2023 Nations League Final: 2-1 vs Italy (Morata, Oyarzabal)

Lore & Background

The 2022-23 Nations League had been a tournament of rediscovery for Spain under Luis de la Fuente. The coach, who had inherited a squad in transition after the Euro 2020 cycle, rebuilt the team's identity around possession, pressing, and a blend of experienced leaders with a new generation of talent. Reaching the final in Rome was already a statement; winning it in front of Italy's home supporters made it a landmark.

The final itself carried the weight of a classic European rivalry. Spain, perennially one of the continent's most decorated nations, met Italy in a contest that felt almost ceremonial in its significance. Morata's strike gave Spain the lead, but Italy's equaliser kept the game alive and the tension in the stadium electric. It was Oyarzabal who broke the deadlock in the second half, his goal silencing the Roman crowd and igniting the Spanish supporters who had made the journey.

For de la Fuente, the trophy was the first major honour of his tenure and a validation of his philosophy. For the players, it was proof that the Spanish national team, after a period of relative quiet on the major-trophy front, had found a new rhythm and a new belief. The Nations League, still a young competition, gained its most storied winner in that afternoon in Rome.

In Their Own Story

The Stadio Olimpico hummed with a low, restless energy. Seventy thousand voices, most of them Italian, pressed against the concrete bowl as the two teams jostled in the technical area. Morata ran his hand over his hair, eyes scanning the floodlights. He could feel the weight of the occasion in his shoulders—the first Nations League final, the first chance to put a new silverware item on the shelf.

When the ball swung into the box and he met it with his forehead, the sound of the net was almost lost beneath the Italian groan. For a moment, the lead felt fragile. Italy's response was immediate, a goal that sent the stadium into a roar that vibrated through the turf beneath their boots.

But then Oyarzabal received the ball in the space between lines, turned, and struck. The ball threaded past the keeper and into the far corner. The Spanish bench erupted. De la Fuente, arms wide, let out a breath he seemed to have been holding for ninety minutes. In the stands, a small sea of red and yellow flags waved like a single organism. Rome had been conquered, quietly, by two goals and a great deal of nerve.

Reader's Guide

Spain 2-1 Italy – UEFA Nations League 2022-23 Final, Stadio Olimpico, Rome.

Spain claimed their first UEFA Nations League title by defeating Italy in the final. Alvaro Morata opened the scoring for La Roja, and Mikel Oyarzabal netted the decisive second goal after Italy had equalised. Manager Luis de la Fuente guided the side to the trophy, marking his first major honour in charge of the national team.

The Nations League, introduced for the 2018-19 cycle, is UEFA's biennial competition replacing traditional friendlies with a group-and-knockout structure. Spain's victory in the 2022-23 edition added a new continental trophy to the national team's honours list and confirmed the squad's return to the upper echelon of European football after a period without a major title.

The match was played in Rome, giving Italy a home-tile advantage, yet Spain's composure in the second half proved decisive. The win is widely regarded as a turning point in de la Fuente's tenure and a springboard for the team's subsequent campaigns.

Did You Know?

• The 2023 final was Spain's first appearance in a Nations League final and their first title in the competition, which debuted in 2018-19.
• Luis de la Fuente won this as his first major trophy as Spain head coach, having taken over the role ahead of the 2022-23 cycle.
• The match was played at the Stadio Olimpico in Rome, meaning Spain had to win on Italian home soil in front of a largely Italian crowd.
• Both Spanish goalscorers, Morata and Oyarzabal, were established Premier League and La Liga stars respectively at the time, combining international experience with domestic form.