Spain captain Sergio Ramos has broken the international appearance record in European football after making his 177th La Roja appearance in their 1-1 UEFA Nations League draw in Switzerland.
Ramos led Luis Enrique’s team out in Basel on a record breaking night for the Real Madrid defender as he overtook Gianluigi Buffon as the most capped European player ever, as per official confirmation from UEFA.
However, the game ended on a low point for the 34-year old, as his long run of penalty success came to an end against Vladimir Petkovic’s team.
Yann Sommer reacted brilliantly to save his first spot kick – Ramos’s first miss in 25 attempts for club and country – and his first miss for Spain since 2016.
Ramos wasted a second chance to score from the spot with ten minutes to go as Sommer blocked his poorly attempted paneka from 12 yards.
Manager Luis Enrique offered his backing at full time, confirming Ramos would have taken a third penalty and insisting he will remain as their first choice penalty taker in future games.