Spain have been crowned European champions for a record fourth time thanks to a 2-1 win over England in Berlin on Sunday for La Roja's fourth Euro crown -- one more than host nation Germany. Nico Williams opened the scoring minutes into the second half after being teed up by Lamine Yamal and just after the Spanish had seen key man Rodri substituted through injury.
One of two key saves from Jordan Pickford denied Yamal what would have been the goal to make it 2-0, and it looked costly when Cole Palmer stroked home just minutes after coming on at Olympiastadion. A second Pickford stop to keep Yamal out looked like it would help the Three Lions to turn the tide, as Gareth Southgate's unexpected changes appeared to be changing the game.
However, Luis de la Fuente watched his Spain side deliver a sucker punch as Marc Cucurella's low ball in was attacked by another substitute -- Mikel Oyarzabal -- who prodded beyond Pickford to restore the Spanish lead. There was further drama as a scramble while England sought an equalizer saw Dani Olmo head off his own line to keep the Spaniards ahead and it was enough in the German capital.
Spain now have four Henri Delaunay trophies to their name and this is their third since 2008 meaning that three of the last five have gone to La Roja. As for England, that is two consecutive final defeats and it comes with a feeling that some of Southgate's side will not be there for the next one which could also apply to the English tactician himself.
The Spanish triumph ends a summer tournament which has had its moments but was without a true rival to De la Fuente's men in terms of the convincing nature of their success. The English were fortunate to get so far after quite an average campaign which only truly came alive in the knockout phase.
Spain 2, England 1 (final score)
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This, of course, was only one of two finals that we have for you this Sunday and there is still the Copa America showdown between defending champions Argentina and Colombia. Whatever happens now, this summer's two big continental titles will have gone to Spanish-speaking nations.
La Roja have done it! Spain are champions of Europe for a record fourth time after overtaking host nation Germany. Williams and Oyarzabal's goals either side of Palmer's equalizer secures De la Fuente's side the trophy. Deserving champions you feel and what a summer they have had with 100% wins and only one game requiring extra time.
Wow -- what a sequence. England have a handful of chances as some header tennis in the Spain box sees Simon save one, Olmo head another off the line and then Rice head over. The English are pushing and Watkins also had a good sight of goal, but that feels like a big moment. Olmo knows it too -- he celebrated like it was a goal.
Oyarzabal puts the Spanish ahead! What a time to score for the substitute. Cucurella's low ball in is prodded home by the Basque star. What a late blow for England. Can the Three Lions fight back once more? La Roja are in control with time running out now.
Another save from the England goalkeeper to keep Yamal at bay. The English are suddenly back in it after the equalizer, but Spain had a chance which fell to their star youngster who could only shoot close to the Three Lions' shot stopper. We are into the final 10 minutes and it is 1-1 so extra time cannot be ruled out. Those saves from Pickford against Yamal could turn out to be crucial.
Immediate impact from Palmer! Bellingham lays it off on the edge of the box and the first time finish from the Chelsea man is perfect. It bends beyond Simon and into the bottom corner. What a time for one of Southgate's changes to work. The Three Lions have suddenly found their voice again.
It was almost perfect for the Spanish wonderkid. A low effort was turned away by Pickford, though, and it remains 1-0. It could turn out to be a big moment, that. However, for the moment, Spain remain in front and Morata is handing the captaincy to Carvajal before being replaced by Oyarzabal. Are we going to get another goal in the final quarter of this final? Palmer is on for Mainoo to add an extra attacking threat.
Southgate has done it -- an early change gives Watkins 30 minutes to impress. England's captain struggling again and this time the Bayern Munich man is sacrificed in the search for an equalizer. It worked against the Netherlands while looking for a winner... Could it be about to work here? Walker is now captaining the English who are starting to step things up around the Spain goal.
La Roja are going from strength to strength since Rodri went off with Morata and then Williams coming close to doubling the Spanish lead. Southgate and England have some work to do to get back into this one now and questions will be asked of Kane again. Semifinal hero Watkins is readying himself to come on, so could it be a change before the hour mark?
La Roja strike early! Despite the change bringing Zubimendi on for Rodri, the Spanish have pushed ahead. That man Yamal with the assist as he plays it across the box to his wing partner Williams who strikes into the bottom corner beyond Pickford. The Olympiastadion explodes and Olmo almost doubled Spain's lead immediately but swung just wide.
Zubimendi is being sent on for the second half. Confirmation that it is to replace Rodri. It is a huge blow for La Roja, make no mistake of that. Key, not only for Spain but also for City, it is a big issue for De la Fuente to deal with. No changes just yet from Southgate's England, but this is an advantage. Back underway too!
