Spain clinched the UEFA Nations League title in Rotterdam on Sunday, overcoming Croatia 5-4 in a tense penalty shootout. It's a landmark win for La Roja, marking their first trophy in more than a decade. The victory was anchored by Unai Simon, whose brilliant saves against Lovro Mayer and Bruno Petkovic kept Spain in the hunt. The finale belonged to Dani Carvajal; the experienced defender and five-time Champions League winner sealed the win with a cheeky chip for the sixth penalty, securing Spain's first major piece of silverware since they won the European Championship in 2012.
Dani Carvajal scored the decisive spot-kick to edge past Croatia 5-4 in a penalty shootout to clinch the UEFA Nations League title in Rotterdam on Sunday. Spain won their first title in more than a decade. Earlier, Spain goalkeeper Unai Simon did a brilliant job to deny Lovro Mayer and Bruno Petkovic from the spot. The 31-year-old Carvajal, who has won five Champions League titles with Real Madrid, cheekily chipped home Spain’s sixth kick of the shoot-out to earn La Roja their first trophy since the 2012 European Championship.
The atmosphere at the Feyenoord Stadium was electric yet tense, with the match remaining scoreless even after extra time. The shootout loss was a bitter pill for Croatia to swallow; despite their stellar runs as 2018 World Cup finalists and 2022 bronze medalists, they have yet to lift a major trophy. Both the team and their supporters had envisioned this title as a fitting tribute to the illustrious international career of captain Luka Modric.
This Nations League success provides a significant morale boost for Luis de la Fuente. The new Spain head coach had been facing a wave of criticism after a shocking qualifier loss to Scotland back in March. Beyond the trophy, the win serves as redemption for Spain's 2021 final loss to France and helps the team move past a disappointing World Cup campaign in Qatar, where they were knocked out in the round of 16 by Morocco.
The shootout was a rollercoaster of emotions. Unai Simon first denied Mayer, which gave Aymeric Laporte a golden opportunity to end the game, but the defender hit the crossbar, leaving the score tied at 4-4 after the first five rounds. Simon stepped up again with another spectacular save, this time stopping Petkovic, which paved the way for Carvajal to secure the win. Reflecting on the game, Simon noted that it was an incredibly tight contest and they knew from the start that victory wouldn't come easily.
Spain almost broke the deadlock early on in the 12th minute after a successful turnover, but the young Gavi sent his effort wide. Croatia nearly responded in the 23rd minute when a long ball bypassed Spain's high defensive line, sparking a dangerous breakaway for Kramaric, though he was stopped by a perfectly timed tackle from Laporte.
The second half saw Croatia push forward, with Ivan Perisic creating a dangerous opening on the left. His cross found Mario Pasalic, who failed to connect, and Josip Juranovic followed up with a shot that went wide. Spain exerted more pressure toward the end of the two-hour marathon, with Olmo missing a chance and Rodri seeing his shot deflected just wide of the post.