France was crowned champions of the 2020-21 UEFA Nations League after defeating Spain 2-1 in the final at San Siro stadium on Sunday night.
While the first half of the game was fairly slow-paced, the match sparked to life in the 64th minute when Mikel Oyarzabal slotted the ball past French keeper Hugo Lloris to hand Spain the advantage.
Spain’s lead was short-lived, however, as two minutes later Karim Benzema unleashed a screamer which curled into the far corner of the net and leveled the scoreline. Just as the game looked as though it was headed for extra time, French striker Kylian Mbappe found himself one-on-one with the keeper. After a few stepovers, Mbappe cooly slotted the ball past Unai Simon to hand France a winning goal.
“We showed our character against a very strong team. We never gave up,” Karim Benzema stated after the full-time whistle. “It shows what great teams do. Never panic, be patient, and wait for the right time. We are going to enjoy this trophy and then go get the World Cup.”
France looks to be in a pole position to qualify for the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar. They currently lead group D with 12 points; four points clear of second-placed Ukraine.
