Portugal secured the 2024-25 UEFA Nations League championship by defeating Spain 5-3 in a penalty shootout. The final match, held at the Allianz Arena in Munich, ended in a 2-2 draw after regular time. Following their semifinal victory over Germany, Portugal made history by becoming the first national team to win the UEFA Nations League twice since the tournament`s inception. In the decisive shootout, Spain`s key penalty was missed by striker Alvaro Morata, while Portuguese midfielder Ruben Neves successfully converted the spot-kick that sealed the 5-3 victory and the trophy for Portugal.
Spain, managed by Luis de la Fuente, initially took the lead early in the match with a goal from Martin Zubimendi. However, Portugal quickly responded, leveling the score in the 26th minute through Nuno Mendes, assisted by Pedro Neto. Before the end of the first half, Mikel Oyarzabal put La Roja back in front. The equalizer for Portugal came in the 61st minute of the second half from none other than Cristiano Ronaldo, who netted his 938th career goal across all competitions for both club and country with a far-post finish.
This victory marks Cristiano Ronaldo`s third major trophy with the Portuguese national team, adding to their triumph at UEFA Euro 2016 and the inaugural Nations League title in 2019 (Note: Source stated 2021, but the first NL was 2019). Ronaldo appeared visibly emotional after the final whistle against Spain, sharing an embrace with coach Roberto Martinez and joining the celebrations with the ecstatic Portugal supporters.
Dominic Ashworth