WafricNews - June 5, 2025

Spain sealed a pulsating 5-4 victory over France on Thursday night to book their place in the UEFA Nations League final, where they’ll face Iberian neighbours Portugal. The match, packed with goals and drama, saw 17-year-old Lamine Yamal emerge as the undeniable star, netting twice and spearheading Spain’s electric attack in Stuttgart.

In a highly anticipated showdown of emerging stars, Yamal outclassed France’s youthful duo Désiré Doué and Ousmane Dembélé, giving La Roja a commanding lead before a late French rally added tension to an already unforgettable semifinal.

Yamal’s performance reaffirmed his status among Ballon d’Or contenders, while France looked visibly jaded, particularly those returning from Paris Saint-Germain’s recent Champions League triumph in Munich.

This nine-goal classic is now the highest-scoring fixture in the short history of the Nations League. However, Spain had gone 5-1 up before easing off, allowing France to claw back three goals in a frantic final stretch.

“It was a great game. In the end, it got a bit close, but we played very well and I think we deserved to win,” said a jubilant Yamal post-match.

Spain struck first in the 22nd minute. Yamal dissected France’s midfield with a visionary pass to Mikel Oyarzabal, whose strength and poise set up Nico Williams for a powerful finish into the roof of the net.

Just minutes later, Mikel Merino doubled the lead with a slick one-two and a composed finish — a fitting follow-up to his previous heroics in Stuttgart.

France had moments of threat — Theo Hernandez rattled the bar, and Unai Simón pulled off smart saves from Doué, Kylian Mbappé, and Dembélé. But Spain remained dangerous with every attack.

Real Madrid’s 20-year-old defender Dean Huijsen thought he’d added a wonder goal from a rehearsed free kick, but VAR ruled him narrowly offside. Still, his commanding presence suggested he’s a fixture in Spain’s backline for the future.

Spain's dominance continued in the second half. Adrien Rabiot’s clumsy tackle on Yamal earned a penalty, which the teenager confidently dispatched for 3-0. Within moments, Pedri added a fourth, calmly lifting the ball past Mike Maignan after a slick assist from Williams.

Mbappé pulled one back from the spot after Pedro Porro’s foul, but Yamal struck again with a poacher’s finish for 5-1, seemingly sealing the result.

But France wasn’t done. Rayan Cherki marked his debut with a goal, Daniel Vivian accidentally turned into his own net, and Cherki provided a clever assist for Randal Kolo Muani deep in added time — bringing the scoreline to an improbable 5-4.

In the end, Spain held firm and now march on to a mouth-watering final clash against Cristiano Ronaldo’s Portugal, who edged Germany 2-1 on Wednesday.


Wafricnews Sports Desk.