Cristiano Ronaldo led Portugal to their second UEFA Nations League title in dramatic fashion on Sunday, scoring a crucial equaliser and watching from the sidelines as his side triumphed 5-3 on penalties against Spain after a pulsating 2-2 draw in Munich.
Portugal clinched their second UEFA Nations League title on Sunday, defeating defending champions Spain 5-3 on penalties after a gripping 2-2 draw in extra time.
Cristiano Ronaldo, who scored his 138th international goal to take the match to penalties, was visibly emotional as he captained his country to victory. Alvaro Morata’s miss proved decisive, with midfielder Ruben Neves calmly converting the winning penalty to ignite celebrations and move the veteran forward to tears.
“Winning for Portugal is always special,” Ronaldo told Sport TV. “I’ve won many titles at club level, but nothing compares to this. These are tears of joy—mission accomplished.”
Spain entered the final unbeaten since March 2023, following a thrilling 5-4 semi-final win over France. They looked poised to add another title after Martin Zubimendi gave them the lead in the 21st minute. However, Portugal responded swiftly through Nuno Mendes, who scored following a well-crafted move involving Ronaldo.
Spain regained the advantage before half-time thanks to a brilliant assist from Pedri, setting up Mikel Oyarzabal—the hero of last year’s European Championship final.
The final was framed as a symbolic duel between experience and youth—40-year-old Ronaldo versus Spain’s teenage star Lamine Yamal. While Yamal struggled to find his rhythm, Ronaldo seized his moment, equalising midway through the second half before leaving the pitch injured near the end of extra time.
With neither side able to break the deadlock in added time, the match was decided by penalties, where Portugal held their nerve, converting all five attempts.
“Small details make the difference,” Spain coach Luis de la Fuente said post-match. “It was a very balanced game, and towards the end of extra time, I felt we had done enough to avoid a shootout—but credit to Portugal.”
Overnight Russian strikes on the city of Sumy, northeast Ukraine, have killed one woman and injured a man, the country's State Emergency Servic...
Baku is preparing to host its 10th Formula 1 race, with the city’s streets once again set to transform into one of the most demanding circuit...
Russian parliamentary elections are set to deliver a comfortable win to the ruling United Russia party, which is closely aligned to President Vladi...
Houthi attacks target Riyadh amid concerns over Saudi oil supplies, as Iran says it will not reopen the Strait of Hormuz until its conditions are met and U.S. commitments are implemented, parliament speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf said on Sunday.
Saudi civil defence sent an all-clear on Saturday after issuing alerts for a second time for potential danger in Riyadh and the city of Al-Kharj east of the capital, amid an uptick in attacks by Iran-aligned Houthis on the Gulf country.
The U.S. State Department approved a $2.7 billion military sale to Ukraine for air-defence development upgrades, along with related equipment and services, the department said. Meanwhile, Ukrainian authorities reported at least 10 people had died in Russian attacks over the last 24 hours.
The death toll from an overnight Russian attack on the Kyiv region rose to four, including three children, Kyiv regional authorities said on Sunday. A mother and her two 3-year-old children were killed when a Russian drone strike hit a private home, the emergency service said.
Russian authorities have reported attacks on voting systems and communication lines as the country’s parliamentary election entered its second day on Saturday (19 September).
Overnight Russian strikes on the city of Sumy, northeast Ukraine, have killed one woman and injured a man, the country's State Emergency Service has said.
Russian parliamentary elections are set to deliver a comfortable win to the ruling United Russia party, which is closely aligned to President Vladimir Putin. With more than 70 per cent of ballots counted, United Russia had taken 57.5 per cent of the vote.
Baku is preparing to host its 10th Formula 1 race, with the city’s streets once again set to transform into one of the most demanding circuits on the F1 calendar.
The far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) took first place in state elections in northeastern Germany on Sunday, voting projections showed, delivering the worst result for Chancellor Friedrich Merz's mainstream conservative party since 1949.
The Left Party won Sunday's Berlin state election with 25.5 per cent of the vote in the preliminary result, ahead of the Christian Democrats (CDU) on 19.1 per cent. This marks a major shift in the city's political landscape and a setback for Chancellor Friedrich Merz's ruling coalition.
You can download the AnewZ application from Play Store and the App Store.
What is your opinion on this topic?
Leave the first comment