It is goalless at the break in the German capital. Carvajal lost the ball to Bellingham just before half-time and Kane saw his shot from the edge of the box smothered by a lunging Rodri. An England free kick led to Foden getting an effort on goal which was gathered by Simon. Otherwise, Spain have dominated the Three Lions but La Roja have not yet had a true sight of Pickford's goal. Rodri looked uncomfortable heading off the field.
We are approaching half time and so far no goals in Berlin. Olmo has been booked and things have gotten a bit testy of late, but neither side has created that much. Spain are in control of the ball as is their style and are perhaps shading this so far. For the moment, though, it remains goalless.
We are already halfway through our first half of action and it remains 0-0. Spain are dominating possession but have not created a clear-cut chance just yet. There are some tasty challenges flying in and Carvajal -- no stranger to trash talking -- has been vocal with his English opponents in the last few minutes. A booking finally comes from Letexier who cautions Kane for the first yellow of this final.
It looks like England already have a bit of concern for the City man who was down on the field moments ago and looked like he had hurt himself when trying to keep the ball in play. A Spanish corner passes with no major worry but Trippier, who dropped out of the XI for Shaw, is already warming up. That is one to keep an eye on.
It has been a bit of a cagey first 10 minutes or so in Berlin. Both sides sounding each other out and Spain not zipping the ball around with their usual speed and accuracy just yet. Williams does look dangerous going forward, but so far there is yet to be a true opening for either side. A great atmosphere and spectacle at the historic Olympiastadion.
Referee Francois Letexier of France has kicked us off after a belting rendition of the Euro 2024 anthem before the national hymns to a sea of color and noise in Berlin. There are 90 minutes or more ahead of these two to write history -- either Spain with their fourth title or England with their first. Either way, we are hoping for the sort of spectacle that we have not seen as often as we would have liked over the past few weeks in Germany.
Spain and England have some things in common when looking at the roster. Generally speaking, they both have a balance of some experienced players and talents that already showed their potential for the future. Yamal, Bellingham, but also Nico Williams, Phil Foden, Pedri, Kobbie Mainoo are playing alongside the experienced Alvaro Morata and Harry Kane, for example. While Spain are currently building a team after Luis Enrique left his role in 2022, Southgate is looking for his trophy after taking charge in 2016 and missing out the potential Euro win in 2021. For sure, both national teams have a lot to achieve in the coming years and a defeat on Sunday won't change what their ambitions will look like in the coming years, starting from the 2026 World Cup. But due to their similarities and potential going forward, this game will be about limiting mistakes and potentially an individual moment of brilliance. -- Francesco Porzio
The two stars to watch on Sunday, and it's been their tournament so far. Spanish star Lamine Yamal and English midfielder Jude Bellingham were the players that impressed most this summer. Yamal, after making his professional debut at FC Barcelona under Xavi, quickly became a key player for the side coached by de la Fuente and also became the youngest ever to score at the Euros, as he will turn 17 one day before the final. More than the records and the age, Yamal impressed with the quality of football expressed, and how he's already becoming a key player for the team while scoring stunning goals such as the one against France in the semifinal. On the other side, Bellingham has launched into superstardom after he joined Real Madrid from Borussia Dortmund in the summer of 2023 for €103 million and won the Champions League and La Liga in his first season under Carlo Ancelotti. Both Yamal and Bellingham are now brattling to win the MVP award of the UEFA Euro 2024, and Sunday's match will probably also determine the winner of it. -- Francesco Porzio
1968: Fast-forward 18 years and the Three Lions and La Roja meet again in Italy at Euro 68 which sees England win both quarterfinal meetings back in the days when that stage of the tournament was played over two legs. A 1-0 win at Wembley thanks to Bobby Charlton was followed by a 2-1 win at Santiago Bernabeu thanks to Martin Peters and Norman Hunter overturning Amancio's opening goal, but England would go on to be beaten by defeated finalists Yugoslavia in the semifinals.
1980: After another 12 years, these two meet again and also in Italy once more at Euro 80 with Group 2 pairing them together. Unfortunately, despite a 2-1 win for the English, both sides went out at the group stage having finished behind Belgium and their Italian hosts. Trevor Brooking and Tony Woodcock did the damage but it counted for little with both going home as the Belgians went all the way to the final before losing out to West Germany.
1996: It would be 14 years until England and Spain met again in 1996 with the Euro on English soil and both teams crossing each other in the quarterfinals after advancing from their groups. A goalless draw at Wembley required penalties and it was the hosts who held their nerve to win 4-2 with the shootout arguably best remembered for Stuart Pearce's celebrations after successful scoring from the spot despite Paul Gascoigne actually sealing the triumph 4-2 with his penalty. The joy was short-lived though as Germany would inflict heartache on the home nation from the spot in the semifinals on their way to winning it all via the first-ever golden goal.
