France won their first UEFA Nations League title in the second edition of the competition, defeating Spain 2–1 in the 2021 final.
Key Facts
- Competition edition
- Second season of the UEFA Nations League
- Member associations involved
- 55 UEFA member associations
- League phase duration
- September to November 2020
- Final result
- France 2–1 Spain
- Defending champions
- Portugal (2019 inaugural winners)
- Nations League Finals
- October 2021
By the Numbers
Cause → Event → Consequence
The UEFA Nations League was established to replace international friendly matches with competitive fixtures. Portugal entered as defending champions after winning the inaugural 2018–19 edition, but the format required teams to top their groups to advance to the Finals, making qualification competitive across all 55 UEFA member associations.
The 2020–21 UEFA Nations League was contested from September to November 2020 in the league phase, with the Finals held in October 2021 and relegation play-outs in March 2022. None of the previous finalists qualified again. France topped their group ahead of defending champions Portugal and went on to defeat Spain 2–1 in the final.
France claimed their first UEFA Nations League title, while Portugal were eliminated in the group stage despite being the reigning champions. The result also demonstrated the competition's unpredictability, as no team from the inaugural Finals reached the 2021 edition, signaling a high level of competitive balance across European national teams.