Before a ball was even kicked, the UEFA Nations League semifinal between Spain and France was already billed as a clash between two of Europe’s modern giants—and the game lived up to the hype in every sense.
Fueled by a sensational performance from teenage prodigy Lamine Yamal, La Roja triumphed over Les Bleus in a historic 5-4 thriller—now officially the highest-scoring match in Nations League history.
Spain now advances to face Portugal in the final on June 8, setting up a generational showdown between 17-year-old Yamal and 40-year-old Cristiano Ronaldo.
A Teenage Star Among Giants
Despite the firepower France brought to the pitch—Kylian Mbappé, Désiré Doué, and Ousmane Dembélé—it was Yamal who once again proved he was the biggest name on the field.
The 17-year-old scored twice and played a key role in another goal, further building his case as a genuine Ballon d’Or contender.
“When two great teams like this play, you sometimes see a lot of goals,” Yamal said after the match.
“They will make you suffer until the end, but we went to the final despite the mistakes we made. We were aware of what we wanted to do. We wanted to make history. The greatest thing when you are winning is to keep winning.”
Spain’s First-Half Blitz
Yamal began making an impact early, breezing past his marker on the right wing and delivering a sharp cross into the box. Mikel Oyarzabal held up the ball smartly, laying it off for Nico Williams, who fired the opener into the roof of the net in the 22nd minute.
Just three minutes later, Spain doubled their lead. Oyarzabal again turned provider, this time assisting Mikel Merino, who slotted home to make it 2-0.
Yamal Steps Up from the Spot
The second half was a continuation of Spain’s dominance. Yamal earned a penalty after being brought down in the box and confidently converted it in the 53rd minute.
Just two minutes later, Pedri chipped in a beautiful finish to put Spain up 4-0. It looked like game over.
🇫🇷 But France Had Other Plans
That was until Kylian Mbappé took matters into his own hands. He stepped up to score a penalty in the 59th minute, cutting the deficit to 4-1.
But Yamal wasn’t done yet. In the 62nd minute, he raced onto a through ball and poked it past the keeper to restore Spain’s four-goal cushion at 5-1.
France’s Late Push
From that point on, Spain appeared to relax—and France pounced.
In the 79th minute, debutant Rayan Cherki fired in a sublime volley to make it 5-2.
Spain then conceded an own goal from Dani Vivian, followed by a stoppage-time strike from Randal Kolo Muani to bring France within one.
But the clock ran out, and Spain held on for dear life.
“We had some bursts of play we haven’t had for a long time,” Mbappé said after the game.
“But in just 10 minutes of the first half, we conceded two goals – and the same thing happened in the second half.”
The Final Awaits: Yamal vs Ronaldo
Spain now prepares for a clash with Portugal in the final—setting the stage for a truly iconic duel between Lamine Yamal, the teen wonder, and Cristiano Ronaldo, the aging but still dangerous legend.
📌