No rest for the winners.
Sandwiched between the Champions League final and Club World Cup, the Nations League final four provides another opportunity to win a trophy for players who might have more need of a break.
Seven France players, four from Portugal, and one each from Spain and Germany were involved as Paris Saint-Germain defeated Inter Milan in the Champions League final on Saturday.
France play Spain in Stuttgart on Thursday, when Spain’s Fabián Ruiz is likely to start in midfield despite starring in midfield for PSG on Saturday.
France players Désiré Doué, Bradley Barcola, Ousmane Dembélé, Lucas Hernandez and Warren Zaïre-Emery all helped PSG end its long wait to lift the Champions League trophy.
France players Marcus Thuram and Benjamin Pavard were on the losing side for Inter Milan.
While France coach Didier Deschamps will need to assess the impact of PSG’s partying on his players, three of his preferred four-man backline are also injured.
William Saliba, Dayot Upamecano and Jules Koundé are all out. Real Madrid midfielder Eduardo Camavinga is also injured as a long season takes its toll.
The winners of each semifinal will contest the final in Munich on Sunday.
The losers won’t get a break yet — they’ll need to play in Stuttgart to decide third place.