Joselu Mato's numbers with Spain are astonishing, his relationship with scoring goals is unbeatable. He has scored three goals in as many matches, being decisive in his debut against Norway at La Rosaleda last March, as well as in the victory against Italy in the UEFA Nations League semi-finals on Thursday. He is 33 years old, but goals have no age, it's something innate that never expires.

"Statistically, we have seen that the best players in the world have performed better and have improved after the age of 30," defends the forward, who conveys his enthusiasm with a meaningful speech. "In my case, I believe it's the same. And I'm enjoying it a lot. I want to keep enjoying it because I feel very alive, very young. This is a special moment in my career and I don't want it to ever end."

He has plenty of reasons to be happy, still excited when recounting the goal he scored against Italy in the match in Enschede. It was in the final minutes, and he, a goal poacher, seized the first opportunity he had to send Spain to the grand final. "When the ball falls in that position, some people try to head it, some try to strike it hard towards the goal because you're very close and you don't want the goalkeeper to catch it... And I simply thought that a touch was enough to distract the ball. The goalkeeper was already calling for offside, it was the perfect way to score."

Joselu is there for that, to celebrate goals, and Luis de la Fuente has transmitted that confidence to him from day one, including him in the initial squad list and selecting him again for this UEFA Nations League. "He is a very approachable manager. Since the first day he called me up, he has been great with me," he insists.

The other day, before going onto the pitch, he was given two missions, and he fulfilled them wonderfully: "At the moment of the substitution, they first give me information about set-pieces, as is normal. And then the manager comes to tell me a couple of things: one of them is to help the team defensively because the team was tired and there could have been extra time, and we didn't want anything to happen, and also, if I had any chance, to put it in the back of the net... And that's what happened."

Glory is just one step away, and the team is committed because the national team can win a title again almost eleven years later. "A trophy is a trophy, and we are one match away from achieving it, representing an entire country. I think we have a lot of people behind us supporting us. Finals are played to win, and we have a tough opponent."