"Wtf is he doing in this lineup", "Not serious" - Fans react as Spain star included in XI to face Portugal in Nations League final
Some fans online are unhappy with manager Luis de la Fuente’s decision to start Oscar Mingueza in the UEFA Nations League final between Spain and Portugal. The two sides are set to face off at Allianz Arena on Sunday, June 8.
Spain booked their spot in the showpiece of the competition after defeating France 5-4 in the semi-final. In the other semi-final, Portugal came from behind to defeat host Germany 2-1. Going into the final, both teams will be looking to be the first team to win the Nations League for the second time. La Roja are defending champions, while Seleção das Quinas won the inaugural edition in 2019.
De la Fuente made two changes to his team that played against France ahead of their match against Portugal. Oscar Mingueza replaced Pedro Porro in the right-back position, while Fabián Ruiz came in for Mikel Merino in midfield.
Among the two changes, Mingueza’s inclusion in the starting XI doesn’t seem to sit well with some fans who expressed their displeasure on social media.
An X (formerly Twitter) user wrote:
"Starting with Mingueza in 2025?? DLF is not serious."
Another tweeted:
"Mingueza is the weak link."
"What happened to Porro? wtf is Mingueza doing in the line up," @BadMhanGucci queried.
"Mingueza in the humongous year of our Lord and saviour 2025," @TabaniChinyani wrote.
"Are my eyes really seeing Mingueza at RB?," @fcbSV_ expressed surprise at the player's inclusion.
“We’re good at what we do” – Mikel Oyarzabal ahead of Spain’s Nations League final match against Portugal
Spanish forward Mikel Oyarzabal is confident in his side’s ability to defeat Portugal in Munich. In the pre-match press conference, the 28-year-old insisted that Spain are capable of winning against any team. He said (via RFEF’s website):
“We’re clear that we’re capable of competing against any team and we have the confidence to play against anyone. We’re good at what we do, even though there are other very strong teams. What we have is confidence, and sometimes that’s very important,”
He continued:
“Spanish and Portuguese football have both had moments of success and operate at high level. Our job and what we want is for that to continue. I think it’s clear from these semi-finals that everyone wants to win this competition.”
“Less than a year ago we were European champions, so we must be doing something right to achieve that. Football goes beyond names and individual players. We’ve all understood that we have to put ourselves at the disposal of the team to move forward. We’re on the right path and we want to keep going,”
The last time Spain and Portugal faced off was in the group stages of the Nations League in 2022, with the Spaniards coming out on top with a 1-0 win.
