Game Review

Spain and Portugal faced off for the 41st time in the UEFA Nations League Final. A highly anticipated matchup just a year before the 2026 World Cup starring Spain’s young talent in Lamine Yamal and Nico Williams, with Portugal’s formidable Cristiano Ronaldo and Ruben Diás. The game started with a tap-in by Zubimendi in the 21st minute, shifting momentum to the Spanish side. Nuno Mendes would quickly respond with a ferocious strike to the bottom right corner after slipping past the defenders, which gave the Portuguese a slight edge heading toward halftime. Oyarzabal would react with a great ball from Pedri to sneak it in the bottom corner in the 45th minute. Going into the second half, Portugal dominated on both sides of the ball. Spain was getting little to no chances, and they could not keep possession for long. Portugal was hungry for this win as Cristiano Ronaldo, proving that he’s still got the clutch gene, sticks his leg out to get a shot past Simon for the game-tying goal. For the remaining time in regulation, there were good link-up plays and plenty of buildup, but no prime opportunity to score a game winner. This energy stayed the same throughout extra time, resulting in a penalty shootout. Portugal showed that they were capable of high-pressure situations as they were able to convert all five penalties, and Costa was able to save Spain’s 4th conversion by Alvaro Morata. 

Summary/Analysis

Spain, going into this match, was the favorite. After strong performances from Yamal and Williams against France, there was little doubt that Portugal’s defense would stand a chance. However, Portugal had beaten a strong German team to advance to the finals and had nothing to lose going into this final game. Portugal stepped up defensively, especially on the wings, going into their matchup against Spain. They were aware that the wingers would be a massive threat, so most of the time Yamal and Williams were getting trapped in a double team. Mendes and Neves were the glue of the defense for this game, not giving any room for the wingers to cut in. Hence, most chances generated from the wingers were generated off deep crosses or shots taken from outside the box. Nuno Mendes was a real issue for the Spanish side as he was able to win most 50/50 balls and move into space with ease. Portugal was playing prime fútbol against Spain especially with Nuno Mendes and Vitinha coming off a champions league win with Paris Saint Germain, giving them momentum. Keeping this style of play up will continue to be a threat to top teams like France, Brazil, and previous World Cup winners, Argentina. As for Spain, they need to continue to utilize Lamine Yamal and Nico Williams a lot more. They work best with a target striker meaning the number nine checks towards the midfielder to receive a ball and they either dribble into space opening up the attack or playing a one touch pass out to the wingers where they attack the outside backs to look for a cross or a cutback. This tactic would work well because the Spanish side have very quick players with rapid acceleration and a quick first step to beat defenders, so this could lead to early goals if implemented properly.