Good evening everybody and welcome along to this MARCA in English live blog for the UEFA Nations League final between Croatia and Spain. The game, played in Rotterdam, Netherlands, will crown the winner of the young European national teams competition. Honor and silverware aside, the winning federation will win $11.3 million dollars in prize money.
The stage is set for a thrilling encounter where every pass, tackle, and goal will determine the outcome. As Croatia and Spain step onto the grand stage, the world watches with bated breath, ready to witness the birth of a new chapter in the young history of the UEFA Nations League. Also, expect a high scoring fest, as the last three games between both have produced 19 goals!
Croatia vs Spain live: 2023 Nations League final live text updates
Penalty Shootout ends, Croatia 0(4), Spain 0(5).
Goal! Croatia 0(4), Spain 0(5). Dani Carvajal (Spain) converts the penalty with a right footed shot.
Penalty saved! Bruno Petkovic (Croatia) fails to capitalise on this great opportunity, right footed shot saved.
Penalty missed! Still Croatia 0(4), Spain 0(4). Aymeric Laporte (Spain) hits the woodwork with a left footed shot.
Goal! Croatia 0(4), Spain 0(4). Ivan Perisic (Croatia) converts the penalty with a right footed shot.
Goal! Croatia 0(3), Spain 0(4). Marco Asensio (Spain) converts the penalty with a left footed shot.
WHAT A SAVE!
Penalty saved! Lovro Majer (Croatia) fails to capitalise on this great opportunity, left footed shot saved.
Goal! Croatia 0(3), Spain 0(3). Mikel Merino (Spain) converts the penalty with a left footed shot.
Goal! Croatia 0(3), Spain 0(2). Luka Modric (Croatia) converts the penalty with a right footed shot.
Goal! Croatia 0(2), Spain 0(2). Rodri (Spain) converts the penalty with a right footed shot to the bottom left corner.
Goal! Croatia 0(2), Spain 0(1). Marcelo Brozovic (Croatia) converts the penalty with a right footed shot.
Goal! Croatia 0(1), Spain 0(1). Joselu (Spain) converts the penalty with a right footed shot.
Goal! Croatia 0(1), Spain 0. Nikola Vlasic (Croatia) converts the penalty with a right footed shot.
Penalty Shootout begins Croatia 0, Spain 0.
Second Half Extra Time ends, Croatia 0, Spain 0.
Corner, Croatia. Conceded by Joselu.
Corner, Croatia. Conceded by Nacho.
Attempt blocked. Mateo Kovacic (Croatia) right footed shot from outside the box is blocked. Assisted by Nikola Vlasic.
Foul by Jordi Alba (Spain).
Lovro Majer (Croatia) wins a free kick on the right wing.
Corner, Spain. Conceded by Ivan Perisic.
Corner, Spain. Conceded by Josip Sutalo.
Attempt blocked. Rodri (Spain) right footed shot from outside the box is blocked. Assisted by Jordi Alba.
Substitution, Croatia. Josip Stanisic replaces Josip Juranovic.
Attempt saved. Nikola Vlasic (Croatia) right footed shot from outside the box is saved in the centre of the goal. Assisted by Bruno Petkovic.
Corner, Spain. Conceded by Marcelo Brozovic.
Attempt blocked. Marco Asensio (Spain) left footed shot from outside the box is blocked. Assisted by Rodri.
Corner, Spain. Conceded by Josip Sutalo.
Attempt blocked. Dani Olmo (Spain) right footed shot from the centre of the box is blocked.
Second Half Extra Time begins Croatia 0, Spain 0.
First Half Extra Time ends, Croatia 0, Spain 0.
Attempt saved. Marcelo Brozovic (Croatia) right footed shot from the left side of the box is saved in the bottom right corner.
Attempt blocked. Nikola Vlasic (Croatia) right footed shot from outside the box is blocked. Assisted by Bruno Petkovic.
Attempt missed. Dani Olmo (Spain) left footed shot from outside the box is too high.
Attempt blocked. Marco Asensio (Spain) left footed shot from outside the box is blocked. Assisted by Dani Carvajal.
