Portugal won its second title by defeating Spain 5-3 in a penalty shootout in the final of the UEFA Nations League. The title match played in Munich ended in a 2-2 draw till full time. After this, the result was decided in a penalty shootout. In this, Cristiano Ronaldo scored an important equalizer, but later he left the field due to injury.
Both teams started the match aggressively. Spain took the lead in the 21st minute with a goal from Martin Zubimendi. Portugal equalized the score five minutes later with Nuno Mendes' first international goal. Before half time, in the 45th minute, Mikel Oyarzabal converted Pedri's pass into a goal to give Spain a 2-1 lead.
In the second half, Ronaldo equalised the score at 2-2 with a volley from Mendes' cross in the 61st minute of the match, which was his 938th career goal. However, there was no goal in extra time.
The turning point in the penalty shootout came when Portugal's goalkeeper Diego Costa saved Alvaro Morata's penalty. Ruben Neves scored the last penalty goal to give Portugal a historic win, making it the first country to win the Nations League title twice.
In the penalty shootout, Gonçalo Ramos scored the first goal for Portugal, followed by Spain's Merino. Vitina scored the second penalty for Portugal. Spain's Alex Baena also scored.
Bruno Fernandes also converted the third shootout into a goal. Spain's Isco also scored a goal to keep Spain's claim on the title. On the other hand, Nuno Mendes converted the fourth shootout for Portugal, but Spain's Alvaro Morata could not convert it into a goal. While Ruben Neves also scored in the last shootout for Portugal, giving the team a 5-3 win.Portugal's star footballer Cristiano Ronaldo gave a big hint about his retirement after winning the UEFA Nations League. 40-year-old Ronaldo said after Portugal's historic victory in the final, "You know how old I have become. Clearly, I am close to the end, but I have to enjoy every moment. If I don't get seriously injured, I will continue playing."
Ronaldo revealed that he was playing with an injury in the final. He said, 'I felt it during the warm-up itself, I was feeling it for some time, but if I had to break my leg for the national team, I would have broken it. It was for a trophy, I had to play and I gave my best.'
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