Spain set-up first-ever Iberian Final | OneFootball

In a goal-packed thriller, Spain came out on top against France in the Nations League semi-final, winning 5-4 and booking their spot in the final for the third time in a row. To top it off, they’ve set up the first-ever all-Iberian final in international football history.

Portugal will be their opponents after they pulled off a comeback win against Germany last Wednesday.

It’s their first final since the very first Nations League, when they beat the Netherlands 1–0 to lift the trophy at the Estádio do Dragão.

Spain and Portugal have clashed plenty of times—across friendlies, World Cups, Euros, and the Nations League.

Their last meetings were in the 2022/23 Nations League group stage, where La Roja won one and drew the other. Spain went on to win the whole thing, while Portugal didn’t make it past the group.

One of their most famous battles came in Euro 2012. They met in the semis, it finished 0–0 after extra time, and Spain held their nerve in the penalty shootout before going on to win the final.

Overall, Spain have the better record between the two. Out of 40 official games, they’ve won 17, drawn 17, and Portugal have only managed six wins.

A match for the history books

That Spain vs France match also made Nations League history. The nine goals scored on Thursday set a new record for the most goals in a single game in the competition.

The previous record was eight, from Armenia’s 6–2 win over Gibraltar back in the 2018/19 season.