2018-19: Six years ago now, England and Spain met in an early iteration of the UEFA Nations League which saw the two together in Group A4. A 2-1 win for the Spanish in London was canceled out by a 3-2 win for the English in Seville which helped the Three Lions to top the group and advance to the final stage. However, a 3-1 extra time loss to the Netherlands sent Gareth Southgate's side into the third-placed playoff which they won against Switzerland on penalties after a goalless draw.
1950: The first competitive meeting between these two came at the 1950 World Cup in Brazil with both teams drawn in Group 2 along with Chile and Joe Gaetjens' U.S. side. Spain won 1-0 in Rio de Janeiro thanks to a Telmo Zarra goal at Maracana which ensured top spot ahead of the other three on two points. However, the Spanish would go on to finish last in the final round with just one point from three games taken from a draw with eventual winners Uruguay.
1982: Two years later and the World Cup was hosted by Spain and these two found themselves together again in the group stage having both advanced from the initial group stages from groups four and five respectively. In Group B of the second group stage along with West Germany, both the Three Lions and La Roja failed to advance with a goalless draw between them in Madrid although the West Germans would go on to lose the final 3-1 to Italy.
Achieving greatness is rarely done solo. No matter what the profession, what gifts you were born with, and the skills and experience acquired along the way, it's more than likely that somebody was a key teacher or influence on the path to success. As Argentina prepare for Sunday's Copa America final and Spain do the same for the Euro 2024 final, the two high-flying national teams share something in common -- a bond between teacher and student.
Spain boss Luis de la Fuente, 63, having worked for the Spanish FA since 2013, has coached the nation's U19, U21 and U23 teams. Now the senior national team boss, his side has been the best-performing one at the Euros, producing a stylish run to the final after beating France in the semis on Tuesday. The Spanish manager was actually Argentina coach Lionel Scaloni's professor back in 2017, when the now-46-year-old Santa Fe native was getting his coaching license before taking the Argentina U20 job a year later.
Scaloni has deep ties to Spain, having played for Deportivo La Coruna, Racing Santander and Mallorca, and it's his home. His wife, Elisa Montero, with whom he has two children, is Spanish. But his ties with de la Fuente date back to the 16th of November of 2017 at La Ciudad del Futbol de Madrid in Las Rozas, where the Spanish soccer federation offers classes for those who want to get into coaching, including a special program for players who played at least eight years in Spain. There, Scaloni got his UEFA Pro license, the highest you could get, taking classes alongside former fellow Argentina national team players such as Javier Saviola and Fernando Redondo.
Argentina, under Scaloni, continue their massive return to the global stage, looking to win back-to-back Copa Americas on either side of a monumental triumph at the 2022 World Cup, ending years of suffering, including a title drought that stood from 1993 until 2019. Spain did just that over 14 years ago when they won the 2010 World Cup along with Euro 2008 and Euro 2012. Now, both hope to add to the silverware their nations managed to accumulate with so many fans watching. As de la Fuente cheers on Argentina and Scaloni does the same for Spain, their history and what they've learned from each other is helping them achieve even more. -- Roger Gonzalez
While Spain just started a new cycle under de la Fuente after he was promoted in 2022 as the Spanish manager after coaching the U23 team, England head coach Gareth Southgate became the manager of the national team in 2016 and since then England started a cycle that still didn't bring any trophies, including the disappointment of 2021, when the Three Lions lost to Italy in penalties in the final at Wembley. After the 2018 semifinals at the World Cup, the 2020 final and the quarterfinals of the last World Cup, this is probably the last chance for him to win a trophy with the national team. After some criticism and public doubt, it's not impossible to think that he might leave his job one way or another. However, we thought the same could happen to France manager Didier Deschamps, but it looks like he will stay in charge for the 2026 World Cup. Southgate must continue like he did in the semifinals by pressing the right buttons against the tricky Spanish. -- Francesco Porzio
As mentioned earlier, the England boss does have a few posers and not just in defense. Konsa did look more reassured against Switzerland than Guehi and the rest of the rearguard against the Netherlands. Also, Ollie Watkins was sharper in front of goal than Kane and even Ivan Toney have been. Although the Aston Villa striker probably does not yet have a case to start over Kane, he can justify getting minutes earlier in a game of this magnitude.
Konsa could be a more solid option at the back given his ability to play centrally but also out wide so it is up to Southgate how he counters the threats posed by this Spanish attack which will be the best that the English have faced. His decision making will not only be limited to that though as he has to get tough on his underperforming stars as throwing Watkins on showed against the Dutch. If Kane, Bellingham or Foden are not in the game, he cannot risk them seeing the final pass them by completely.
This tournament has shown that England have some of the best depth around with midfield combinations also taking time until the current blend was established. Southgate has largely stuck with Kieran Trippier too despite being tempted by Luke Shaw at times despite his fitness issues. It is vital though that the England boss is prepared to make big calls which could potentially make the difference between this game being won or lost over 90 or 120 minutes or even worse on penalties.