Delay over. They are ready to continue.
Delay in match because of an injury Nacho (Spain).
Delay in match because of an injury Lovro Majer (Croatia).
Rodri (Spain) is shown the yellow card for a bad foul.
Foul by Rodri (Spain).
Lovro Majer (Croatia) wins a free kick in the attacking half.
Substitution, Spain. Dani Carvajal replaces Jesús Navas.
Nacho (Spain) is shown the yellow card for a bad foul.
Foul by Nacho (Spain).
Bruno Petkovic (Croatia) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
Corner, Spain. Conceded by Bruno Petkovic.
Jesús Navas (Spain) wins a free kick on the right wing.
Foul by Nikola Vlasic (Croatia).
Attempt missed. Marcelo Brozovic (Croatia) left footed shot from outside the box misses to the right.
Joselu (Spain) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
Foul by Martin Erlic (Croatia).
First Half Extra Time begins Croatia 0, Spain 0.
We should have seen this coming...
Second Half ends, Croatia 0, Spain 0.
Corner, Croatia. Conceded by Ansu Fati.
Bruno Petkovic (Croatia) is shown the yellow card for a bad foul.
Aymeric Laporte (Spain) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
Foul by Bruno Petkovic (Croatia).
Substitution, Croatia. Lovro Majer replaces Andrej Kramaric.
Attempt missed. Marco Asensio (Spain) right footed shot from the right side of the box.
Substitution, Spain. Dani Olmo replaces Gavi.
Foul by Ansu Fati (Spain).
Josip Juranovic (Croatia) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
Attempt saved. Aymeric Laporte (Spain) header from the centre of the box is saved in the top left corner. Assisted by Marco Asensio with a cross.
Corner, Spain. Conceded by Mateo Kovacic.
Attempt blocked. Ansu Fati (Spain) left footed shot from the centre of the box is blocked. Assisted by Mikel Merino.
This looks set for extra time... it hasn't been a thriller here by any means and it's hard to see anything separating the two sides now
Gavi (Spain) is shown the yellow card for a bad foul.
Foul by Gavi (Spain).
Luka Modric (Croatia) wins a free kick in the attacking half.
Foul by Nacho (Spain).
Bruno Petkovic (Croatia) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
Substitution, Croatia. Nikola Vlasic replaces Luka Ivanusec.
Substitution, Spain. Nacho replaces Robin Le Normand because of an injury.
Substitution, Spain. Mikel Merino replaces Fabián Ruiz.
Attempt missed. Marco Asensio (Spain) left footed shot from the centre of the box is close, but misses to the right.
Attempt blocked. Fabián Ruiz (Spain) left footed shot from outside the box is blocked.
Attempt blocked. Ansu Fati (Spain) right footed shot from the left side of the box is blocked. Assisted by Jordi Alba.
Attempt missed. Fabián Ruiz (Spain) left footed shot from long range on the left.
Foul by Robin Le Normand (Spain).
Bruno Petkovic (Croatia) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
Foul by Jesús Navas (Spain).
Luka Ivanusec (Croatia) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
Offside, Croatia. Marcelo Brozovic tries a through ball, but Luka Ivanusec is caught offside.
Substitution, Spain. Joselu replaces Álvaro Morata.
Substitution, Spain. Ansu Fati replaces Yeremy Pino.
Attempt missed. Rodri (Spain) right footed shot from outside the box.
Jesús Navas (Spain) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
Foul by Ivan Perisic (Croatia).
Delay over. They are ready to continue.
Delay over. They are ready to continue.
Substitution, Croatia. Bruno Petkovic replaces Mario Pasalic.
Delay in match because of an injury Jordi Alba (Spain).
Attempt missed. Mario Pasalic (Croatia) header from the right side of the six yard box is close, but misses to the right. Assisted by Ivan Perisic with a cross.
Attempt missed. Andrej Kramaric (Croatia) left footed shot from outside the box misses to the left. Assisted by Josip Juranovic.
Foul by Fabián Ruiz (Spain).
