UEFA Nations League Final: Spain-Portugal is more than just Ronaldo vs. Yamal

The UEFA Nations League Final will feature two of the world’s top teams in Spain and Portugal, but Sunday’s clash at the Allianz Arena in Munich, Germany, will also showcase two stars at the opposite ends of brilliant careers.

At age 40, Cristiano Ronaldo continues to make an impact on the game. He hasn’t shown many signs of slowing down as he has Portugal on the cusp of the trophy. He’ll be facing a Spanish side led by 17-year-old sensation Lamine Yamal, who looks set to follow in Ronaldo’s footsteps as the game’s next great superstar.

Let’s break down what to expect from Sunday’s clash.

Nations League: What is it again?

The tournament itself is fairly new, with Sunday’s showdown being just the fourth final in its history. The schedule runs across two years and was implemented to provide more competitive international matches for smaller teams and cut down on meaningless friendlies for the traditional powerhouses.

It differs from the 24-team European Championship, which occurs every four years and has its own qualifying schedule. In Nations League competition, all UEFA teams (the exception being Russia) are eligible, and it does have implications on how sides could qualify for the 2026 World Cup.

It all culminates with four teams reaching the semifinals, followed by the final. In this instance, Portugal beat Germany (who had earned the right to host the semis and final) on Wednesday. And with Spain outlasting France on Thursday, we are now set for Sunday’s grand finale.

Spain vs. Portugal: How they got here

Both teams are trying to become the first country to win a second Nations League trophy.

For Spain, it’s the team’s third consecutive appearance in the final, having lost 2021 to France before beating Croatia on penalties in 2023. In this edition, Spain has gone unbeaten in their last ten Nations League matches outside the country, including Thursday’s 5-4 semifinal win over France in Stuttgart, Germany. Yamal had two goals in the game – including the eventual match-winner on a penalty kick.

Portugal won the first Nations League title in 2019, vanquishing England in that final. In this edition, Portugal rallied past Germany in a 2-1 semifinal win on Wednesday in Munich with Ronaldo scoring the decider in the second half. That win also marked Portugal’s first win in Germany since 2000.

Ronaldo vs. Yamal: Generational superstars

There’s plenty of talent on both these sides, but the focus will be on this duo for good reason. Both are European champions (Ronaldo in 2016; Yamal in 2024), and this will be the first time they play each other, and the stakes feel high.

Ronaldo’s career speaks for itself. A five-time Ballon d’Or winner (given annually to the best player), the 40-year-old has led Portugal to two major titles – the 2016 Euro and the 2019 Nations League. He holds the record for most goals (137) and games played (220) in international competition.

He’s won trophies at Manchester United, Real Madrid and Juventus. And while he’s been rumored to move on from current club Al-Nassr, he’ll likely still be playing for Portugal should it reach the World Cup in 2026.

Yamal, at age 17, is just getting started. His international breakthrough came last year when, as a 16-year-old, he scored Spain’s opening goal against France in the Euro 2024 semifinal. That broke a record long held by Brazilian legend Pele for the youngest goalscorer at an international tournament. Add his club success with Barcelona in a season that included three domestic trophies, and Yamal will be among the favorites to win this year’s Ballon d’Or.

Portugal: What to watch for

Putting aside Ronaldo, there is plenty of individual talent in this side – which has often created a logjam for manager Roberto Martinez and how to maximize his starting XI.

Nuno Mendes and Joao Neves were key pieces to PSG’s Champions League victory two weeks ago and will be just as important for Portugal on Sunday. With Mendes at left-back and Neves at right-back, Portugal has the ability to control both flanks of the pitch with those two players’ versatility. Mendes was especially key in the semifinal win over Germany, as his run up the side and surge into the box provided the pass for Ronaldo’s game-winning goal in the second half.

With a midfield that’s led by Bruno Fernandes and Bernado Silva, there is plenty of playmaking ability and creativity. However, it hasn’t been the best campaign for Fernandes amid struggles at Manchester United, and he had a frustrating performance in the game against Germany. It’ll be worth keeping an eye then if Martinez slots in Vitinha – yet another PSG star – into the starting lineup. Vitinha clearly provided a big boost when he came on as a second-half sub against Germany. With the elite ability to control the tempo when things get chaotic, he may be too good to leave on the bench.

Where Martinez needs to find balance will be in the attack. Ronaldo will get the start at center forward, but sometimes the reliance on a legend (and the deference to him) has bottled up Portugal’s ability to score at critical times in competition.

Any coach would be jealous of Portugal’s stable of wingers – including Francisco Conceição, Pedro Neto, and Diogo Jota. And with forwards like Gonçalo Ramos and Rafael Leão, it may be hard to keep that amount of talent on the bench if Portugal are looking for a goal.

Spain: What to watch for

Under manager Luis de la Fuente, there is an effective mix of youth and veterans that has allowed this team to seemingly combine Spain’s trademark possession-based playmaking in the midfield with some high-pressing attack at the top.

If there is any soft spot in this side, it could be in central defense. Dean Huijsen has the talent to be one of the world’s best center-backs, but the newly signed Real Madrid player is just 20 years old. It’s assuring that his backline partner has been Robin Le Normand, but they’ll be put to the test by Ronaldo and the Portuguese’s potent attack.

Spain has been without Rodri, the reigning Ballon d’Or winner, and the world’s best defensive midfielder due to an ACL tear suffered last year with Manchester City. But make no mistake, this is an effective midfield and partly due to Martin Zubimundi. Playing in the pivot position, the Real Sociedad man has remained steady in possession and kept his own against a tough France squad in the semifinals.

Mikel Merino may play higher up the field with Spain than he does at the club level, but that allowed the Arsenal man to score a crucial goal in the semifinal win. As he does with Barcelona, Pedri provides a perfect combination of creation and defense. Even at the young age of 21, he’s arguably Spain’s most talented midfielder.

But all eyes will be on Yamal. He showed his scoring prowess all year for Barcelona and has continued to do so on the international level. Against France, he demonstrated that defenders must respect his ability to attack the goal, otherwise they risk getting outpaced or him drawing a penalty. And while there’s no true center forward for Spain in the mold of their previous greats, the high-paced attack of Yamal and Nico Williams along the wings gives this team plenty of firepower.

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