Ruben Dias won his second UEFA Nations League trophy as Portugal beat Spain 4-3 on penalties after a dramatic 2-2 draw between the two countries after extra-time.
The Manchester City colossus may have been disappointed after his attempt to clear the ball landed in Martin Zubimendi’s path, who opened the scoring for Luis de la Fuente’s side.
Rodri has revealed Dias’ incredible work ethic but during the 2024/2025 season, the former Benfica defender did not have his finest of campaigns and after Zubimendi’s goal, he may have feared another setback.
But Ruben Dias seemingly backed himself to step up from then on in and bore the fruits of his resilience on Sunday night.
Portugal’s media praise Ruben Dias after Nations League final vs Spain
Dias is a leader for Manchester City and Portugal and after Zubimendi’s opening goal, he rose to the task of spearheading his nation’s rock-solid defence against a top-class Spain side.
In vintage fashion, the 28-year-old made several crucial interceptions, clearances and challenges despite facing attackers of the ilk of Nico Williams, Lamine Yamal and Mikel Oyarzabal.
A Bola noted the marked improvement in Dias’ display for Portugal against Spain and gave him a 7/10 match rating for his exploits: “Backheel clearance before Spain’s goal, which was too short for him. Immediately afterwards, he made a great clearance on Nico Williams. Just before half-time, he almost perfectly placed Oyarzabal in the game for Spain’s second goal. He improved his performance significantly in the second half, also being important in Portugal’s attacking play.”
Goal Point gave Dias a 6.1/10 match rating but lauded his performance for Portugal against Spain: ” great game from the central defender. Ruben Dias won seven of HIS 11 individual duels, including three of four defensive aerials and also made a decisive tackle.”
Ruben Dias stats for Portugal vs Spain
Dias has slated football’s tireless fixture schedule but even so, he decided to put his opinions to the side and rise to the task for Portugal against Spain.
The stats reflect how impressive the four-time Premier League winner was in the heart of the Portuguese defence.
| RUBEN DIAS STATS FOR PORTUGAL VS SPAIN | |
| DRIBBLED PAST | 0 |
| DUELS WON | 7/10 |
| CLEARANCES | 4 |
| PASS ACCURACY | 58/65 (89%) |
Dias was not dribbled past even a single time, made four clearances and won seven out of the 10 duels he contested.
While in possession, the decorated centre-back misplaced just seven out of his 65 attempted passes, as the Amadora-born star reminded the world why he remains one of the best in the business.
