Spain defeats Croatia and returns to the European futsal final eight years later

SPORTS WRITING (EFE).– The Spanish futsal team returned to a final of the European Championship eight years later, after defeating 2-1 Croatia in a demanding and disputed match that confirmed the great moment of the team led by Jesús Velasco.

You may be interested in;RD Selection starts its route in the Concacaf U-17 Qualifier 2026

Spain dominated large stretches of the match and showed the solidity that has characterized it throughout the tournament, although it had to work hard against an intense, competitive Croatia, backed by a fan base that pushed until the last second. With this victory, the Spanish team is one step away from regaining the continental throne, lost precisely in 2018, at the Stozice Arena, against Portugal.

A physical and hard-fought duel

From the start, Croatia proposed a physical match, closing spaces and hindering the circulation of the Spanish ball, while seeking direct play with its pivots. That pressure limited Spain's offensive fluidity, which still maintained control of the match and the initiative.

The first opportunities came in dribs and drabs. A shot by Antonio that hit the post, after a rebound from goalkeeper Kustura, and a one-on-one by Gordillo warned of the Spanish danger in a first half also marked by the accumulated fouls of both teams.

The domain had its reward in the 13th minute, when Pablo Ramírez defined with coldness after a precise filtered pass from Cortés to open the scoring. The goal reinforced Spanish confidence, although Croatia came close to equalizing before halftime after an error in the ball's exit that Cecilio managed to save on the line. Barely a minute later, Mellado extended the lead with a low shot that seemed to be heading the match before the break.

Resistance and Craft in the Second Half

After the break, Croatia pushed up their lines and increased the pressure, complicating the Spanish team's ball exit. In that stretch, the figure of goalkeeper Dídac emerged, decisive with several meritorious interventions that sustained Spain in the most delicate moments. Velasco's team had to resort to its most hardworking and solid version to withstand the rival attacks. With four and a half minutes to go, Croatia opted for the five-player game with Franko Jelovčić and found the goal after an unfortunate play that ended in Rivillos' own goal. The tension rose even further when Sekulic crashed a free kick against the crossbar. These were final minutes of maximum demand, in which Spain knew how to suffer, resist, and maintain concentration to seal the victory. With the ticket to the final secured, Spain will compete for the European title this Saturday, against Portugal or France, with the intact illusion of lifting the trophy again.

Velasco: “We want to be champions”

After the match, coach Jesús Velasco valued the pass to the final as a very important achievement.

“It means a lot to be back in the final. We were coming from a bad result in the last World Cup and this pass is very important, not only for the national team, but also for Spanish futsal,” he stated.

Velasco underscored the competitive level shown by his team and was clear about the final goal: “Whoever our rival is, Portugal or France, we want to leave here as champions.” The coach acknowledged the difficulty of the match against a Croatia that he described as "very solid and of great quality", and admitted that, despite a very complete first half, Spain lost some control after the break.

"We got an important advantage, but we got a little overconfident. In futsal, winning by two goals means nothing," he pointed out, insisting that the best way to manage the matches is to "keep attacking and looking for more goals."