Spain clinch men’s Olympic football gold in epic eight-goal thriller
SMA NEWS – PARIS
Spain have been crowned men’s Olympic football champions at the Olympic Games Paris 2024, defeating France 5-3 in extra-time at the Parc des Princes on Friday, 9 August.
The gold medal match was all but settled over a frantic 20-minute spell in the first half, following Enzo Millot’s emphatic 11th-minute opener for the tournament hosts.
Fermin Lopez equalised in the 18th minute for the Spanish, scoring his second with 25 gone moments before Alex Baena added a third in the 28th.
But Thierry Henry’s men weren’t ready to give up their gold hopes and went on to complete an unbelievable comeback as the game was drawing to a conclusion.
Michael Olise’s free-kick from the right appeared to sail through a sea of bodies and into the bottom corner to half the deficit (79′).
France were then given a lifeline when the referee pointed to the spot for a penalty after a foul inside the area. Jean-Phillipe Mateta, the man France have relied on for goals throughout this tournament, stepped up and converted it calmly in the 90th minute to send it to extra time.
After that miraculous turnaround, it was clear the hosts had a spring in their step as they spurred forward in search of the go-ahead goal.
Yet completely against the run of play, after a lacklustre start to the extra 30 minutes, second-half substitute Sergio Camello fired Spain ahead with 100 minutes gone to set up a grandstand finish.
Henry’s side continued to push, throwing everything forward, which was ultimately their undoing as goalkeeper Arnau Tenas launched the ball forward into an empty French half for Camello to run onto.
The 23-year-old kept his cool, dinking the ball into an empty net beyond the onrushing Guillaume Restes to make it 5-3 in the 120th minute, bringing to an end this enthralling encounter.
It is Spain’s first football gold medal since Barcelona 1992, a month on from being crowned European Champions.
