Live Portugal vs Spain live: Lineups and latest updates from Nations League final
6:45PM
Nations League trophy up for grabs
We are in Munich for the Nations League final and it is a battle of the Iberian Peninsula as Portugal take on Spain for the trophy. These sides have both lifted this trophy (Portugal in 2019 and Spain 2023) and whichever side comes out on top today will become the first side to win this tournament twice.
Portugal earned their place in the final with a come-from-behind win over Germany last Wednesday. Florian Wirtz had given Germany the lead in Munich on Wedneday but goals from Francisco Conceicao and Cristiano Ronaldo turned the game around for Portugal as they ran out 2-1 winners. That winner from Ronaldo was his 137 th goal in 220 international caps and took him to 937 career goals. Spain meanwhile, who are the defending Nations League champions, were involved in an absolute thriller in Stuttgart on Thursday night. They beat France 5-4 in the semi-finals, having been 4-0 and 5-1 up.
Today is the first time that 17-year-old Lamine Yamal, who is in contention for this year's Ballon d'Or, comes up against the five-time winner of that award Cristiano Ronaldo. 40-year-old Ronaldo is coming towards the end of his career but Yamal is very much at the start. But despite being just 17-years-old, he has already won the European Championship for Spain and two La Liga titles with Barcelona. Speaking ahead of tonight's final, Ronaldo was full of praise for the young Spaniard.
'This kid has been doing things really well at a club and national team that help him very much. It is a great atmosphere for him to show his quality. Let him grow, do not put him under pressure so we can enjoy a talent like this for many years. I would like to take pressure off him and leave him alone. He has got plenty of talent.'
Yamal repaid the favour to the 40-year-old.
'He is a football legend. I, like all the players, have huge respect for Cristiano. This is the kind of game I want to play, to prove who I am.'
Spain are unbeaten in their last ten Nations League matches outside of Spain, winning six and drawing four. Spain have definitely had the better of the head-to-heads; they have won 19 of the 42 meetings, with Portugal winning just six meetings. These sides last met in September 2022, when Spain won 1-0 in Portugal in the Nations League courtesy of Alvaro Morata's late winner.
In the third/fourth play-off earlier today, France beat Germany 2-0 in Stuttgart. Kick-off from Munich is at 8pm.
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