Croatia’s wait for victory, the coronation that has been so close so often, continues and will probably never come for this generation now, the best they have ever had. Spain’s own golden era, meanwhile, is unlikely be matched but they did at last raise a trophy to the sky – 11 years on.
Runners up at the World Cup in 2018, third in 2022, Zlatko Dalic’s side fell in the final of the Nations League, penalties their downfall this time….