The thrilling marathon between Spain and Portugal in the UEFA Nations League final concluded with Portugal’s victory in a penalty shootout, as the Portuguese lifted the championship trophy.
The UEFA Nations League final at the Allianz Arena turned into a captivating and breathless marathon. The Spanish side scored in the first half through Zubimendi, but Portugal quickly equalized through their star player, Nuno Mendes. Spain finished the first half with a 2-1 lead thanks to Oyarzabal’s goal, but Cristiano Ronaldo leveled the score in the second half. The match ended 2-2 after two periods of extra time, and in the penalty shootout, the Portuguese converted all their shots. However, Alvaro Morata’s missed penalty meant Spain lost 5-4 in the shootout, handing the trophy to Portugal.
Pepe and Jesus Navas, legends for Portugal and Spain respectively, placed the beautiful trophy designed by UEFA for the Nations League onto its stand. With the whistle of the Swiss referee, the thrilling clash between the two Iberian neighbors began. It was a battle between captain Cristiano Ronaldo and Portugal’s top-tier stars against Spain’s brilliant and ambitious young talents, led by 17-year-old Lamine Yamal.
Portugal almost took an early lead and shocked Spain through their young defender, but João Neves’ powerful header from a corner went just wide of the post. The camera showed de la Fuente on the sidelines taking a deep breath of relief, as his team had been spared.
As the minutes passed, Spain looked increasingly dangerous and created their first serious chance in the 15th minute. Nico Williams made an excellent run, and his cross found Pedri, but the Barcelona midfielder lacked the necessary precision, sending his shot wide of the post.
La Roja scored in the 21st minute due to a strange defensive lapse by Portugal. Yamin’s cross led to successive errors from the Portuguese defenders, allowing Zubimendi to score the easiest possible goal, opening the scoring.
But this was just the beginning of the story, and the Portuguese responded five minutes later. Nuno Mendes, who had been Portugal’s best player up to that point, beat Unai Simón with a precise and spectacular shot. It was 1-1, and everything was back to square one.
A few minutes later, Yamal delivered another dangerous cross into the Portuguese box, but this time his close friend, Nico Williams, couldn’t capitalize on the opportunity.
It seemed the first half was over, but Spain had other ideas. In the final minute, Pedri showcased a glimpse of his passing genius, and his brilliant pass set up Oyarzabal for a precise and simple finish. How could a goal be so simple and beautiful? La Roja are masters of these kinds of goals. The first half ended with Spain leading 2-1, giving Portugal hope for the second half.
Unlike Spain, Portugal started the second half with two fresh players, with Nélson Semedo and Rúben Neves coming on for João Neves and the young Conceição.
Ronaldo’s team scored quickly. Bruno, who had a beautiful one-two with Bernardo, beat Unai Simón with a fine shot to the near post, but VAR showed that the goal was scored from an offside position.
Roughly a quarter of an hour into the second half, Portugal scored, and by whom: Cristiano Ronaldo. CR7 once again demonstrated his exceptional goal-scoring instinct. Slow-motion replays showed how, as soon as Nuno Mendes delivered the ball, he calculated the timing, trajectory, and speed of the ball in his mind, moving so that the ball landed perfectly at his feet, leaving the goal open. Ronaldo wore a victorious smile for several minutes afterward. It had been a long time since Cris had been so genuinely happy after scoring a goal.
Immediately after Ronaldo’s goal, Spain had an exceptional opportunity, but Nuno Mendes, playing as an excellent defender this time, blocked Pedri’s shot. Nuno Mendes was undoubtedly Portugal’s best player on the field.
While Rafael Leão came on for Portugal, Spain brought on Isco for Pedri and Mikel Merino for Fabián Ruiz. A few minutes later, Isco almost scored with a superb shot, but Costa, Portugal’s goalkeeper, made a spectacular diving save.
Cristiano Ronaldo sat on the ground in the 88th minute and signaled to the bench that he needed to be substituted. This marked the end of Ronaldo’s excellent performance in the Nations League semi-final and final, with the two goals he scored against Germany and Spain.
The match ended 2-2 after ninety minutes, sending the title decider into thirty minutes of extra time and likely a penalty shootout.
Only two minutes into the first period of extra time, Nélson Semedo’s strange squandered opportunity caused a nation to groan in Portugal. A beautiful combination play between Nuno Mendes and Leão allowed them to easily bypass Mingueza and Yamal. Mendes’s cross found Semedo, who attempted a half-volley from inside the box, aiming for goal, but the ball went wide of the post.
A minute later, de la Fuente, tired of Mingueza’s lapses, substituted him for Pedro Porro. Nico Williams also made way for Alex Baena.
A few minutes later, the Portuguese crowd erupted, all demanding one thing from the referee: a penalty. Mendes’s exceptional run and penetration had angered the Spanish. Mendes, with a change of direction, left Le Normand behind, and just as he was about to shoot, he was fouled by Baena and fell to the ground. However, the referee had a different opinion and no penalty was given. The referee believed Mendes had dived and the contact was not severe enough. This incident led to a confrontation between players from both teams and objects being thrown onto the field by Spanish fans. The first period of extra time ended without any goals.
A few minutes into the second period of extra time, the fresh substitute, Pedro Porro, could have become the star of the night, his name remembered in football for years to come. He looked up from midfield, and seeing the Portuguese goalkeeper off his line, he shot from there. He was lucky that Porro’s shot went over the bar.
Roberto Martínez, still angry about the referee’s decision not to award a penalty after Mendes was brought down, received a yellow card to calm him down for the remainder of the match. De la Fuente also substituted Oyarzabal, bringing on Alvaro Morata, likely for the penalty shootout.
The thrilling marathon between the two teams ended 2-2 after 120 minutes of struggle, with the Nations League champion to be decided by a penalty shootout.
Portugal took the first penalty. Gonçalo Ramos and Mikel Merino scored the first penalties for their respective teams. Vitinha converted Portugal’s second kick, and Alex Baena responded, with both teams scoring their first two shots. Bruno Fernandes scored the third penalty for Portugal, and Isco made it 3-3. Neither team intended to give an inch. The best player on the field, Nuno Mendes, scored Portugal’s fourth penalty, and finally, a slip: Alvaro Morata, who had come on specifically to take a penalty, missed Spain’s fourth shot. Rúben Neves converted the fifth penalty, giving Portugal a 5-3 victory in the shootout and crowning them champions of the UEFA Nations League. Another trophy was added to Cristiano Ronaldo’s collection of team honors, and Portugal became UEFA Nations League champions for the second time.
