The Nations League has already come of age. That invention, by Alexander Ceferin in 2018, has been transformed into a title that everyone covets and that only the chosen few can achieve. Interestingly, in Sunday’s final at the Allianz Arena in Munich, Spain and Portugal will meet, teams that can already boast of having the coveted championship in their history.
Luis de la Fuente’s team is the current champion, while Bob Martinez’s team won the title in 2019, in what was the first edition of the tournament and, curiously, the only final in which the current European champion, none other than Spain, has not been present. France complete the list of winners of this title.
A title that is gaining weight
From the dull friendlies of times that already seem to be in the past to interesting, evenly-matched matches on the pitch, with a title at stake, and with the ambition of the more modest teams to climb up the ranks and dream of reaching the place that Spain and Portugal now occupy, has raised the profile of the tournament.
The truth is that the teams coached by De la Fuente and Martinez have become the reference point of European soccer, due to their presence in the final rounds of all competitions and because of the stylish soccer they play.
The list of players is wide and varied, with all kinds of registers. Pedri, Vitinha, Conceiçao, Nico Williams, Neves, Mendes, Huijsen, Dias, Zubimendi, Bernardo Silva, Unai Simon, Morata, Bruno Fernandes… and two who represent a generational change in soccer such as Cristiano Ronaldo and Lamine Yamal. One is a soccer dominator and the other is a clear aspirant to be able to do so. They could be father and son because of their 40 and 17 years of age, but no, they are rivals in the fight for a new title for their countries, for Spain and Portugal, teams that scare the rest of the European and world teams.
The Spain that managed to change history in 2008 has now reached eight finals since that starting point that marked the beginning of a new era for Spanish soccer. It began with the conquest of the European Championship, followed by the World Cup and another European Championship. In 2013, they came close, after being defeated by Brazil in the final of the Confederations Cup, to return to the good path, already in 2021, with the defeat against France in the final of the Nations League, something was left behind in 2023, with the triumph of Croatia in the same tournament, followed a year later with the triumph in the European Championship and that on the night of Sunday, June 8, 2025 can be ratified with the conquest of another title now against Portugal.
Data against logic
The Cristiano Ronaldo-led team began in 2016, with the conquest of the European Championship. Three years later, they won the first edition of the Nations League, interspersed with third place at Euro 2012. Along the way, Portugal were eliminated by Spain in South Africa 2010, Euro 2012 and the 2023 Nations League. At the 2018 World Cup in Russia, the duel ended in a three-all draw.
De la Fuente is on the verge of making history, as a triumph on Sunday would also mean winning three consecutive titles in two calendar years, something that no one has achieved. Spain’s three consecutive titles were achieved in four years (from 2008 to 2012). Argentina has managed to win three titles in three calendar years. It first won the Copa America in 2021, then won the World Cup in Qatar in 2022 and finally reigned again in the Copa America in 2024.
European champions
Beyond absences from the squad list of both coaches, both will be able to count on all those called up for the occasion. There are no injury absentees after the battles in the semi-finals against Germany and France. On the contrary, De la Fuente and Martinez are fully recovering their European champions, as Mendes, Neves, Vitinha and Fabian, for example, are expected to start.
The final in Munich also serves to vindicate the potential of Spanish coaches, who are present all over the footballing world and who today will shape the final from the dugout. Spain is sure to win either way
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