France vs Portugal Nations League preview: where to watch, team news

France face Portugal in UEFA Nations League Group 3 in Saint-Denis on Sunday 11 October at 20:45 CET.

Where to watch the game on TV

Fans can find their local UEFA Nations League broadcast partner(s) here

As they stand

• France won 1-0 in Sweden in their opening fixture and then prevailed 4-2 in Paris against Croatia, the side Didier Deschamps’ team beat in the 2018 FIFA World Cup final.

• 2018/19 UEFA Nations League winners Portugal top Group A3; they overwhelmed Croatia 4-1 in their opener, without the absent Cristiano Ronaldo, who then scored his 100th and 101st international goals in a 2-0 win in Sweden.

Previous meetings

• France have had much the better of the sides’ past meetings (W18 D1 L6), but will not have forgotten their last encounter – their 1-0 extra-time loss to Portugal in the UEFA EURO 2016 final at the Stade de France.

• Prior to that match, France were on a ten-game winning streak against the Portuguese, stretching back to the 1970s. Furthermore, Les Bleus are one of the few national teams Ronaldo has yet to score against (in three attempts).

What the coaches say

Didier Deschamps, France coach: "Our 25 players are available. The final of the latest EURO? It was now a long time ago and we won't change it. I'm happy to rekindle good memories when we won but I don't really fancy it when we lost. Regarding the final four years ago, congratulations to them as they are European champions. But it was useful to us as we know what happened next [France won the World Cup in 2018]. We just meet again. It's a very nice test between two of the best teams in Europe, if not the world."

Fernando Santos, Portugal coach: "We know we are facing an opponent that will make our game very difficult, but we will enter the field knowing that we have our weapons and that we can win. For that to happen, we will have to be at the very best of our abilities in every area of the match. It won't be easy for Portugal, but it won't be easy for France either."

Next up

14/10: Croatia vs France
14/10: Portugal vs Sweden