Spain has expanded their record as champions in the UEFA European Futsal Championship, the main national futsal competition in Europe, defeating the favourites, Portugal, in the final on Saturday, 5-3. 25-year-old Antonio Pérez scored a hat-trick to end a ten-year wait since their latest Euro Futsal title, and shared the title of top goalscorer of the competition with the Frenchman Souheil Mouhoudine.
The final, at the Arena Stožice in Ljubljana, Slovenia, saw Spain take a 2-0 lead but Portugal levelled the score twice. At 3-3, Antonio's third goal in the 35th minute finally tipped the match in Spain's favour, as he scored the first hat-trick in a futsal Euro final.
Since the competition was created in 1996, Spain has won the title eight times, including that first edition. The FUTSAL Euro Championship used to take place every two years, but since 2018 it's been held every four years, with Portugal winning in 2018 and 2022.