Spain took a riveting gold in the final of men’s football over France at the Paris 2024 Olympics
Really breathtaking is what could actually be described of what unfolded at Stade de Lyon with Spain prevailing in the end over France in the men’s football final during the Paris 2024 Olympics, capturing the gold medal with a 5-3 thriller. The match was a topsy-turvy, emotionally engaging affair full of brilliant goals and pressure situations and was on tenterhooks until the nail-biting finish.
Early Drama Sets the Tone
With the clock not even a minute in, the pace of the game from the get-go was furious as Les Bleus struck first. Enzo Millot capitalized on a defensive blunder by Spain and sent a clinical shot crashing in from the right side of the box. The sliding ball into the bottom left with the power of a runaway train had the Spanish goalkeeper, Arnau Tenas, completely misreading it as the fans at the Stade de la Source erupted. That very early goal set the pace for the rest of the game, always keeping Spain on its heels right from the beginning.
But Spain reorganized quickly to assert their superiority. In the 18th, Barcelona’s Fermin Lopez leveled Spain as he calmly finished at the bottom left following a well-timed pass from Álex Baena. The goal, of course, would restore faith in the Spanish squad, who started taking control by dominating possession and dictating the flow of the game.
Spain Takes Control
Their resurgence continued as Spain added two more goals before the break. When Lopez struck again in the 25th minute, it was a tap-in from the rebound that spun off France goalkeeper Guillaume Restes from a shot by Abel Ruiz. Less than three minutes later, up stepped Álex Baena with a superb free kick shelved over the wall into the top left corner, in which Restes was not given the chance to intervene. This salvos of goals means that the tide had changed and the game was now 3-1 in favor of Spain.
France Fights Back
The Attacking Flair France struck back with all the attacking flair that Spain captured display; technical greatness and high tactician discipline. Indeed, as the first half was elapsing, it looked like a game totally dominated by Spain.
France tried to claw back into the game with France in the second half. In the 79th minute, Maghnes Akliouche nodded one in to give the French side an inkling of hope, making it 3-2 with a header from a Michael Olise free-kick. That teed up a nervous final few minutes of the match as France threw everything but the kitchen sink at an equalizer.
With this sentiment, inching even closer to the end of the game, it seemed highly palpable inside the stadium. A foul by Benat Turrientes on Arnaud Kalimuendo inside the box handed France a penalty in stoppage time. Confidently, Jean-Philippe Mateta stepped up to the ball, scoring in the 93rd minute from a spot-kick to level matters at 3 – 3 and forced extra time.
Extra Time Showdown
Indeed, these extra half-hour periods had been specifically designed to take both teams through some stern examination of endurance and cool nerves, for which Spain had actually been better prepared. Substitute Sergio Camello got arguably the most decisive goal 100 minutes into the game—a chip delicately oozed over Restes after he was fed by Adrián Bernabé. This was a very vital goal, as the score was 4-3 for Spain—the one that put the Spanish players and their supporters into celebration mode.
France now pushed on in the effort to level for a second time. However, Spain’s defense did not buckle a second time. There were only seconds remaining when Camello made sure the issue was out of doubt at the 120th minute for Spain. A high-trajectory throw initiated by Tenas into the box; Camello held a position, took the ball down, and slotted past Restes to record a 5-3 win for Spain.
A Historic Win
Well, with this victory in the gold medal event at the Paris 2024 Olympics, this will add another success story to Spain’s illustrious football legacy that they have been winning over the years at both youth and senior events. This victory spells out all around the world that these athletes have the skill, determination, and unyielding spirits to win this final in men’s football.
Though France showed so much heart and gave the crowd a whirlwind display, the gold medal just eluded them. The silver medal is a prize by itself, but it will remind everyone of what could have been in a match that brimmed with excitement and high drama.
While the teams congratulated each other for their efforts, the Spanish players could not hide their mirth for a win that was rightly theirs, and the French were gracious in defeat. The thrilling final exemplified what an Olympic football competition is all about: strong emotion, limitless passion, and some unforgettable moments to remember year in year out.
The victory by Spain in these men’s last football confirmed for everyone that Spain was just in the process of becoming an international power in the beautiful game, simultaneously opening it along with events so explosive and eccentric, distinctive of the Olympics: filled with action and unpredictability. This is the great rivalry that will go down in the books and be remembered with the Paris 2024 Olympics achievement for both nations looking for the future playing fields in football.
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