Michael O’Neill admitted Spain’s class told in a humbling 5-1 defeat for Northern Ireland but he believes his young players will benefit from having taken on a world-class team.
Daniel Ballard headed Northern Ireland into a shock lead with 70 seconds on the clock in Palma, but once Pedri had levelled 10 minutes later, Euro 2024-bound Spain showed their calibre with Alvaro Morata and Fabian Ruiz scoring either side of Pedri’s second to make it 4-1 by the break.
