Spain secured their second major title in six months by defeating France to emerge victorious in the inaugural Women’s Nations League.
La Roja, having defeated England in the World Cup final in August, secured another victory, this time against France, with goals from Aitana Bonmati and Mariona Caldentey providing them with a comfortable win in Seville.
Ballon d’Or recipient Bonmati opened the scoring from close range in the 32nd minute, followed by Caldentey’s precise first-time strike after halftime.
Herve Renard’s French team struggled to create chances and failed to register a single shot on target.
A crowd of 32,657 spectators was announced at Estadio La Cartuja, setting a new attendance record for a Spanish women’s national team match, surpassing the previous record of 21,856 set during Montse Tome’s team’s victory over the Netherlands in the semi-final played at the same stadium on Friday.
Spain continue golden run of form
Spain had never managed to defeat France in their previous 13 encounters, but from the outset, there appeared to be only one likely victor.
The home team asserted dominance in the early stages, with Irene Paredes coming close to scoring, narrowly missing the target with a header from a corner in the 26th minute.
Their perseverance paid dividends when Bonmati expertly volleyed Olga Carmona’s low cross into the net after a dynamic run down the left flank by the defender.
Despite Laia Aleixandri and Salma Paralluelo also coming close, it was Mariona who capitalized, slotting the ball into the bottom corner from Ona Batlle’s well-placed pass in the 53rd minute.
France may rue their lack of attacking initiative in their inaugural major final, but Spain’s prowess at both ends of the pitch proved too formidable.
“Six months ago we won the World Cup and now the Nations League, what more could you ask for?,” Barcelona star Bonmati told Television Espanola.
“It’s quite incredible everything we have achieved – this team has no ceiling. World Cup, now Nations League and now for the Olympics.”
Under Montse Tome, the current top-ranked team in the world has secured their inaugural silverware. Tome took over the reins from the controversial Jorge Vilda, who was dismissed following the World Cup, amidst controversy surrounding ex-football federation president Luis Rubiales’ unwelcome kiss on forward Jenni Hermoso’s lips.
With victories in 18 of their last 20 matches, Spain enters the 2024 Olympics as frontrunners and a formidable force.
In both their World Cup and Nations League conquests, Spain emerged as the top scorers and boasted the highest average possession in both tournaments.
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