Portugal Defeat Spain in a Penalty Shootout to Win the Nations League Title
When the moment arrived, Cristiano Ronaldo hid his face and relied on his teammates. He scored the goal that tied Portugal in the final but was withdrawn due to exhaustion. As the men left on the field lined up on the halfway line, he stood on the touchline and heard the roar as Rúben Neves scored the penalty that won Portugal the title. He then slipped to his knees and cried. It took a shootout, but they won their second Nations League by defeating Spain in Munich.
Spain led 2-1 after goals from Martín Zubimendi, Nuno Mendes, and Mikel Oyarzabal, but Ronaldo equalized on the hour mark. An hour later, it came down to two shots: Álvaro Morata missed Spain's fourth spot kick, and Neves scored Portugal's fifth to win 5-3 on penalties, allowing Ronaldo to capture his 34th trophy at the age of 40. He smiled and joked about its weight before carrying it to his teammates and lifting it into the air.
It had been a long night, and if this was a generational war between him and Lamine Yamal, as advertised, the older man prevailed. In reality, while the spotlight was on the Portugal captain and the Spanish youth, 23 years his junior, with cameras following them long after both had been withdrawn and were sitting on the bench, this was about far more players. Oyarzabal, Zubimendi, Mendes, Rafael Leão, and Diogo Costa made a save from Morata by diving to his right. Neves then smashed hard and low, only to see red shirts coming towards him.
When it was all over, Luis de la Fuente assembled his players. They had won the Nations League two years ago and the European Championship last summer, but they had fallen short of making it three in a row, but he was still proud. Spain started brilliantly, and it wasn't easy to fathom when Portugal drew level twice. However, Spain faltered poorly, and Roberto Martínez's side came closer to escaping the shootout.
It wasn't long until Lamine Yamal was dragged down by a tackle that said volumes about his menace, but with the teenager dragging them in on the right, the actual danger was on the left. Dean Huijsen's excellent long diagonal enabled Nico Williams to control brilliantly, surge into the area, and pull back for Pedri to sidefoot just wide. Williams then cut inside and blasted just past the far post.
But it was down the middle that Spain scored first, with Oyarzabal's beautiful touch sending Zubimendi through. Zubimendi scored from close range after Rúben Dias, Neves, and Costa failed to handle Lamine's chipped return. Portugal reacted quickly, with Mendes slipping past opponents and hitting a strong, crisp low shot into the corner. But Spain reclaimed the lead, with Oyarzabal scoring on 45 after Pedri slipped the pass-through for him.
This was Oyarzabal's 16th goal for Spain, and third in a final. His fourth, if you count the 2020 Olympics. He won against England last summer, but he has lost the other three: the 2021 Nations League final against France, Brazil in the Tokyo 2020 Olympics, and now here, as he frequently does.
Ronaldo may appear to be absent at times, but he is constantly present. Mendes escaped Lamine Yamal, and his cross deflected, looping up and landing behind Marc Cucurella, allowing him to volley in from close range once more. It was his 134th international goal, and he walked off, pointing to his chest. Spain couldn't believe it. They were no longer dominating or creating, but they also did not feel threatened. However, with Fabián Ruiz and Pedri gone, control slipped despite Williams sending a shot whistling wide.
In the meantime, Martínez's team continued to improve. The entrance of Leão altered the game. Unai Simón had to save Bruno Fernandes' free kick at the end of 90 minutes, and extra time brought a different pace for Portugal. Mendes, Leão's main danger, set up Nélson Semedo for a missed five-yard shot that may have given them the lead. With 20 seconds remaining, Diogo Jota headed over, setting them up for a penalty.