Berlin- In the Euro 2024 final on Sunday in Berlin, Spain defeated England 2-1 during a thrilling second half to win a record-breaking fourth European Championship. Minutes into the second half, Nico Williams, one of Spain’s standout players in the competition, gave La Roja the lead with a deft finish in the bottom corner after a perfectly-weighted pass from the team’s other rising star, the recently 17-year-old Lamine Yamal.
At the Olympiastadion in the German metropolis, England restored level halfway through the second half with a skillfully placed left-footed shot from Cole Palmer outside the box. However, Mikel Oyarzabal’s inch-perfect ball from Marc Cucurella gave Spain a late lead with just under five minutes left in regulation time, capping off a thrilling tournament for La Roja and a triumph.
Spain has now won four European Championships, having done so in 1964, 2008, and 2012. England, on the other hand, is devastated to have lost to Italy on penalties at Euro 2020 for a second consecutive European Championship.
After the players got over their pre-match nervousness, the game started tight like a big final. Both sides were feeling each other out. Many had projected that Spain would dominate possession in the first half hour, but they failed to create many genuine chances for goals. While La Roja controlled possession and attempted to open up, England had the first shot on goal just before halftime when a close-range effort from Phil Foden struck Unai Simón in the Spanish goal.
At the half, one of Spain’s most vital players—Manchester City midfielder Rodri—was taken out due to injury, dealing the team a serious setback. Martín Zubimendi of Real Sociedad took his position. When Williams completed a sweeping move two minutes after the half to give La Roja a well-deserved lead, the Iberians appeared unfazed by the loss of their star midfield player. Williams became the second youngest player to score in a Euro final at the age of 22 years and 2 days.
At Euro 2024, England had established a reputation for coming back from behind, and if they were to have any chance of winning the match, they would need to produce yet another magical moment. Declan Rice headed a corner towards goal as the clock approached ninety minutes. Simón parried it out to Guehi, whose effort was cleared off the line by Dani Olmo of RB Leipzig.
Spain’s defense celebrated stopping another English attack. The Three Lions did everything in their power to force extra time, but after four more minutes, referee François Letexier sounded the final whistle. The players from Spain then fell to the ground and joined the sea of red-and-yellow-clad supporters inside the stadium to celebrate.
