Spain became Olympic football champions for the second time on Friday, beating hosts France 5-3 after extra time in the men’s final at the 2024 Games in Paris, adding gold to the European title won in Germany.
The Gallic side soon took the lead in the 11th minute through Enzo Millo, a midfielder for German club Stuttgart, but Spain turned the tables before the break, as Barcelona midfielder Fermin Lopez, 21, who will be one of the match’s stars, underlined.
The Catalan midfielder managed to turn the tide with goals in the 18th and 25th minutes, but Spain still extended their lead before the end of the first half thanks to Villarreal midfielder Alex Baena, which is evidence of the collective superiority of the Spaniards, who demonstrated a more consolidated game than their opponents.
In the second half, France tried to score a second goal that would bring them back into the discussion of the result and the gold medal, but Spain controlled the game almost until the end, but the second goal of the French in the 78th minute was scored by midfielder Magnes Akliouch from Monaco, who activated the hosts, activated the game and brought some instability to the Spanish team.
A penalty in injury time, spotted by the video referee, gave France an equaliser and extra time, with Crystal Palace striker Jean-Philippe Mateta making the most of it.
However, in extra time another Spanish player would emerge, striker Sergio Camello from Rayo Vallecano, who entered the match in the 83rd minute to replace Abel Ruiz, formerly of Sporting de Braga, and who would prove decisive, signing the fourth and fifth goals for his team at 100′ and 120’+1.
Spain won the Olympic title they had missed out on at Tokyo 2020 by beating Brazil in the final and added another trophy less than a month after winning Euro 2024, while France, who won in Los Angeles in 1984, will take silver, with Morocco taking bronze.
Author: Lusa
Source: CM Jornal
I’m Sandra Hansen, a news website Author and Reporter for 24 News Reporters. I have over 7 years of experience in the journalism field, with an extensive background in politics and political science. My passion is to tell stories that are important to people around the globe and to engage readers with compelling content.