Luka Modric (Croatia) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
Attempt missed. Marco Asensio (Spain) header from the centre of the box is just a bit too high. Assisted by Jordi Alba with a cross.
Gavi (Spain) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
Foul by Ivan Perisic (Croatia).
Attempt missed. Josip Juranovic (Croatia) right footed shot from the right side of the box.
Foul by Jordi Alba (Spain).
Andrej Kramaric (Croatia) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
Hand ball by Josip Sutalo (Croatia).
Second Half begins Croatia 0, Spain 0.
First Half ends, Croatia 0, Spain 0.
Yeremy Pino (Spain) wins a free kick in the attacking half.
Foul by Luka Modric (Croatia).
Attempt missed. Álvaro Morata (Spain) header from the centre of the box.
Foul by Jordi Alba (Spain).
Luka Modric (Croatia) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
Attempt saved. Ivan Perisic (Croatia) header from the centre of the box is saved.
Foul by Gavi (Spain).
Mario Pasalic (Croatia) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
Foul by Marcelo Brozovic (Croatia).
Robin Le Normand (Spain) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
Foul by Ivan Perisic (Croatia).
Yeremy Pino (Spain) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
Foul by Josip Juranovic (Croatia).
Foul by Robin Le Normand (Spain).
Andrej Kramaric (Croatia) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
Gavi (Spain) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
Foul by Marcelo Brozovic (Croatia).
Attempt saved. Ivan Perisic (Croatia) header from the centre of the box is saved in the bottom left corner. Assisted by Luka Modric.
Foul by Fabián Ruiz (Spain).
Luka Modric (Croatia) wins a free kick in the attacking half.
Offside, Spain. Rodri tries a through ball, but Álvaro Morata is caught offside.
Attempt blocked. Rodri (Spain) header from the centre of the box is blocked. Assisted by Jordi Alba with a cross.
Corner, Spain. Conceded by Josip Sutalo.
Attempt blocked. Fabián Ruiz (Spain) left footed shot from outside the box is blocked. Assisted by Aymeric Laporte.
Attempt saved. Mario Pasalic (Croatia) right footed shot from the centre of the box is saved in the centre of the goal.
Corner, Croatia. Conceded by Aymeric Laporte.
Attempt blocked. Andrej Kramaric (Croatia) right footed shot from the centre of the box is blocked. Assisted by Martin Erlic with a through ball.
Martin Erlic (Croatia) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
Andrej Kramaric (Croatia) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
Foul by Yeremy Pino (Spain).
Corner, Spain. Conceded by Martin Erlic.
Offside, Croatia. Ivan Perisic tries a through ball, but Mario Pasalic is caught offside.
Attempt missed. Gavi (Spain) right footed shot from outside the box is close, but misses to the left.
Offside, Spain. Fabián Ruiz tries a through ball, but Álvaro Morata is caught offside.
Marcelo Brozovic (Croatia) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
Foul by Gavi (Spain).
Marcelo Brozovic (Croatia) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
Foul by Yeremy Pino (Spain).
Attempt blocked. Jordi Alba (Spain) left footed shot from outside the box is blocked.
First Half begins.
Lineups are announced and players are warming up.
Croatia is not expected to make any changes in the lineup that gave them the victory against the Netherlands in semis. The trusty midfield trio of Luka Modric, Mateo Kovacic and Marcelo Brozovic will provide the foundation in midfield. The Croatian side have seen incredible success as of late: securing the silver and bronze medals in the 2018 and 2022 World Cups, respectively.
Spain is set to count on new captain Alvaro Morata to lead their attack. With veteran Jesus Navas looking to repeat his role as right back over Dani Carvajal. Luis De la Fuente'sSpain side will seek to make up for the disappointment of the 2021 Nations League final loss against France. Winning the final would give La Roja their first trophy since the 2012 Euro.
How to watch Croatia vs Spain
- Date and time: Sunday, June 18 | 2:45 pm ET
- Venue: De Kuip Stadium. Rotterdam, Netherlands
- TV: Fox Sports 1, TUDN
- Live Stream: fuboTV, FoxSports.com, Vix
Match ends, Croatia 0(4), Spain 0(5).