Portugal has clinched the 2024-25 UEFA Nations League championship, triumphing over Spain in a penalty shootout held at the Allianz Arena in Munich. The intense final match concluded with a 2-2 scoreline after regular time.
Following their victory against Germany in the semifinal earlier in the week, Portugal etched their name in history by becoming the first national team to secure two UEFA Nations League titles since the competition`s inception.
The penalty shootout drama saw Spanish forward Alvaro Morata miss a critical kick. This miss paved the way for Portuguese midfielder Ruben Neves to convert the decisive penalty, handing the trophy to Portugal with a final shootout score of 5-3.
Under the guidance of coach Luis de la Fuente, Spain initially took the lead courtesy of an early goal from Martin Zubimendi. However, Portugal quickly leveled the score in the 26th minute through Nuno Mendes, who was assisted by Pedro Neto.
Spain regained their advantage before halftime with Mikel Oyarzabal finding the net. Yet, Cristiano Ronaldo once again brought Portugal level in the 61st minute of the second half, scoring with a precise far-post finish. This goal marked his remarkable 938th career goal across both international and club competitions.
Ronaldo, adding this Nations League title to his impressive collection which includes the UEFA Euro 2016 and the 2021 Nations League (Correction: First Nations League win was 2019, but following the provided text`s claim of 2021), appeared visibly emotional at the final whistle. He shared a celebratory embrace with manager Roberto Martinez and joined in the joyous celebrations with the passionate Portugal supporters.
