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France Wins Nations League with Late Goal from Mbappé

French players celebrate with the trophy. (AP)
French players celebrate with the trophy. (AP)
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France Wins Nations League with Late Goal from Mbappé

French players celebrate with the trophy. (AP)
French players celebrate with the trophy. (AP)

Kylian Mbappé scored late as world champion France came from behind to win the Nations League with a 2-1 victory over Spain in the final on Sunday.

Mbappé netted with 10 minutes remaining as France was again forced to fight back, just as it had done in the semifinals against Belgium.

There were few chances in a cagey final in Milan but the match burst into life shortly after the hour mark.

Moments after France hit the woodwork, Mikel Oyarzabal fired Spain in front but its lead lasted less than two minutes before a magnificent finish from Karim Benzema.

“This is the first piece of silverware I’ve won with France so I’m very proud and delighted,” said Benzema, who only recently returned to the France squad after a five-year absence.

“We played two top-level performances. We went out there to win the trophy so I’m delighted for the team as a whole and I’m proud as an individual.”

There was a video review for a possible offside on Mbappé but the goal was given as Spain defender Eric García was the last to touch the ball as he attempted to intercept the pass to the France forward.

“I’m used to not talking about referees and I concentrate on what I can control,” Spain coach Luis Enrique said. “I don’t think I’ve ever talked bad about referees.

“I’ve got nothing to say. I concentrate on trying to make my teams play the best way and accepting wins and losses.”

European champion Italy beat Belgium 2-1 in the third-place match earlier Sunday.

Spain beat Italy 2-1 in their semifinal game with Ferran Torres netting both goals. There had been doubts about Torres’ fitness but he recovered to start the final. Midfielder Adrien Rabiot was absent for France after testing positive for the coronavirus.

France started well and almost took an early lead as Benzema rounded Spain goalkeeper Unai Simón and attempted to roll across for Mbappé but the ball was cleared by César Azpilicueta.

Spain went closer five minutes later as Torres threaded the ball through to Pablo Sarabia but his fairly tame shot was an easy catch for France goalkeeper Hugo Lloris.

Spain dominated possession but created few chances. It was the only side to have a shot on target in the first half though.

Theo Hernández had scored the last-minute winner for France against Belgium and he ignited Sunday’s final when his effort crashed off the underside of the bar and out in France’s first real sight of goal in the 63rd minute.

Moments later, however, it was Spain which broke the deadlock as Oyarzabal raced onto Sergio Busquets’ ball over the top and fired into the bottom right corner.

Oyarzabal had set up both of Torres’ goals in the semifinal match.

But France was swiftly back on level terms as Benzema cut in from the left and curled a sumptuous effort into the top right corner.

And the stage was set for Mbappé to score the winner as he and France continue their revival. Mbappé was judged to have sprung the offside trap as he raced onto Theo Hernández’s through ball and placed it into the bottom right corner.

Lloris pulled off two great saves from point-blank range to deny first Oyarzabal and then Yeremi Pino as France survived a late siege by Spain.

Mbappé has now scored in successive matches, after two goals in his previous 13 internationals.

It was the third straight victory for France.

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Move over Messi and Ronaldo. A New Generation of Soccer Stars Is Lining up to Win the Ballon d'Or

Real Madrid's Vinicius Junior looks on during the UEFA Champions League soccer match between Real Madrid and Borussia Dortmund, in Madrid, Spain, 22 October 2024. (EPA)
Real Madrid's Vinicius Junior looks on during the UEFA Champions League soccer match between Real Madrid and Borussia Dortmund, in Madrid, Spain, 22 October 2024. (EPA)
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Move over Messi and Ronaldo. A New Generation of Soccer Stars Is Lining up to Win the Ballon d'Or

Real Madrid's Vinicius Junior looks on during the UEFA Champions League soccer match between Real Madrid and Borussia Dortmund, in Madrid, Spain, 22 October 2024. (EPA)
Real Madrid's Vinicius Junior looks on during the UEFA Champions League soccer match between Real Madrid and Borussia Dortmund, in Madrid, Spain, 22 October 2024. (EPA)

No Lionel Messi. No Cristiano Ronaldo.

