Spain and Portugal meet in a battle of Iberian nations to settle the latest edition of the Nations League.
Talismanic forwards young and old, respectively, helped settle two competitive semi-finals as Lamine Yamal and Cristiano Ronaldo helped their side progress, the Barcelona teenager in fine form in a nine-goal thriller against France and veteran Ronaldo scoring the winner against hosts Germany.
It sets up an encounter between two former competition champions as Spain defend their title and Portugal return to the final for the first time since their 2019 success.
This will be the 41st international fixture between the pair, with the derby always hotly-contested.
Team news
Luis de la Fuente hinted after Spain’s semi-final win that any changes to the Spain team would be minimal. “There’s not a lot I have to change for Sunday,” De La Fuente remarked, though the manager may consider bringing Fabian Ruiz back into the starting side.
Portugal may also make a midfield change, bringing in Vitinha alongside Joao Neves and Bruno Fernandes. That may see Bernardo Silva pushed further forward
Predicted line-ups
Spain XI: Simon; Porro, Le Normand, Huijsen, Cucurella; Merino, Pedri, Fabian Ruíz: Yamal, Oyarzabal, Williams.
Portugal XI: Diogo Costa; Semedo, Dias, Inacio, Mendes; Neves, Vitinha, Fernandes; Bernardo Silva, Ronaldo, Neto.
Cristiano Ronaldo spoke at a press conference this Saturday (7th) about the possibility of playing alongside Lionel Messi on the field.
Asked about the topic by an Argentine journalist, he responded with good humor and admitted that the chances are slim, but did not completely rule out the scenario.
The Portuguese national team striker took the opportunity to praise Messi and recall moments he shared with the Argentine.
“I also have affection for Messi. It’s true that we were rivals for many years, but I’ve already said in interviews that we’ve been on the stage for 15 years. And I remember that before he… I don’t know if he speaks a bit of English now, but Messi didn’t speak any English. And I used to translate for him when they explained what we had to do at gala events,” the striker recalled.
As he finished his answer, he again distanced himself from the possibility of playing alongside Messi someday, without completely closing the door.
“I see it as something very difficult. But you never know,” the player acknowledged on the eve of the Nations League final, which will be played between Portugal and Spain.
When commenting on his affection for Messi’s home country, Ronaldo recalled that his wife, Georgina Rodríguez, is Argentine and said he wishes to visit the country.
He also revealed that he had offers to play in the Club World Cup for a team from Argentina.
Boca Juniors and River Plate are the only representatives from the country in the competition, which starts in a week.
