Portugal has made history by becoming the first country to win the UEFA Nations League twice, edging out Spain in a dramatic final that ended 2-2 after 120 minutes and was decided by penalties in front of 65,852 fans at Munich’s Allianz Arena.
Spain opened the scoring through Martin Zubimendi in the 21st minute, but Nuno Mendes levelled for Portugal just five minutes later. Mikel Oyarzabal restored Spain’s lead in the 45th minute, only for Cristiano Ronaldo to equalise again in the 61st minute with his second goal of the tournament.
Neither side could find a winner in extra time, though Portugal looked more dominant even after Ronaldo was subbed off late in the game due to what appeared to be a muscle injury. The match went to penalties, and both sides were flawless through the first three rounds. But Spain’s Álvaro Morata had his shot saved by Portugal keeper Diogo Costa in the fourth round, opening the door for Ruben Neves to seal the win for the Seleção. He made no mistake.
With the victory, Portugal adds a second Nations League trophy to their cabinet, having won the inaugural edition in 2019. France (2021) and Spain (2023) remain the only other nations to have claimed the title.
Ronaldo’s Historic Impact
Cristiano Ronaldo, at 40, proved instrumental yet again. He scored the winner in the semifinal against Germany and followed it up with a crucial goal in the final, bringing his UEFA Nations League tally to 15—making him the joint second-highest scorer in the competition’s history behind Norway’s Erling Haaland (19).
Tonight’s goal was also his 138th in 219 appearances for Portugal, both all-time records. The Nations League title is the third major international trophy of his career, adding to his Euro 2016 and 2019 Nations League wins.
Despite having received offers to participate in the upcoming FIFA Club World Cup, Ronaldo confirmed before the final that he would not take part in the competition.
Quotes from the Camp
Portugal midfielder Bruno Fernandes praised the team’s unity after the final:
“Our fighting spirit and togetherness were decisive today. We knew Spain would be tough, but we also believe in our quality.”
Spain’s head coach Luis de la Fuente admitted it was a game of fine margins:
“Details make the difference. When extra time was ending, I thought we’d done enough to avoid penalties. Unfortunately, they were just better in the shootout.”