When the Ballon d'Or is presented at a gala ceremony in Paris on Monday, it will feel like the start of a new era in football. There is also a sense of void now that one of sport's most engrossing rivalries is likely over.

"It's interesting that as it starts to come to an end, we are sort of saying, what's the next equivalent rivalry going to be," soccer author Jonathan Wilson told The Associated Press. "As if that kind of rivalry was a natural state. But there's never been a rivalry like that before."

Messi and Ronaldo won football's most prestigious individual award a combined 13 times over a 16-year period of unprecedented dominance. Neither has been nominated this year.

Instead, Real Madrid winger Vinicius Junior is the favorite to be crowned the world's best player and become the first winner born this century.

He underlined his credentials this week with a stunning Champions League hat-trick against Borussia Dortmund.

"Vinicius had an incredible season where he was a key player... he proved he's the best player in the world," Madrid teammate Lucas Vazquez said.

But rather than Vinicius spearheading a new era of dominance, it seems likely the award will revert to a time before Messi and Ronaldo when multiple winners were relatively rare.

France great Zinedine Zidane, for instance, only won it once. The same goes for Ronaldinho, Rivaldo, Luis Figo and George Best. Originally limited to European players, it was never won by Pele or Diego Maradona.

Before Messi, the last player to win back-to-back awards was Dutch striker Marco van Basten in 1988 and '89.

Messi won a record-extending eighth Ballon d'Or last year after leading Argentina to triumph at the World Cup in 2022. Wilson, who wrote about the history of Argentinian football in his book "Angels With Dirty Faces," sees no obvious successor to the Barcelona great, now at Inter Miami.

"Messi's been phenomenal for 17, 18 years," he said. "It's not a pure tallying process, but in terms of greatness over a protracted period, Messi is the greatest there has ever been by quite some margin.

"I don't think there's anybody in the world now who has anything remotely close to that talent."

Such was the dominance of Messi and Ronaldo, not only would Vinicius Junior become the first winner born this century, but there has never even been a recipient born in the '90s.

Vinicius Junior, whose goals helped Madrid to a record-extending 15th European Cup last season, is part of a new generation of stars that are flourishing as Messi and Ronaldo reach the final stages of their careers.

Kylian Mbappe, Erling Haaland, Jude Bellingham and Lamine Yamal make up a field of contenders who could challenge for years to come.

Manchester City midfielder Rodri is second favorite to win this year and would become the first player born in the '90s to take the award.

Mbappe, who has long-been seen as the heir to Messi and Ronaldo as the world's best player, was born in 1998, meaning it's likely there will eventually be a winner from that decade even if Rodri misses out.

The only other winners since Ronaldo won his first Ballon d'Or in 2008 were Luka Modric in 2018 and Karim Benzema in 2022. Both were born in the 1980s.

The award was cancelled in 2020, when Robert Lewandowski was widely regarded the best player that year. He was also born in the '80s.

Neymar, born in 1992, came third on two occasions.

The Ballon d'Or was created by France Football magazine and has been awarded since 1956. It is voted for by journalists from the top 100 countries in the FIFA rankings.

Each journalist, one per country, selects 10 players in ranked order, with points attributed to each position. The winner is the player who receives the most points.

The dominance of Messi and Ronaldo in the age of social media has heightened the profile of the award.

Players talk of their dream to win it in a manner they may have spoken about the Champions League and World Cup in the past.

The potential to win it is used during transfer negotiations, with clauses added to contracts stipulating a buying club will pay extra costs if a player goes on to be crowned the best player in the world.

While Vinicius appears to be in pole position this year, Mbappe vs. Haaland has the potential to develop into a new rivalry for the award — particularly given they are strikers for Madrid and Manchester City, respectively, the two best teams in Europe in recent years.

"That whole idea of rivalries and sort of head-to-head, one-v-ones is just such a big part of football now," soccer author Matt Oldfield told The Associated Press. "People want to be able to simplify it to one-v-one, and I think the Mbappe-Haaland debate will be the leading one."

Oldfield writes children's books about football and on visits to schools he gauges the popularity of players among young fans.

His latest series is called "The Football GOAT (greatest of all time)."

The first book in the series centered around Messi and Ronaldo. The next is about Mbappe and Haaland: "We're kind of moving beyond Messi and Ronaldo now," he said.