France secured their place in the Nations League semifinals by defeating Croatia 5-4 on penalties following a thrilling quarter-final tie that ended 2-2 on aggregate. The match, held at the Stade de France, saw France overcome a first-leg deficit with a strong performance, including goals from Michael Olise and Ousmane Dembele.

In a commanding display, France won the match 2-0, with Olise scoring a stunning free-kick early in the second half, marking his first goal for the national team. Dembele followed suit with a goal in the 80th minute, leveling the aggregate score and pushing the match into a penalty shootout after extra time failed to yield any further goals.

Goalkeeper Mike Maignan was the hero for France, saving two crucial penalties from Martin Baturina and Josip Stanisic, while Franjo Ivanovic also missed for Croatia. Despite misses from Jules Kounde and Theo Hernandez for France, Dayot Upamecano converted the decisive penalty, sparking celebrations among the home crowd of 77,502.

Captain Kylian Mbappe expressed confidence in his team, stating that they were determined to make the night memorable and praised Maignan's ability to perform under pressure. France's victory means they will face off against Spain in the semifinals, while Croatia, who lost in the final of the last Nations League, will now focus on their World Cup qualifying campaign.

The match highlighted France's depth and resilience, as they look to reclaim their position as one of the top teams in Europe after winning the Nations League in 2021. As they prepare for the semifinal clash in June, the French squad aims to continue their pursuit of silverware.