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Alvaro Morata is available for Spain’s European Championship semi-final, UEFA has confirmed.
The 31-year-old was initially reported to have been shown a yellow card in the aftermath of his side’s late winning goal in extra time of their 2-1 quarter final victory over Germany in Stuttgart on Friday.
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Television coverage initially reported the Spanish captain to have been cautioned as did UEFA’s official website before the yellow card was later removed while Morata himself indicated to reporters after the game he had not been booked.
The Atletico Madrid striker was yellow carded in his nation’s last-16 victory over Georgia, which would have meant that he would trigger the threshold for a one-game suspension with a further booking.
Mikel Merino headed Spain’s winning goal in the 119th minute of the encounter to book his side’s place in the semi-final stage, with Morata — who was substituted off earlier in the game — initially recorded to have been booked in the aftermath, but UEFA have subsequently confirmed that was not the case.
He will now be available when Spain meet the winners of Friday night’s quarter-final match between France and Portugal in Munich on July 9.
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Yellow cards are only reset after the quarter-final stage of the competition, meaning that any players who pick up two yellow cards during the first five matches of the tournament face a one-match suspension.
Morata has featured in four of his side’s five matches at Euro 2024, starting each game aside from being rested for the group stage victory over Albania. He was substituted off in the 80th minute against Germany, replaced by Mikel Oyarzabal.
Spain defenders Dani Carvajal and Robin Le Normand will miss the semi-final; Carvajal was sent-off deep into injury time of extra time for a second yellow card while Le Normand, who was substituted off at half-time, picked up his second yellow card of the tournament.
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