Alvaro Morata opens up on anxiety attacks and mental health issues as Spain captain ‘needs to think’ about retiring from national team after penalty heartbreak in Nations League final defeat to Portugal

Morata opened up on his battle with mental health issues, acknowledging that he has suffered from anxiety attacks. The Spain captain also admitted that he would contemplate retirement from the national team following his heartbreaking penalty miss that cost La Roja in the shootout defeat to Portugal in the Nations League final last week.

Spain and Portugal played out an entertaining game that ended 2-2 after 120 minutes in Munich. However, La Roja lost the shootout 5-3, with Morata, who came on as the substitute, missing his penalty. It's not the first time that the former Juventus, Atletico Madrid, Chelsea and Real Madrid forward has spoken up about his struggles with depression. Back in October 2024, the 32-year-old conceded that he was battling depression right before the 2024 European Championship.

Now, after the Nations League defeat, the Spaniard has already hinted that his future with the national team is clouded in uncertainty. Not just that, but he also received death threats from a section of fans on social media, pitting all the blame for Spain's loss on Morata. Such incidents would only take a bigger toll on the mental health of any player.

Morata spoke to Movistar+ on the occasion of the presentation of his documentary 'They Don't Know Who I Am'. Opening up on his mental health struggles, he said: "Your status has nothing to do with your mental health. You have no idea what's happening to you. There are many people who say: 'You have everything.' But it has nothing to do with it. Depression is a very deep issue, but anxiety attacks are there. Eight out of 10 young people suffer from it. And you're not weaker for saying: 'I'm not well at that moment.' What you need is someone to help you, but you can live a normal life. I'm Morata, I'm like that, and I always try to give my all, but it often doesn't work. I often beat myself up, I have a bad time, like last Sunday, but I stop beating myself up. Now I know I have to live. It's ten seconds, knowing what's coming or celebrating the goal in the corner. It hurts. I'm the first one who wanted to win the title with Spain. I had to take that penalty, I did it with determination, and I missed. Yes. You can miss and nothing happens.”

The 2024 European Championship winner with Spain also shared his thoughts on where he stands with regards to his future with the national team: “I don't have anything on my mind. I need to think. First, out of respect for the fans, then for my teammates, and also for Luis [de la Fuente], who has given me life. I need time to pass and analyze things, and see what's good for the national team and what's good or less good for me. I can't answer that today. My wife and children encourage me to keep fighting, but it's not about that anymore. I know what I've been through, and I would do it again a thousand times. I'm getting older, and you have to think things through, calmly and coolly. When I missed the penalty on Sunday, I spoke to her, and what you have to do is think. I'm impulsive, and when a situation like that comes up... it happens to me with football and in other aspects of my life. I wasn't aware of the decisions I was making in the media.”

With international football set to return directly in September, it will be interesting to see whether Morata decides to hang up his boots in international football. With the World Cup next year, head coach De la Fuente would expect a decision sooner rather than later in order to reshape his plans for the mega tournament in 2026. At club level, Morata spent the latter half of last season on loan at Galatasaray. It remains to be seen if he returns to Milan or continues his stint in Turkey for another season.