Italy to Face Spain, Belgium Draws France in Nations League Final Four

The four European powers will battle for the title in Italy in October 2021.

The matchups for next October's UEFA Nations League final four are set, and they shouldn't disappoint.

Host Italy was drawn against Spain, while reigning World Cup champion France will play Belgium in a battle of the top two teams in the current FIFA international rankings–and a rematch of the 2018 World Cup quarterfinals–in the final four. Belgium is the only one of the four to not have won the World Cup, though it will be among the favorites in 2022 following its run to the last eight with its golden generation in 2018.

Italy will face Spain on Oct. 6 at the San Siro in Milan, while France and Belgium will meet at Juventus Stadium in Turin a day later. The third-place match will also take place in Turin, while the final will be at the San Siro, with both happening on Oct. 10. 

Italy and Spain are two of the most decorated national teams in the world, and there's plenty of history between the two. Spain holds a 12-9-12 advantage in their all-time meetings, famously thrashing Italy, 4-0, in the final of Euro 2012. Italy exacted a measure of revenge in 2016, ending Spain's eight-year reign as European champion by winning, 2-0, in the round of 16.

Belgium holds a 30-25-19 all-time record against France, though they've only played six times since 2000 and split those meetings 2-2-2. France won the most important of those matches, a 1-0 triumph in the 2018 World Cup quarterfinals on the strength of Samuel Umtiti's goal.

Due to their Nations League commitments, the four teams will have to be drawn into five-team groups for World Cup qualifying (as opposed to six teams) in UEFA's uneven setup on the road to Qatar 2022.