Portugal's route to the Nations League finals was significantly less dramatic than Spain's. A 2-1 victory over Germany in the semi-final would suffice compared to Spain's 5-4 victory over France, and yet they outclassed their neighbours when it came to it on the big stage.
Two goals apiece led the game to extra-time, then penalties - Spain's Martin Zubimendi slotted home after a flurry of chaos in the box to open the scoring, before Nuno Mendes lashed the ball goalwards to level the score for Portugal.
The first half still had more drama to showcase, though, as Zubimendi's Real Sociedad team-mate Mikel Oyarzabal rolled one past a stranded Diogo Costa in the Portugal net.
61 minutes in, 2-1 became 2-2 - as Cristiano Ronaldo put his laces through a slow-falling ball that ultimately Spain goalkeeper Unai Simón could do nothing to keep out. No winner could be found for either, despite super-talent Lamine Yamal coming close, so extra time beckoned.
Thirty minutes came and went, with no player managing to capture the headlines and the match now depending on penalties. It would be Spain talisman Álvaro Morata who let his side down, ultimately allowing Rúben Neves to step up and convert the winning spot-kick.
With Portugal victorious and Spain left with a heavy heart, what are the Nations League final's key takeaways?
Nuno Mendes is the best left-back in the world
For a brief period in time, it seemed like wing-backs were a dying art. Long gone were the days of players like Roberto Carlos and Cafú, instead replaced by converted centre-backs who had much more defensive solidarity and not much of an attacking role - a tactic used by both Pep Guardiola's Manchester City and Mikel Arteta's Arsenal.
But it now seems that the momentum is back with the meandering full-back. Whether it is Denzel Dumfries' attacking output, Jeremie Frimpong's blistering pace or Trent Alexander-Arnold's crossing, it seems like attacking wing-backs are here to stay.
One player who has been a crucial part of this resurgence is Paris Saint-Germain's Nuno Mendes. He is essentially the full package - both expert on the ball and off it. Sunday's showdown was definitive proof of this.
If not for a deflection off the foot of Robin Le Normand that ultimately led to Ronaldo's goal, Mendes would have ended up with both a goal and an assist. Bolstering the left-back's output was a superb defensive display, with seven out of 10 ground duels won, three tackles, two interceptions and a blocked shot.
It would be unfair to say that he kept Yamal entirely quiet - the young Spaniard had a decent game - but there is a reason Mendes won Man of the Match.
This game was a definitive statement of his ability. While players like Andrew Robertson and Alphonso Davies have risen to the peak of the left-back position in days gone by, it is now Mendes' mantle to hold. To think he will let it go any time soon would be naïve.
Lamine Yamal continues his unprecedented rise
It is no secret that Yamal did not set the world alight in the final. Mendes put in a brilliant shift to keep the 17-year-old quiet - a feat hardly any defender can say they achieved this season.
Regardless of the lack of scoring output, Barcelona's newest wonderkid has ascended to a level that no other player has achieved at his age. Already having won La Liga, the Copa del Rey, Supercopa de España, and the Euros is a truly unparalleled trophy cabinet for someone who isn't even an adult until July.
Yamal did not take a penalty in the shootout - perhaps that pressure is too much for a player born in 2007 - but was crucial to the chances Spain did have, with two shots on target and a key chance created.
He might have failed to capture silverware on this occasion, but Yamal will have many, many more opportunities - and perhaps bigger trophies, with both the World Cup and Champions League theoretically possible for the youngster to claim just after he turns 19. Even if he cannot achieve those goals by 2026, the end of the decade seems more reasonable. And to think he will only be 23.
To learn defeat is a continuation of a journey, and Yamal will learn from this match just as much as he did in the Champions League semi-final versus Inter.
Age is no issue for Cristiano Ronaldo
If Lamine Yamal is on one end of the footballing age spectrum, Cristiano Ronaldo is certainly on the other.
Ronaldo was coming off the back of his fourth season at Manchester United when Yamal was born in 2007, and is 23 years older than him, now on the other side of 40.
The move to Saudi Arabia's Al-Nassr has impacted Ronaldo. There is quite a gap in quality between the Saudi Professional League and the level he played at in Europe.
It does show in his game. Ronaldo is less involved, more focused on one thing he is still world-class at - goalscoring.
It was fitting, then, that Portugal's number 7 scored the equaliser, eventually allowing the nation to capture victory.
Amidst rumours of the Madeira-born veteran departing Riyadh after Al-Nassr's semi-final loss in the AFC Champions League, it seems like he is to stay for at least one more year.
Despite not playing at the peak of his powers anymore, Ronaldo's ability to still be a game-changer as he inches ever closer to retirement is a testament to his generational ability.
Luis de la Fuente needs to introduce new blood
To say that the reigning European champions need to introduce the next generation into their team might be unfair on the current crop of talent, but it might be in their best interests.
Morata, who is Spain's fourth top scorer with 37 goals and also the captain, missed a decisive penalty in the shootout. While he is not a nailed-on starter any more - Oyarzabal was the starting man up front - it would perhaps be logical to insert Porto's Samuel Aghehowa into the fray.
Aghehowa has been a standout in the Liga NOS this season, scoring 19 in 30 following his £12.6 million transfer from Atlético Madrid. However, with only a solitary cap under his belt, more game time would be of benefit so the young striker can gel with his fellow countrymen.
David Raya is two years senior to long-term goalkeeper Unai Simon, at 29, but has arguably eclipsed the Basque number one in terms of ability in the past two seasons with Arsenal. Raya is brilliant at progressing the ball and could add an extra element of threat to Spain's creativity.
Ex-Bournemouth centre-back Dean Huijsen, now of Real Madrid, and La Masia graduate Pau Cubarsí are the defensive pairing of the Spanish national team's future, but Luis de la Fuente might benefit from putting both youngsters on at the same time and allowing them to adapt to each other's game.
Spain's future is bright, regardless, but it is always better to stay ahead of the curve than fight against it.
