IFFHS CONTINENTAL NEWS - UEFA NATIONS LEAGUE FINAL
Statistics on Nations League final (Spain vs Croatia 0-0, penalties 5-4)
*Nations League 2023 became for Spain the 5th trophy in their history, after World Cup 2010 and three Euros (1964, 2008 and 2012).
*Spain became the 2nd national team (after France) to win World Cup, Euro, Olympics and Nations League.
*Spain have won this final after losing two previous (0-3 vs Brazil in the 2013 Confederations Cup and 1-2 vs France in the Nations League in 2021).
*It was 2nd final for Spain (both successful) which went to extra-time, after that of 2010 World Cup (1-0 vs Netherlands).
*Spanish veteran defender Jesús Navas became the first ever player in football history to win World Cup, Euro and Nations League.
*Jesús Navas became also the oldest player (37 years 209 days) in the history of the Spanish team. He surpassed the record of Luis Suárez Miramontes, who played a friendly against Greece in 1972 at 36 years 346 days.
*Gavi became the youngest ever player (18 years 317 days) to win a title with Spain.
*Navas and Gavi together set another record: the largest age difference between two starters of the Spanish team (18 years 258 days), exceeding the 17 years 137 days that separated Santiago Canizares and Cesc when they both started against Saudi Arabia in 2006 World Cup game.
*For two Spanish players (Carvajal and Nacho), this trophy became 15th international (counting both for clubs and national teams).
Only 3 players in the football history have won more, Cafú (18), Toni Kroos (17) and Dani Alves (16).
Another two players also have won 15, Hossam Hassan and Karim Benzema.
*Fabian Ruiz is a lucky talisman for Spain: “La Roja” have not lost any of their 17 games with him in the team.
*Over the last 25 years, Croatia have played 13 games with the possibility of extra-time (at World Cup, Euro, Nations League) and brought to extra-time 10 of them.
They lost this shootout series after winning all 4 previous (vs Denmark and Russia at World Cup 2018, vs Japan and Brazil at World Cup 2022).
*Erling Haaland and Aleksandar Mitrovic became top scorers in the 2022-23 Nations League (6 goals for each).
Mitrovic was also the top scorer of the competition in the 2018-19 season (with 6 goals as well).