Spain, the defending Women’s World Cup champion, faced disappointment in Paris as they missed out on the medals altogether in the football bronze medal match against Germany. The match ended with a 1-0 victory for Germany, with Giulia Gwinn's penalty in the 65th minute proving to be the deciding factor.
Despite their efforts, Spain's two-time Ballon d’Or Féminin winner, Alexia Putellas, missed a crucial penalty in the 99th minute that could have taken the game to extra time. The German goalkeeper, Ann-Katrin Berger, emerged as the hero of the match by making a crucial save, diving to her left to deny Putellas' effort.
Spain, who was considered the second favorite to win gold behind the US Women’s National Team ahead of the Olympics, will be leaving Paris empty-handed on its Olympic debut in women’s football. On the other hand, Germany secured their fifth Olympic medal, adding to their collection of four bronzes (2000, 2004, 2008) and a gold medal from Rio 2016.
