Portugal captain Cristiano Ronaldo was in tears as he led his country to their second Nations League title by beating holders Spain 5-3 on penalties following a thrilling 2-2 draw after extra time in Sunday’s showpiece match.
Ronaldo’s 138th international goal took the final to a shoot-out, in which Alvaro Morata’s miss proved costly for Spain, as Ruben Neves struck the winning spot-kick to spark wild scenes of celebration, emotion overwhelming the veteran captain.
Spain’s exhilarating 5-4 victory over France in Thursday’s semi-final ensured Luis de la Fuente’s side had continued an unbeaten run that stretched back to March 2023 coming into Sunday’s showpiece final in Munich.
They appeared on course for yet another trophy, on the back last year’s European Championship triumph, as Martin Zubimendi tapped home his second international goal in the 21st minute.
Ronaldo, who scored his eighth in goal nine UEFA Nations League games in this campaign, went off injured late on and neither side could find a winner in extra-time, with the game going to a shoot-out and Portugal netting all five of their penalties to claim the trophy.
