Never Stop: Ronaldo scores as Portugal beat Spain to win Nations League final
Portugal twice went behind in regulation time but twice fought back to level the scores.
Ruben Neves scored the decisive spot kick after Alvaro Morata missed, as Portugal beat Spain 5-3 on penalties following a 2-2 draw in Munich on Sunday to claim their second Nations League title.
Portugal twice went behind in regulation time but twice fought back to level the scores.
Martin Zubimendi took advantage of some sleepy Portugal defence to put Spain in front after 21 minutes.
The brilliant Nuno Mendes levelled things up five minutes later.
Mikel Oyarzabal, Spain's goalscorer in the Euro 2024 final and the 2023 Nations League final, put La Roja back in front just before the break.
Cristiano Ronaldo, quiet as he had been before scoring the winner against Germany in the semis, equalised with 61 minutes gone, adjusting quickly after a Mendes cross was deflected into the air, muscling past Marc Cucurella and volleying the dropping ball home.
Ronaldo was subbed off before full-time with a cramp.
Even though Portugal had the better of extra time, the match went to penalties.
Both sides converted their first three spot kicks.
Mendes buried Portugal's fourth, before Morata stepped up and shot straight at Diogo Costa.
Neves nervelessly converted in front of the red and green of the Portugal fans.
The victory was just Portugal's second competitive win over Iberian rival Spain in their long history.
Portugal's only other win over Spain in a competitive fixture was a 1-0 victory which booted the Spaniards out of Euro 2004, with a 19-year-old Ronaldo on the left wing.
Portugal became the first two-time winner of the Nations League, launched in 2018. It was Portugal's third major title, along with Euro 2016.
Elsewhere, Kylian Mbappe bagged a goal and an assist as France beat Germany 2-0 in the Nations League bronze-medal match in Stuttgart on Sunday.
Germany dominated the opening half but Mbappe provided the breakthrough just before halftime, carving a shot through a crowded penalty box to bring up his 50th goal in France colours.
Late in the second, with the hosts desperately looking for an equaliser, Mbappe snatched a poor Germany pass on the halfway line and rampaged forward, before setting up Michael Olise.
Mbappe had not scored in open play for France for more than a year.
