UEFA EURO 2024: Jesus Navas Breaks 18 Year Record With Appearance for Spain Against Albania
- The Spanish national team faced off against Albania in their final UEFA Euro 2024 tournament group B match.
- Having already secured the group's top spot, coach Luis de la Fuente, chose to field a second-string La Roja side.
- This decision led to veteran defender, Jesus Navas, breaking an 18-year-old tournament record for the Spanish team.
The Spanish national team may have already secured a spot in the knockout phase of the UEFA Euro 2024 tournament, but their match against Albania was anything but a dead rubber.
Coach Luis de la Fuente, who had successfully guided his team past the hurdles of defeating Croatia and the defending champions, Italy, chose to field a second-string side for their final Group B fixture.
While the former Deportivo Alaves manager emphasised that his team would be playing largely for pride against Albania, his decision to make significant changes to his starting XI resulted in a flurry of records being set.
Source: Getty Images
Ferran Torres, making his first start at the tournament, etched his name into Spanish football folklore with a goal in the 13th minute, becoming the joint top scorer alongside Joselu Mato for La Roja in major competitions under Coach de la Fuente. However, it was Jesus Navas who stole the spotlight, setting a new Spanish record with his first appearance at the Germany event.
Jesus Navas sets new Spanish record
With his appearance on the night, the Sevilla full-back became the oldest player ever to represent the Spanish team at a major tournament since former Celta Vigo goalkeeper Santiago Canizares.
At 38 years and 216 days, Navas eclipsed the retired goalkeeper’s 18-year-old record to become the oldest player to play for Spain in a major international tournament, be it a World Cup or a Euro tournament, according to data from Opta.
Canizares held the record after featuring for Spain at the 2006 edition of the FIFA World Cup in Germany, against Saudi Arabia at the age of 36 years and 248 days.
Navas remains the sole surviving member of the victorious Euro 2012 winning squad to make it to the 2024 edition of the showpiece in Germany.
As previously reported by the Spanish outlet ESPN, the 38-year-old recently penned a lifetime contract extension at La Liga club Sevilla.
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