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Aitana Bonmatí scored to help Spain beat France 2-0 in the Women’s Nations League final on Wednesday, giving the world champions another trophy.
Bonmati, the Ballon d’Or winner, volleyed in a low cross in the first half and Mariona Caldentey doubled the lead shortly after the break in a dominant performance by the hosts.
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It was Spain’s first victory over France and comes in the inaugural Nations League tournament.
“Really happy to win another trophy. What more can you ask for? It’s incredible what we have achieved,” Bonmatí said. “It seems easy, that winning is an obligation for us, but it’s not easy at all.
“We have so much ambition and, despite some rough patches, here we are lifting another trophy. We deserved the win. The first half was quite good, albeit with some lapses. I think we controlled France quite well in the second half. This team has no ceiling. We keep demonstrating that. We have won the Nations League and now we want to win the Olympics.”
Spain had its breakthrough tournament at the World Cup in New Zealand and Australia, winning the title in their third appearance.
The celebrations were marred by one of the country’s worst crises, though, as the then-president of the Spanish soccer federation, Luis Rubiales, kissed player Jenni Hermoso on the lips during the awards ceremony to spark an outrage in soccer and Spanish society in general. Rubiales eventually resigned, and prosecutors later accused him of sexual assault.
Montse Tomé took over the team in September after World Cup-winning coach Jorge Vilda was fired amid the fallout from Rubiales’ behaviour.
Spain haven’t lost momentum since becoming world champions. They defeated the Netherlands 3-0 in last week’s semifinal, a result that also secured the team a place in the Paris Olympics.
“We always want more. Now is the moment for all the staff and players to savour and enjoy,” Tomé said. “You’ve seen on the pitch against a great opponent how we managed to limit them to very few chances and control the game. Our play has been evolving. We have a great group of players.
France was already qualified for the Olympics as the host country.
Spain entered the final at La Cartuja Stadium in Seville having scored a competition-high 26 goals.
Information from the Associated Press and ESPN’s Sam Marsden contributed to this report.