Spain vs England
A month-long football spectacle in Germany reaches its pinnacle as Spain and England go head-to-head in the heavily anticipated Euro 2024 final at the Olympiastadion in Berlin.
Spain fought back from an early deficit to overcome France in the semi-final, with 16-year-old Lamine Yamal becoming the youngest-ever scorer at a major tournament to inspire La Furia Roja’s 2-1 victory. As the only team to have won all six Euro 2024 matches, the Iberian heavyweights head into the final as pre-match favorites, seeking a record-breaking fourth title. Luis de la Fuente’s men head into this historic fixture on a nine-game winning streak. It’s Spain’s longest such run since 2012, when they last won the Euros. However, facing England at this tournament brings back painful memories for the Spaniards, as they’ve lost all four Euros H2Hs, though the most recent one dates back to 1996.
That’s a rare good omen for beaten Euro 2020 finalists England, who bid to bring the famous ‘it’s coming home’ chant to life this summer. Like their opposition, Gareth Southgate’s side faced an early deficit in their semi-final tie against the Netherlands but eventually ran out 2-1 victors. It’s not been a brilliant tournament for the Three Lions, considering they’ve only managed two wins in regulation (D4). But after becoming the first time in Euro finals history to advance into the title-deciding fixture after trailing in the quarter-finals and semi-finals, they’ll take the Olympiastadion field in a buoyant mood. Searching for their first-ever European title, England can draw further confidence from avoiding defeat in a competitive match since a heartbreaking 2-1 loss to France in the 2022 World Cup quarter-finals.