For months they dominated the news for their off-field struggles in the Luis Rubiales affair, but now the Spanish women's team has resumed the expansion of its actual football legend. After winning the World Cup in Australia and New Zealand 2023 and achieving its first qualification for an Olympic Games, the team coached by Marta Tomé has completed a treble of sporting joys by taking away the first Nations League this Wednesday, winning with a notable superiority over France (2-0). It is the first victory that Spain has achieved in its history against the French team. With a base made up of Barça players and a style based on ball control and positional play, Spain has quite justly beaten a French side that was more physical than technical and was not able to stop the football whirlwind that Tomé's team has regularly been able to summon up on the pitch.
Aitana Bonmatí opens the scoring
After the great match against the Netherlands in the semi-finals, Marta Tomé did not hesitate and repeated the same gala eleven. Spain did not start the final very well, with perhaps a touch of nervousness, but little by little, the team began to dominate with the ball, although in front of them was a very rocky French defence, which did not leave many spaces. In these circumstances, the only options left to Spain were to generate danger in isolated actions or through set pieces. And that's how Irene Paredes came very close to making it 1-0, with a corner kick that the blaugrana player put on the post. Finally, though, the Spanish side's superiority was reflected in the scoreboard, in a play by Olga Carmona on the left, with a cross that Aitana Bonmatí, coming from behind, was able to easily to send home to "open the can" (32'). The goal lifted the Spanish women's game, who before the break nearly had the second, in a corner that Laia Aleixandri headed narrowly wide.
Mariona Caldentey puts it beyond doubt
After the break, France got into another gear, both in terms of intensity and verticality, but it barely managed to disturb Tomé's team. In fact, the change left spaces that Spain did not let go to waste. In the 52nd minute, Aitana Bonmatí made a break and gave the assist to Athenea del Castillo, who put the cross straight for Mariona Caldentey to score 2-0. And a minute later Salma could have scored, but she didn't reach a long pass to finish it off
There was still a long way to go, but Spain didn't even suffer to hold on to their advantage. The Spanish women have won the first ever Women's Nations League. Next stop: the Paris Olympics.