Summary:
- Spain defeated England 2-1 in the Euro 2024 final at Berlin’s Olympiastadion.
- The Spaniards celebrated their fourth European trophy underneath the fireworks.
- England missed its second European Championship final in a row despite Cole Palmer’s superb long-range torpedo equalizer in the 73rd minute.
The Three Lions who defeated the Netherlands in the Semis were looking to put an end a 58-year disappointment and finally bring home their first European title failed again last night.
England was beaten 2-1 by the Spaniards in the Euro 2024 final in Berlin, at the Olympiastadion.
While the Spanish side were celebrating their victory underneath the fireworks, with the trophy in their hands, Gareth Southgate’s side was still processing the way Mikel Oyarzabal’s late winner left the nation with another heartbreak.
It was the second successive European Championship final lost by the men’s team who were unable to quench fans’ thirst for success.
Cole Primer Raised Hopes, But to No Avail
Spain’s young star wingers worked together for a lead just two minutes after the break. Lamine Yamal‘s pass opened up an excellent space for Nico Williams who managed to defeat keeper Jordan Pickford with a strong low finish at the short corner.
Williams is one of Spain’s best players at the tournament. Yamal, who just turned 17 on the eve of the final showdown with England, went into the history books as the youngest goalscorer in European Championship history when his side edged past France 2-1 in the semi-final that sent them to Berlin on Sunday evening.
Despite captain Harry Kane having shared the Golden Boot award as a result of his three goals at Euro 2024, the 30-year-old was once again found guilty of poor display, unsuccessfully striving to make an impact for his team.
He was replaced on the hour, leaving room for Cole Palmer, on for Kobbie Mainoo, to bring back the hope for his side with a dramatic comeback in the 73rd minute with a composed left-foot strike.
However, with less than five minutes left in regulation time, Spain took the lead. Mikel Oyarzabal scored after sliding home Marc Cucurella’s cross, crowing the victory and helping La Roja end another extraordinary tournament.
Southgate: “Now Not the Time” To Decide the Future
The Three Lions’ manager, Gareth Southgate, explained that “now” was not the best time to decide upon his future.
The 53-year-old, who has been in charge of the team since 2016, is looking at a contract about to expire in December.
When asked about his future by BBC at the end of the final, Southgate commented
Now is not the time for me to speak about that. I need to talk to the right people and give myself a bit of time.
He also called it “a privilege” to reach another final, adding “to come up short is hard at the moment“.
Under him, England has reached back-to-back European finals plus the semi-finals of the World Cup in 2018 as well as the last eight of the 2022 World Cup. Will Southgate still be in the job for the 2026 World Cup? With the next Euros back on home soil in 2028, Is it time for Southgate to step aside and allow someone else take the team to a new level? Take a look at the Best Non UK Betting Sites for all the latest odds.