Everything is better in gold as Spain followed their lead win at European Championship 2024 earlier this summer with a gold medal at the 2024 Olympic Games in Paris, triumphing 5-3 in extra time over the French national under-23 team. With a two-goal lead at half-time, Spain looked to be making quick work would make the match, but that was anything but the case. Fermin Lopez’s brace was boosted by Alex Baena’s goal for Spain, scoring three straight after Enzo Millot’s opener for the hosts.
With this victory, Spain has become only the second country – along with France – to win the European Championship and the Olympic Games in the same summer. France showed impressive fortitude under Thierry Henry to fight back in the second half, with VAR awarding a penalty which Jean-Philippe Mateta pushed home in the 93rd minute of play to force extra time. Sergio Camello scored the go-ahead goal in extra time to put Spain ahead for good, but France would still try to push for another equalizer.
Spain would end the match on a pretty high note, with Paris Saint-Germain keeper Arnau Tenas spotting an opening to find Camello over the top, putting the match out of sight. France pushed everything forward in search of the equalizer, so situational awareness was important to keep the game out of reach.
Both sides have put in impressive performances at these Olympics, but Lopez’s performance in taking Spain to gold was something else. The Barcelona man was involved in the Spain squad for both the European Championship and the Olympic Games and was able to score six goals and provide a further two assists during the tournament.
The future looks bright for both national teams as players like Lopez could return to their teams for more playing time after this tournament. Even Mateta has been the subject of transfer rumors after scoring five goals himself at the Olympics. He is ready to become the starting striker for Crystal Palace, but if he could move to a European team it will show what international tournaments can do for player value.
While the men’s side features younger players, the older spots are crucial for players like Mateta. Picking the right players can make the difference, and that was almost the case for France, but Spain had that little bit extra to win gold.