La Roja are first to have their team news in and the Spanish lineup is as follows with Luis de la Fuente welcoming Dani Carvajal and Robin Le Normand back from the suspensions that forced them out of the win over France. That means the France-born central defensive pairing of Le Normand and Laporte is reunited while Carvajal provides a natural right-sided option again in defense ahead of the veteran Jesus Navas. The midfield trio of Rodri, Ruiz and Olmo is untouched while the wing threats of Yamal and William will be more than a handful.
Spain XI: Simon; Carvajal, Le Normand, Laporte, Cucurella; Ruiz, Rodri, Olmo; Yamal, Morata (c), Williams.
Elsewhere, the whispers that Gareth Southgate was going with Luke Shaw in his England starting XI later have been proved correct with Kieran Trippier dropping out. That is a back three with Walker and Stones joined by Guehi. Saka is more of a right-sided marauding wing back with Mainoo and Rice maintained in the middle. Foden and Bellingham behind Kane once more is no surprise, but how long does Southgate wait to make his first change?
England XI: Pickford; Walker, Stones, Guehi; Saka, Mainoo, Rice, Shaw; Foden, Bellingham; Kane (c).
Harry Kane -- Whether it is from a penalty or open play, England's captain and talisman is the most likely to find the net for the Three Lions despite his below-par tournament overall. The Bayern Munich man needs a big performance and perhaps the silverware on offer and the big stage elicits a major response from Kane. If he does score, and the same goes for Dani Olmo, one of the two could move outright into the lead as tournament top scorer.
Although La Roja's run to the final has featured strong performances and consistency across the board, two players have shone brighter than most: Dani Olmo and Lamine Yamal. The Barcelona star was the hero with a stunning goal against the French as part of what has truly been a breakout 2024 for him at club and international level. The RB Leipzig has been the most regular source of Spanish goals with three so far to be level with Harry Kane before this game takes place.
De la Fuente has also see Paris Saint-Germain's Fabian Ruiz chip in with some timely goals but Olmo and Yamal have been almost irreplaceable -- as was evidenced against France without some suspended players such as Dani Carvajal, Robin Le Normand and Pedri. The Barca midfielder's absence could yet come back into focus against England but Carvajal and Le Normand will be back for this one in Berlin.
If Olmo keeps his form up and Yamal remains a menace, Spain's chances of scoring are not only boosted, but they may well end up pinning the Three Lions back on either side and cutting into a defense which looked stronger with Ezri Konsa than Marc Guehi. Factor in Xavi Simons' ability to catch the English back line napping in the semifinal and this is set up for La Roja to give it a real go as they chase another title.
Lamine Yamal: He was the player of the tournament so far and all the expectations are that he will also be the man of the match in the final against England. Yamal scored a stunner in the semifinal against France that decided the game and he will play alongside Nico Williams and Alvaro Morata in the final. Yamal turned 17 one day before the final and he will contend for top player of the tournament with Jude Bellingham. The future is on his side, but I expect him to be a deciding player in the final on Sunday. -- Francesco Porzio
Much as it seems a pity that one of the greatest prizes in team sport ends up being viewed through the lens of individual honors, there comes a time and a place where it is necessary to stoke the coals of the hype train. He may not have Rio Ferdinand shouting Ballon d'Or every second he is on the ball, but perhaps that is because Rodri has such a persuasive case to win the prize anyway. The 74-match unbeaten streak might have been ended by Manchester United, but one loss in 80 games isn't to be sniffed at, is it?
The best player in the Premier League last season has been the best at the European Championships too, even if his midfield partner Fabian Ruiz is putting up a sterling fight. By almost every measure in which a midfielder can impact a game, Rodri is excelling.
He passes the ball frequently and accurately, getting the ball into the attacking third and keeping it for Spain when required. Should the ball break loose he is a monster in the duels, winning nearly 60 percent of the 49 he has been involved in and recovering possession on more occasions than anyone other than Fabian Ruiz. That clutch scoring trait he developed at Manchester City was on full display when La Roja wobbled against Georgia. Rodri might need to apply any or all of those traits at a given moment in the final. He has proven time and time again that he reads the moment better than anyone else.
For all the burgeoning talents of Kobbie Mainoo and Rice's off-ball excellence (infrequently seen as he has tired through the knockout stages), England do not have a midfielder who can run the game quite like Rodri can. He will doubtless have studied how Jorginho, Luka Modric and Frenkie de Jong have got the Three Lions on their passing carousel and left them dizzy en route to defeat in previous tournaments. Repeat that trick on Sunday and he might just have the individual prizes that he is utterly disinterested in. -- James Benge
