Final scheduled for 8pm on Sunday
Portugal and Spain will play their first official final against each other on Sunday with both nations aiming to become the first two-time UEFA Nations League winner.
One day after Portugal beat Germany (2-1) to secure the first spot in Sunday’s final, Spain and France put on an epic nine-goal performance that ended in a 5-4 victory for Portugal’s Iberian neighbours.
This will be the first official final between Portugal and Spain, which have each won one edition of the Nations League so far – Portugal won the inaugural edition in 2019, while Spain took home the trophy in 2023.
Portugal has not beaten Spain in an official match since the Euro 2004, when a lone goal by Nuno Gomes helped Luiz Felipe Scolari’s men qualify for the quarter-finals and eliminate their Spanish rivals. Since then, most matches have ended in draws, with Spain eliminating Portugal from the Euro 2012 in a dramatic penalty shootout in the semi-finals after a 0-0 regulation time draw, followed by a 3-3 draw at the World Cup 2018.
The last two official matches between the two sides took place in 2022 in the group stage of the previous Nations League edition, with yet another draw (1-1) followed by a 1-0 loss to Spain.
Curiously, Portugal is currently coached by Roberto Martínez, a Spanish coach who will be facing his home national in the final.
