Nuno Mendes named Nations League Player of the Finals | OneFootball

Nuno Mendes was crowned the UEFA Nations League Player of the Finals for 2025, and it’s hard to argue with the decision.

The 22-year-old was at the heart of Portugal’s dramatic win over Spain in Munich and was rightly named Man of the Match.

The former Sporting scored his first goal for Portugal in the final, levelling the game in the first half. Later, it was his explosive run and cross that led to Cristiano Ronaldo’s second equaliser. And when it came to penalties, Mendes stepped up and slotted his effort with ease.

He also grabbed an assist in the semi-final against Germany and played more minutes than anyone else throughout the campaign.

But it wasn’t just what he did with the ball - it’s who he did it against.

Mendes had already caught the eye with a brilliant Champions League campaign for PSG, where he lifted the trophy just eight days before Portugal’s Nations League win. Along the way, he shut down Mohamed Salah, kept Bukayo Saka quiet in the semi-finals, and gave Aston Villa’s wide players nothing to work with.

Then came the final against Spain, where all the attention was on 17-year-old Lamine Yamal. Mendes quickly flipped that narrative. He dominated their duel, left Yamal in his wake with a blistering run for Ronaldo’s goal, and even pulled out a filthy drag-back that had fans out of their seats.

Over the course of the season, Mendes delivered seven goals and 11 assists for club and country - an outstanding return for a full-back. Defensively, he was just as sharp. In the Champions League, he finished second for most tackles won (48), behind only his Portugal and PSG teammate João Neves, and second for interceptions (23), just four behind Real Madrid’s Fede Valverde.

Strong in the tackle, rapid going forward, tactically smart and fearless in big games - Mendes is the modern full-back personified.