EURO 2024 reached a thrilling conclusion on Sunday as Spain were crowned champions following a 2-1 win over England.
Here’s The Debrief of the action from day 31.
What happened? 📝
A thrilling final saw Spain open the scoring through Nico Willams before Cole Palmer restored parity for England with a coolly-taken strike.
But the last word belonged to Mikel Oyarzabal, who slid home the winner just four minutes from the end of normal time in Berlin.
Player of the day 🔥
He turned 17 on the eve of the final but Lamine Yamal truly came of age throughout EURO 2024.
Barcelona’s latest wonderkid has lit up the tournament regularly and continued his impressive run in the final.
An assist for sparring partner Nico Williams opened the scoring in Berlin as he proved a perennial thorn in England’s side.
This is just the start for the kid from Rocafonda, who was also crowned the Young Player of the Tournament by UEFA.
Moment of the day 😍
Dani Olmo was one of Spain’s star performers in this tournament but none of it will compare to his final act at the Olympiastadion.
As the clock ticked towards a fourth continental title, Luis de la Fuente’s men still had to dig deep as England reverted to their old faithful of set pieces.
Nothing illustrated the fine margins better than the RB Leipzig playmaker’s goal-line clearance to deny Marc Guéhi’s diving header in the dying embers of added time.
Photo of the day 📸
This is what it meant to become European champions for Spain’s players.
Stat of the day 📊
Since May 2001, Spanish teams have played in 27 major finals (Champions League, Europa League, World Cup, Euros). There has been a Spanish winner in all 27 finals.
— Colin Millar (@Millar_Colin) July 14, 2024
What this means 🤔
History was made by both countries as Spain’s fourth European crown marks a record-setting feat.
England, meanwhile, made their own history as the first nation to lose back-to-back continental showpieces.
What they said 🗣️
Dani Carvajal on Spain’s record-setting triumph: “Let’s raise the flag of Spain with pride. I can’t ask for anything more, maybe a vacation.”
England captain Harry Kane: “It’s an opportunity missed. It’s not easy to get to these finals. You have to take them when it comes and we haven’t done that again. It’s extremely painful and will hurt for a while.”
What comes next? ⏭️
A well-earned rest for both sets of players before returning to the grind of pre-season training with their clubs.
Spain,Mikel Oyarzabal,Nico Willams,Lamine Yamal,Nico Williams,Dani Olmo,Dani Carvajal,Harry Kane,RB Leipzig,Barcelona
