:45 pm ET). Cristiano Ronaldo scored the 68th-minute winner as Portugal came back from a goal behind to beat Germany in Munich on Wednesday. Portugal won the inaugural UEFA Nations League in 2019, followed by France in 2021 and Spain in 2023.

As many as six recently crowned European (club) champions could see the field on Thursday, with five Paris Saint-Germain players in Didier Deschamps’ France squad and one, Fabian Ruiz, expected to start for Spain. The last six days, since PSG thrashed Inter Milan in the final on Saturday and paraded the Champions League trophy from the Champs Elysees to the Arc de Triomphe on Sunday, must have been an incredible whirlwind for the likes of Ousmane Dembele, birthday boy (on Tuesday) Desire Doue and Bradley Barcola — now likely to be used as second-half substitutes in another European semifinal.

Even more interesting is the situation surrounding Lucas Hernandez, who started just four of 14 games for PSG from April onward but could be thrust into the starting XI against Spain with William Saliba not in the squad due to a hamstring injury. Hernandez played just 372 of 1,260 minutes down the stretch and only came on in the final once PSG were 4-0 ahead, now he’s going to find himself one-on-one with 17-year-old future (current?) best player in the world Lamine Yamal, who was downright brilliant in the Champions League knockouts for Barcelona and put up 18 goals, 16 assists in all competitions — again, at the age of 17.

Spain team news, focus

OUT: Rodri (knee – not in squad), Ferran Torres (appendicitis – not in squad), Dani Carvajal (torn ACL – not in squad), Aymeric Laporte (not in squad), Pau Torres (not in squad)

France team news, focus

OUT: William Saliba (hamstring – not in squad), Jules Kounde (hamstring – not in squad), Eduardo Camavinga (knee – not in squad)

Spain vs France prediction

France will struggle with the athleticism and pressure of Spain’s midfield, which could spell a long day for the unfamiliar partnership of Hernandez and Ibrahima Konate. Spain 4-2 France.