Spain manager Luis de la Fuente is unfazed by his team’s penalty shootout loss to Portugal in the UEFA Nations League final in Munich on Sunday, Afrosport reports.
La Roja led on two occasions through Martin Zubimendi and Mikel Oyarzabal but were pegged back on each occasion with the Portuguese ultimately winning 5-3 in the shootout.
It denied Spain the chance to defend the Nations League title they won two years ago in Rotterdam when they defeated Croatia on penalties, but De la Fuente accepted Sunday’s loss is part of the game.
“Well, I just simply wanted to value what they had achieved, to recognise the pride we feel in being able to work with them every day,” he said.
“And to keep walking as we are, keep on this path that we are going on. And we of course are thinking in the next World Cup, which is our objective now.
“And along the same note, I’m sure we will reach, we will go places in the future. And you can always win but it’s important to be there and to have the chance to win and this national team is always ready to be.
“We lost against Portugal today but these are things that happen in football.”
In good times and bad
𝗪𝗘 𝗔𝗥𝗘 𝗔 𝗙𝗔𝗠𝗜𝗟𝗬.#NationsLeague | #VamosEspaña pic.twitter.com/qkSO9CdTl8
— Spanish Football (@SpainIsFootball) June 9, 2025
Spain will now focus on qualification for the 2026 FIFA World Cup, with their campaign starting against Bulgaria and Turkey in September.
