Spain and England faced off in a highly anticipated match up in Berlin to determine the winner of the 2024 European Championship. Each team took their own distinct path to the final. In theory, Spain had the tougher draw, coming up against the likes of Italy, Croatia, Germany and France en route to the final. England had relatively easier matchups, facing Denmark, Slovenia, Serbia, Slovakia, Switzerland and the Netherlands. Everything these teams had fought for came down to just 90 minutes on Sunday, July 14. Both teams understood their performances on the pitch would be remembered by history, whether triumphant or tragic..
Heading into the final, Spain was the clear favorite. Riding a six-game winning streak, they dominated five of their opponents within 90 minutes. The only game that went into extra time was Spain’s 2-1 thrilling win over Germany. Spain looked to dominate the ball, only being out-possessed in their games against Germany and Croatia in the tournament. With the possession, Spain had three main attacking outlets: dynamic winger Nico Williams, shifty forward Dani Olmo and teenage sensation Lamine Yamal. Williams and Yamal played on the wing terrorizing defenders while Olmo used pockets of space on the field to create scoring chances out of nothing. From the midfield, Rodri lived up to his status as one of the game’s best by constantly funneling the ball to attackers. He both stopped opponent attacks and launched Spain forward. Heading into the final, Spain had scored a tournament-leading 13 goals.
England, by contrast, clawed their way through the tournament standings. Only 60 seconds stood between England and elimination in the round of 16 match up against Slovakia. Of course, that was before superstar midfielder Jude Bellingham scored a wonder goal to send the game to extra time. England would go on to beat Slovakia 2-1 and progress to the next round. In the quarterfinals, England once again conceded first but a moment of magic from winger Bukayo Saka tied the game with 10 minutes remaining. England forced the game to a penalty shootout where they won thanks to five strong penalties. The Three Lions fell behind for a third time in the semifinal against the Netherlands, thanks to a thunderous strike from Dutch winger Xavi Simons. England equalized the score thanks to a Harry Kane penalty, and in the dying moments of regular time, striker Ollie Watkins lashed in a goal to secure England’s spot in the final. Despite a shaky set of performances, they secured their second European Championship final in as many tournaments. It would be reductive to say England was lucky to be in the final. Rather, their impressive collection of talent led to moments of magic from individuals rather than complete teamplay.
In the final, both teams were able to field their strongest starting XIs. Spain remained unchanged with the exception of defenders Robin Le Normand and Dani Carvajal returning from suspension. England made one change by substituting defender Luke Shaw, who recovered from injury, in for defender Kieran Trippier. The game started with Spain controlling much of the ball and England sitting back absorbing the pressure. Both teams had chances in the first half but neither capitalized. Williams produced the best of Spain’s chances while England’s best chance came on a shot off the foot of Phil Foden. However, Spanish goalkeeper Unai Simón comfortably saved the shot, and Williams failed to threaten English goalkeeper Jordan Pickford. The half was a back and forth affair with Spain having most of the ball but England threatened on their limited opportunities.
Starting the second half, Spain threatened immediately with Yamal slicing through the England defense to lay a perfect ball for Williams. The winger slotted the ball away into the net to give Spain a 1-0 advantage. England’s defense lacked the organization that was present throughout the first half. After Spain’s goal, England’s manager Gareth Southgate made two changes. Southgate brought on Watkins and superstar Cole Palmer. The substitutions instantly made England more threatening. Just three minutes after getting introduced, Palmer scored to tie the game at one apiece. The goal came from Bellingham, who layed off a pass to Palmer that thundered into the Spanish net. After England scored, Spain raised the pressure once again. 13 minutes after Palmer’s goal, Mikel Oyarzabal redirected a cross from Marc Cucerella to put Spain ahead one final time. The chance seemingly came out of nowhere, but the end result was undeniable. England threw everything in desperate hopes of equalizing, but Simón’s goalkeeping and a goal line clearance from Olmo secured the win for Spain.
Spain played the best soccer in the tournament and rightfully came out victorious. Rodri earned Player of the Tournament thanks to his dominance in the midfield. Yamal was the best young player throughout Euros 2024, leading the tournament with five assists. Olmo’s three goals tied him with Kane, the Netherlands’ Cody Gakpo, Slovakia’s Ivan Schranz, Germany’s Jamal Musiala and Georgia’s Georges Mikautadze as the tournament’s top goalscorers. Spain’s powerful youth, namely 17 year old Yamal and 22 year old Williams, make them a team to fear for the future.
England, on the other hand, leaves with more questions than answers. Despite his impressive tournament results, Southgate has failed to get the England team to live up to expectations. Southgate set the team up in a very defensive manner despite having some of the best attacking players in the world. He failed to extract the most out of his players as a manager, most notably Foden. The Manchester City midfielder failed to register a single goal contribution in the tournament. Following the heartbreaking loss to Spain, Southgate resigned as England coach. This decision was not all too surprising; he produced some of the best results in English soccer history but could not meet fan expectations for their national team. With two years until the World Cup, England has to decide the direction of the team and find the right person to guide them to the trophies.
The 2024 European Championship’s storylines captivated audiences from the first match to the final. The country of Georgia qualified to the round of 16 in their first ever European Championship appearance. Turkey finally delivered on their potential and made the quarterfinal led by the talented Arda Güler. The tournament showcased the talent around Europe and brought new eyes to previously under-appreciated nations.