Spain reaffirmed their standing as the best team in the world as they outclassed Germany and retained the Women’s Nations League title in spite of the absence of their injured superstar Aitana Bonmatí.
The world champions were playing their first game since their Ballon d’Or-winning midfielder Bonmatí was ruled out for around five months after undergoing surgery on a broken leg but they demonstrated the extensive depth of talent across their classy team as they eventually played some ruthless football to dispatch with their rivals at the Estadio Metropolitano in Madrid.
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All of the goals came inside the final 30 minutes of the second half of the second leg, but Spain could have been comfortably in control before half-time on home soil. The game was won when Clàudia Pina scored twice, either side of Vicky López’s delightful finish, to deliver a 3-0 second-leg victory, after Germany had previously created – but failed to convert – several good chances in the goalless first leg in Kaiserslautern.
The victory delivered a trophy for the Spain head coach Sonia Bermúdez inside her first four months in charge, and saw Spain claim a third major piece of silverware in the space of two-and-a-half years since the World Cup triumph in 2023. It also saw them return swiftly to the winners’ podium at the first major opportunity after the heartbreak of their loss against England on penalties in the final of Euro 2025.
Spain, who were 2-0 winners against France in the final when they lifted the first Women’s Nations League title in February 2024, are also the world’s No 1-ranked side ahead of USA in second, Sweden in third and the back-to-back European Championship winners England in fourth.
They went close in the first half through an Alexia Putellas header and should have gone in front when Mariona Caldentey scuffed a volley wide, but eventually Pina cut inside on to her right foot and Ann-Katrin Berger could not keep out her low strike. López was then afforded space to roam into the Germany penalty area and arch in an eye-catching second, before Pina capitalised on some loose German passing to clinically make it 3-0.