Spain defeated France in the Paris 2024 Men’s football final to grab the gold medal in an epic showdown at the Parc des Princes on Friday.
Paris 2024 Final Match Result: France 3-5 Spain
Goalscorers for France 
- Enzo Millot (11’)
- Maghnes Akliouche (79’)
- Jean-Philippe Mateta (90+3’)
Goalscorer for Spain
- Fermin Lopez (18’) , (25’)
- Alex Baena (28’)
- Sergio Camello (100’),(120+1’)
Paris 2024 Final First Half Analysis
The game’s first goal came from France in the 11th minute when Enzo Millot slotted the ball to the bottom left corner. Spain goalkeeper Arnau Tenas was disappointed with himself after making a howler to give them an early lead. La Roja then fought back in the game through a wonderful play from Spain. Fermin Lopez struck the equalizer in the 18th minute with a right-footed shot in the bottom corner after Alex Baena found him empty in the box.
A brilliant cross from Miranda set up Fermin Lopez to take the lead in the 25th minute after scoring an easy rebound. Having assisted on the first goal, Alex Baena scored a sublime freekick in the 28th minute to give the team a two-goal lead. Tenas pulled off a sensational save in the extra time from Mateta to keep the score at 1-3, making amends for his earlier mistake.
Key Moments
- Enzo Millot’s opening goal
- A brilliant equalizer from Fermin Lopez
- Strong finish to the first half from Spain
Paris 2024 Final Second Half Highlights
The French came back strong in the second half as they attempted to limit the deficit. Manu Kone’s fine header hit the woodwork in the 57th minute after Truffert delivered a beautiful cross from the left to lead the attack. A brilliant stop by Tenas in the 72nd minute once again denied France’s midfielder Manu Kone. With the game opening up in the final minutes, Spain found themselves in a brilliant 3 on 2 situation in the French penalty box, but Barrios could only guide his shot into the far corner.
The French found the second goal in the 79th minute when Akliouche’s slight touch from a Michael Olise freekick found the back of the net. With the game heading to the final 10 minutes. Spain had a brilliant chance to seal the victory through a counterattack, but Sergio Gomez could only see his effort wide of the post. After some grabbing, VAR intervened in the final minute to penalize France for a foul inside the box from the corner. Mateta scored the penalty to complete an incredible comeback.
Extra time drama
In the 109th minute, substitute Sergio Camello clinched the match for Spain with an incredible strike. Although France created a flurry of attacks, Spain took the lead. However, Camello sealed the victory for Spain in the 121st minute after finding himself one-on-one with the goalkeeper. A powerful long throw from the Spain goalkeeper started the move. He also deserves lots of credit for his contribution to the match. Though Spain won gold, France deserves the credit for fighting until the end.
Key Moments
- Manu Kone hits the woodwork
- Var intervention to award France a penalty.
- Sergio Camello scored the winning goal, dealing France a significant blow.
Paris 2024 Final Match Defining Moments
Spain’s first-half dominance:
Spain created a flurry of chances after conceding the early goal. Fermin Lopez, who has been the tournament star for Spain, scored a brace to help the team recover. In the 28th minute, Alex Baena scored a sublime free-kick goal to complete a turnaround in the first half. It was a complete performance by the team, who didn’t seem to be fazed by conceding the early goal.
Crucial penalty decision by VAR intervention:
The Spanish team thought they would hold on to the lead as the match drew to a close, but little did they know in the 90th minute, they would concede a penalty. France initially led the protest to the referee, who waved on for a throw-in, but VAR highlighted the mistake and awarded the penalty to the host. Jean-Philippe Mateta scored the penalty and brought France back into play.
Conclusion
It was an epic thriller of a match full of drama, thrills, and exciting moments that brought Spain to the gold medal. La Roja can be proud of their comeback in the match after letting France make a comeback. The subs played a major role in their success, while France can take pride in what they put on in the second half. Kudos to Thierry Henry’s team, who fought till the end. They can proudly take home the silver medal.
Click HERE for the Complete Medal Tally of the Paris 2024
