Spain beat England 2-1 in a dramatic Euro 2024 final on Sunday to challenge the tournament’s comeback kings and return to the summit of European football in style.
Mikel Oyarzabal, who came on in the second half, weaved his way through the England defence and scored the winning goal in the 86th minute with a brilliant shot that evaded goalkeeper Jordan Pickford.
And so it was that Spain, the undisputed best team in the tournament, the recipients of the adoration of football purists, the best storytellers and top scorers, went on to win their fourth European title.
They had already beaten Germany and France, and with six wins from six games, they arrived in Berlin on a seven-game winning streak with a big chance to face a talented England team in the final.
Spain proved why with their second-half surge, playing a cautious game for the first 45 minutes as England’s defence held them back, but the second 45 minutes saw Spain step up their game.
They took the lead in the 47th minute. A Spanish wave rolled from back to front and right to left, pulling English players out of position and pushing them aside. Fabian Ruiz passed to Dani Carvajal, who flicked the ball to Lamine Yamal, who set up Álvaro Morata and Dani Olmo.
Their runs pulled John Stones and Kyle Walker respectively towards the play and away from Nico Williams, who was lying in wait at the other end.
Yamal played the ball to Williams, who needed just one powerful touch to break England’s resistance.
The goal is La RojaThe return of Yamal and Williams, two attractive young wingers, transformed a mediocre team into a dynamic one. Spain had controlled the game for years but lacked direct play and goals. The pair used their skill and unbridled energy to toy with tough opposition and force England to come out of their shell at the Olympiastadion.
But Spain continued to gain momentum after that, and for 25 minutes there was only one likely winner in the eyes of most veterans.
Then, out of nowhere, Cole Palmer appeared.
Palmer, Chelsea’s calm, slim, unassuming star, came on in the 70th minute and then, from almost nothing in the 73rd minute, slipped between the bodies of Spain players, past goalkeeper Unai Simon and fired a 20-yard shot into a goal that England had barely had a shot for up to that point.
But the equaliser was only temporary and did nothing to change the tide. Spain continued to play steadily and regained momentum. Yamal, a day before his 17th birthday, tested Pickford. A few minutes later Oyarzabal beat Pickford, perhaps by inches.
And Spain, arguably more than any other nation that has shaped modern football, became the first country to win the Men’s European Championship four times.
The live broadcast has ended59 updates
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Final score: England 1-2 Spain
47′ Nico Williams scores for Spain after an assist from Lamine Yamal.
73′ England’s Cole Palmer scores the equaliser with an assist from Jude Bellingham.
86′ Marc Cucurella feeds in Mikel Oyarzabal to give Spain the lead again.
