England are hoping to end their 58-year wait to win a men’s major international tournament when they take on an outstanding Spain team in the final of Euro 2024 on Sunday.
The match at the Olympiastadion in Berlin kicks off at midnight and will bring the curtain down on a month of football in Germany in which Spain — featuring teenage sensation Lamine Yamal — have been comfortably the most impressive side.
They have already eliminated several of the continent’s heavyweights while winning all six matches en route to the final as they aim to become European champions for a record fourth time, after 1964, 2008 and 2012.
England, meanwhile, have often struggled against lesser opposition but produced their best performance yet in beating the Netherlands in the semi-finals, when Ollie Watkins came off the bench to score and seal a 2-1 victory.
Now they are into their second consecutive European Championship final as they aim to banish the memory of their penalty shoot-out loss to Italy at Wembley in the deciding game of the last edition, three years ago.
If Gareth Southgate’s team can do that, England’s men will have a first title since the 1966 World Cup which they won on home soil.
“I’m not a believer in fairy tales but I am a believer in dreams,” Southgate said at his pre-match press conference on Saturday.
England have had several near misses in recent years — they were semi-finalists at the 2018 World Cup and bowed out at the last eight of the 2022 World Cup to France, either side of their Euro 2020 heartache.
A team led by Harry Kane and Jude Bellingham arrived in Germany as one of the leading contenders but won just once, against Serbia, and scored only two goals in topping their group.
They then needed Bellingham to come to the rescue at the death against Slovakia in the last 16, in a tie they eventually won in extra time, before prevailing on penalties against Switzerland and edging out the Dutch.
Spain comfortably their biggest test yet, as the sides prepare to meet at a major tournament for the first time since Euro 96 when an England team featuring Southgate as a player won on penalties in the quarter-finals.
“Fate, the run that we’ve had, the late goals, the penalties, that doesn’t equate to it being our moment,” Southgate admitted.
“We have to make it happen tomorrow and perform at the level that we need to perform.”
Yamal eyes birthday gift
Spain’s exciting new generation under coach Luis de la Fuente has taken the nation to their first men’s major tournament final since their remarkable run of victories at Euro 2008, the 2010 World Cup and Euro 2012.
With the swaggering Rodri Hernandez in midfield and flying wingers Nico Williams and Yamal — who only turned 17 on Saturday — they have lit up what has otherwise often been a disappointing tournament.
Spain won all their group games without conceding a goal, notably beating 2022 World Cup semi-finalists Croatia and reigning European champions Italy.
They beat hosts Germany in extra time in the quarter-finals in Stuttgart, before a stunning Yamal goal helped them come from behind to beat Kylian Mbappe’s France in the semis.
“It’s a brilliant generation, many of them have come through successful youth levels and that usually bodes well for success,” De la Fuente, 63, told reporters on Saturday.
“We want to start to make history — and we have made history already in the run to (the final) […] I trust in a great future.”
Spain can welcome back right-back Dani Carvajal and French-born central defender Robin Le Normand after both missed the semi-final due to suspension.
England’s only change could see Luke Shaw make his first start since February in place of Kieran Trippier at left-back.
Kane will lead the attack again with Watkins on the bench despite his match-winning contribution against the Netherlands.
UK media reports have suggested that England fans could account for as much as half the crowd inside the 71,000-capacity Olympiastadion, despite both finalists only receiving an official allocation of 10,000 tickets for the match.
The home of Hertha Berlin was also the venue for the 2006 World Cup final when Italy beat France on penalties.
By AFP
