Robert Martínez (Balaguer, 1973) has won the hearts of the Portuguese. When he received the offer to be their national team coach in 2023, he knew he had to move to Lisbon and learn Portuguese. He held his first press conference with a fairly decent Portuguese, but after losing in the quarterfinals of the European Championship in 2024, he felt a certain pressure, as there was talk in Portugal about the possibility of choosing José Mourinho as their national team coach for the 2026 World Cup. With the Nations League in the bag, Martínez can breathe easy. Mourinho will have to wait.

After a club season that seemed to go on forever, the Nations League final was decided in agonizing fashion: on penalties and after extra time. A titanic duel between neighbors that crowned Portugal, the first team to win this tournament twice. During the match, neither Lamine nor Pedri managed to shine, caught in Robert Martínez's tactical web. It was a beautiful and even final, in which collective play ruled over individuality. A Diogo Costa save in Morata served to give Martínez his first major international title, a football vagabond who left Balaguer years ago to seek his fortune far away. First in the United Kingdom, then in Belgium, and now in Portugal, where he managed to clip Spain's wings: Neither Nico nor Lamine made a difference.

In the 53rd minute of the second half of the Nations League semi-final, Nico Williams assisted Lamine Yamal, who was awarded a clear penalty by Rabiot. Then, Nico and Oyarzabal looked to the genius from Rocafonda and gave him the ball with a clear message: score the goal and be on your way to the Ballon d'Or. Spain defeated the French with two goals from Lamine in a match where Deschamps' disciples almost overturned a 5-1 deficit, and this Sunday they will try to win the title against Portugal.

The creation of the Nations League responded to a dual interest: sporting and economic. UEFA saw a business opportunity in launching a new competition in which teams would face each other based on their actual level. It was a way to replace friendlies. Furthermore, since the tournament was managed by UEFA, it was responsible for marketing its image rights in exchange for distributing substantial prizes among the participants. The invention has been a success, and the premise of offering close matches has been fully fulfilled. Three of the four quarterfinal ties have been eliminated. have been resolved in the extension. And in the other, Germany-Italy, it was a matter of a goal that the same didn't happen.

The Spanish men's national soccer team continues its love affair with the Nations League, a competition of which it is the reigning champion. Yesterday, they reached the final four for the third time in a row after defeating the Netherlands in a match that was tight in the first half, hectic in the second half, went into extra time, and was decided on penalties. They struggled and with a bit of luck, yes. But 'la roja' won (3-3, 5-4).

The Spanish men's national soccer team continues its love affair with the Nations League, a competition of which it is the reigning champion. Yesterday, they reached the final four for the third time in a row after defeating the Netherlands in a match that was tight in the first half, hectic in the second half, went into extra time, and was decided on penalties. They struggled and with a bit of luck, yes. But 'la roja' won (3-3, 5-4).