France Denied a Gold Medal at Home as Spain Defeat Them in a Thrilling Final

Day 14 of the 2024 Paris Olympics played host to one of the most spectacular Olympics men’s football finals. Despite all the stars aligning for France to clinch a gold medal at home, it was Spain who overcame Les Bleus to finally win an Olympics gold after 32 years.

This match will go down in history as one of the greatest finals to ever be played at an Olympics. La Roja came out on top in an 8-goal thriller. Fans who caught the action live couldn’t believe what they were witnessing, as the game ebbed and flowed from one side to another. That’s the reason I feel for the fans who couldn’t watch the game live. However, for the unlucky few, don’t worry because we’ve got you covered.

France 3 - 5 Spain

Many fans felt that the pressure of the final would force both the nations to play safely, without taking any risks, leading to a tight and cagey affair. However, that notion was dispelled completely once Enzo Millot scored in the 11th minute. Millot’s shot was inexplicably fumbled by Spanish goalkeeper Arnau Tenas, leading to the first goal of the game. 

It looked like France would build upon their early lead. However, Spain had other ideas. Fermin Lopez equalized just seven minutes after Les Bleus' opener with a scuffed finish that rolled into the bottom right corner of the French goal. La Roja were at it again, as they added another, courtesy of Fermin Lopez’s sixth goal of the tournament. In the 28th minute, Euro 2024 winner Alex Baena scored a freekick from 25 yards to hand Spain a two goal advantage, rounding off a magnificent 10-minute spell for La Roja.

Spain kept intact their two-goal advantage going into the break. However, France raced out of the block, following the halftime break. Les Bleus continued to probe, but the Spanish rearguard held strong. However, in the 79th minute, Maghnes Akliouche popped up in the box to convert Michael Olise’s inch perfect freekick. This sent the French fans into raptures, and now it was game on.

Spain kept their narrow lead intact until the dying embers of the game. However, a contentious refereeing decision handed France a penalty. Up stepped Jean-Philippe Mateta, who coolly slotted the ball into the net that handed Les Bleus much-deserved parity. The game went into extra-time now. Several fans felt that France would complete their comeback because of the raucous French support. However, La Roja silenced the crowd once again in the 100th minute.

Rayo Vallecano forward Sergio Camello received a perfectly timed through ball from Adrian Bernabe and, with French goalkeeper Restes rushing out to challenge, expertly chipped it over him to restore Spain's lead. Now, Thierry Henry’s men went on the offensive to find an equalizer. But in their quest for a desperate leveler, France left just Restes behind the halfway line. 

This decision proved to be disastrous, as Tenas collected the ball from a French corner and released Camello with an inch perfect throw. With just the goalkeeper to beat, Camello wrote his name into the history books, as he calmly slotted in La Roja’s fifth of the night. Off went his jersey, as the Spanish contingent raced onto the pitch to celebrate a famous victory. Meanwhile, an eerie hush descended upon Parc Des Princes, as the French players collapsed to the ground after a grueling 120 minutes.