Spain beat Croatia to win their first Nations League

Spain clinched their first-ever Nations League title in a hard-fought encounter against Croatia, with Dani Carvajal’s deft chipped penalty proving decisive in a grueling 120 minutes of play and a dramatic penalty shootout.

Having learned from their defeat to France in the 2021 final, La Roja displayed determination as they faced off against a fervently supported Croatian team in Rotterdam.

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The match at De Kuip was a nail-biting affair, with the shootout reaching sudden death after Lovro Majer of Croatia and Aymeric Laporte of Spain missed their spot-kicks.

In the end, it was goalkeeper Unai Simon who emerged as the hero, making a crucial save from Bruno Petkovic’s shot. Carvajal stepped up confidently to convert the decisive penalty, securing a 5-4 victory and the coveted trophy for Luis de la Fuente’s Spanish side.

Although clear-cut opportunities were scarce, Spain had the better chances during regular time. Gavi, the midfield maestro, came close with a shot that narrowly missed the target early on, while Marco Asensio headed over the bar in the second half.

Ansu Fati was also denied on the line by Ivan Perisic in the game’s closing stages.

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Croatia could perhaps have taken the lead themselves, only for Laporte to make an outstanding tackle to deny Andrej Kramaric.

However, they created relatively little throughout the match, in a cagey affair that perhaps reflected the high-stakes occasion.

The result is a devastating blow to the Vatreni, who were hoping to secure international silverware for the first time.

Instead, it is Spain who will be celebrating after ending their 11-year trophy drought, following La Roja’s 2012 European Championship triumph.

Hero of the hour Carvajal said: “For us, it was a unique opportunity, we went out early in another tournament [at the World Cup] and today we had to take advantage.

“We had confidence with the penalties and it went well, I knew how I was going to shoot it, and I knew I was going to be sixth. I wanted to take it Panenka style and it went well.”