Spain meets Portugal in the Nations League final – drama in Stuttgart!

Spain meets Portugal in the Nations League final – drama in Stuttgart!

On June 5, 2025, a spectacular semi-final of the Nations League took place in Stuttgart, in which Spain defeated France 5-4. The match was characterized by many goals and a high pace. With this win, Spain will now advance to the final where they will face Portugal on Sunday, while France will face Germany in the game for third place.

The Spanish goal scorers were Nico Williams (22nd minute), Mikel Merino (25th minute), Lamine Yamal (54th and 67th minute, penalty kick) and Pedri (55th minute). On the other hand, Kylian Mbappé (59th minute, penalty), Rayan Cherki (79th minute) and Randal Kolo Muani (90th + 4 minutes) scored the goals for France, while an own goal from Daniel Vivian (84th minute) rounded off the result. These dramatic final minutes added to the excitement of the game, which was marked by countless offensive moves, with Unai Simón, the Spanish goalkeeper, making crucial saves to secure victory as France battled against strong opponents.

Spanish dominance and tactics

At the start of the game, Spain had more possession, but France made better use of their chances. Mikel Oyarzabal shone with two assists for Spain's first goals, which underlined the clear play of the Spaniards. Lamine Yamal not only stole the show with his strong performance, but also converted a penalty kick into a goal and increased the score to 4-1 in the 67th minute.

Mikel Merino's celebration after his goal was particularly emotional as he dedicated it to his father Angel Merino, adding to the personal element in this memorable game. The atmosphere in the stadium was euphoric and tense at the same time, especially when Marc Cucurella was booed by parts of the audience.

Outlook and upcoming games

With this semi-final success, Spain now has the opportunity to go down in history as the first defending Nations League champions. The upcoming final against Portugal will be played in Munich on Sunday at 9 p.m. France, on the other hand, will try to prove itself in the game for third place against Germany at 6 p.m. after the DFB team lost 2-1 to Portugal in the other semi-final.

In summary, Spain's victory over France shows not only the offensive strength of the Spanish team, but also their determination to win another title. The tournament continues to promise exciting encounters, while the focus is already on the necessary qualifying games for the 2026 World Cup. The next season of the Nations League will also start in the autumn with only two international match windows, making the coming months very important for the national teams.

For further details on the events of this exciting game, see ZVW reports that... and Sportschau reports that ….