Cristiano Ronaldo led the Seleção das Quinas to their second Uefa Nations League title on Sunday with victory over Spain in a penalty shootout in Germany.
Portugal carted home their second Nations League title after discomfiting holders Spain five (5) goals to three (3) in a penalty shootout following a 2-2 draw in the final at the Allianz Arena in Munich, Germany on Sunday 8 June, 2025.
Diogo Costa, Portugal goalkeeper, saved Alvaro Morata’s fourth penalty for Spain, then Ruben Neves converted his team’s fifth to clinch the victory.
Cristiano Ronaldo, who features for Saudi Professional League club, Al Nassr, had kept Portugal in the game when he levelled in the 61st minute of regular time with his record-extending 138th goal after Mikel Oyarzabal had handed Spain a halftime lead.
Oyarzabal managed to squeeze the ball past Portugal goalkeeper Costa in the 45th minute after Pedri played him in.
Spanish La Liga club, Real Sociedad, defensive midfielder, Martin Zubimendi, had broken the deadlock in the 21st minute with a tap-in when Portugal’s defence failed to intercept a cross from Barcelona’s Lamine Yamal, then Nuno Mendes levelled five minutes later when he drilled a low shot inside the far post.
Earlier, Real Madrid forward, Kylian Mbappe, guided France to third place with a 2-0 triumph over host country, Germany, in the city of Stuttgart.
The final showown was seen as the first meeting between five-time Ballon d’Or winner C. Ronaldo and highly ranked teenag playmaker, Lamine Yamal, – the favourite to clinch this year’s award for the best footballer in the world.
Meanwhile, Yamal, was replaced in extra time without having made a strong impact for Spain after being largely marked out of the clash by Portugal full-back Mendes.
Ronaldo, following an initial outflowing of emotion, wiped his tears away and celebrated happily before lifting the trophy as confetti fell around Allianz Arena.
Portugal’s journey to the trophy
• 05/09/24: Portugal 2-1 Croatia
• 08/09/24: Portugal 2-1 Scotland
• 12/10/24: Poland 1-3 Portugal
• 15/10/24: Scotland 0-0 Portugal
• 15/11/24: Portugal 5-1 Poland
• 18/11/24: Croatia 1-1 Portugal
• 20/03/25: Denmark 1-0 Portugal
• 23/03/25: Portugal 5-2 Denmark (agg: 5-3, aet)
• 04/06/25: Germany 1-2 Portugal
• 08/06/25: Portugal 2-2 Spain (aet, 5-3 pens)
Uefa Nations League
The UEFA Nations League is a biennial international European football competition which features the senior men’s national teams of the member associations of UEFA, the sport’s governing body of European football.
The competition hugely takes the place of the international friendly matches previously played on the FIFA International Match Calendar, with European national teams participating in more frequent competitive games against other European national teams of comparable level.
The first tournament kicked off in September 2018, with the four group winners from League A qualifying for the first finals, which held in Portugal in June 2019.
Portugal is the most successful team in the competition with two (2) titles (2019 and 2025).
Photo: Cristiano Ronaldo lifts the Nations League trophy after Portugal’s penalty shoot-out win over Spain. Getty Images/Alexander Hassenstein
