Spain has had a fantastic summer in soccer. Just a few weeks after winning the European Championship, Spain achieved another big win with a 5-3 extra-time victory over France in the Olympic men’s soccer final on Friday.
Sergio Camello scored twice to secure the win for Spain after France had come back from a 3-1 deficit to force extra time at Parc des Princes.
“We are the happiest children in the world,” said Camello, who came on as a substitute in the 83rd minute and became a national hero.
Spain’s coach Santi Denia said his players deserved to cry “tears of joy” after such a tough match. For the spectators, it was a memorable game.
France took an early lead with a goal from Enzo Millot, but Spain quickly responded with three goals in ten minutes. Barcelona’s Fermin Lopez scored twice, and Alex Baena added another goal to make it 3-1 in the 28th minute.
Fueled by the enthusiastic home crowd, France fought back in the second half. Maghnes Akliouche scored in the 79th minute, and Jean-Phillipe Mateta tied the game with a penalty in the 93rd minute to send it into extra time.
In extra time, Camello scored twice more, first lifting the ball over France’s goalkeeper Guillaume Restes in the 100th minute and then racing away to score again in the final moments of the match.
Camello celebrated by ripping off his shirt as his teammates and substitutes rushed onto the field to join him in the celebration.
Spain, which lost the final to Brazil at the Tokyo Olympics three years ago, became the first European team to win gold in men’s soccer since their last win at the Barcelona Games in 1992.
Spain’s wait for Olympic success in soccer ended in Paris, highlighting Spanish soccer’s strength once again. Last month, Spain also won the under-19 European Championship by defeating France in the final.
The Olympic win was a special achievement for Lopez and Baena, who were also part of the Euro 2024-winning team.
“What a summer. And I hope this summer never ends so we can continue winning,” Baena said. “I am very happy to have made history with Spain.”
France faced another tough defeat in a final after losing on penalties to Argentina at the 2022 World Cup. Like before, the French team fought hard to come back from behind and push the game to extra time, but they fell short once more.
While Camello’s goals dashed France’s hopes of winning their first Olympic gold since Los Angeles 1984, the crowd kept cheering. Coach Thierry Henry and his players acknowledged the support with a lap of honor after the match.
“We tried to respond as best we could,” Henry said. “France is beautiful when we are all together, when we unite. It was a wonderful sight to see those flags, red, white, and blue.”
“People from the get-go wanted to support us. We lost tonight, but they kept singing.”
Spain’s win ended the streak of Latin American victories at the Olympics, with Brazil and Argentina winning twice and Mexico also taking gold in the last five editions. Nigeria won in Atlanta 1996 and Cameroon in Sydney 2000.
Women’s soccer in Spain is also thriving after the national team won the World Cup last year. However, they couldn’t add to that success at the Olympics, as Spain’s women’s team lost 1-0 to Germany in the bronze medal match earlier on Friday.
