Portugal won the Nations League for the second time on Sunday in Munich. Roberto Martínez’s team defeated defending champion Spain in a penalty shootout after the final ended in a 2-2 draw.
Spain took a 0-1 lead halfway through the first half. Martín Zubimendi was able to easily tap the ball in after a clever pass from Lamine Yamal and a pinball situation in the penalty area.
The Spaniards were not able to enjoy this lead for long. Nuno Mendes brought the Portuguese level a few minutes later with a diagonal shot into the corner: 1-1. After much deliberation, the VAR ruled that Cristiano Ronaldo had not been offside, so the goal stood.
Then something remarkable happened. Ronaldo was so relieved that the goal was valid that he expressed his relief in a grim way. The forty-year-old legend briefly pinched the ear of Spanish striker Mikel Oyarzabal. The referee let it go.
Oyarzabal was able to get his revenge a little later. The attacker received a fine through ball from Pedri and slid the 1-2 past the Portuguese goalkeeper Diogo Costa. As a result, Spain went into the dressing room with a lead.
Third major prize for Portugal
It was an entertaining match, in which the tension increased after the break. Ronaldo was in the right place in the 61st minute to tap in the 2-2, after a blocked cross from Mendes. It was the 138th goal of ‘CR7’s’ international career.
A few minutes before the final whistle, Ronaldo grabbed his upper leg and was substituted. No more goals were scored, so extra time had to be used. Fear reigned in that period. No more goals were scored and a penalty series followed.
In the penalty series, Spanish striker Álvaro Morata became the villain of the evening. He saw his effort saved by Costa, while all other players scored. As a result, Portugal stepped off the field as the winner.
It is the third major prize in the history of the Portuguese team. The Southern European country became European champion in 2016, after which the Nations League was won in 2019 and 2025. Earlier in the day, France took bronze with a 2-0 victory over Germany.