Spain win record fourth Euro Title

Photo: Stephen Gormley (Red Eye Photo Agency)

England’s hopes of “Football’s Coming Home” were dashed in the final in Berlin as their dream finally came to an end with Spain clinching their record fourth European Championship title with a 2-1 victory

This was England’s first ever major final on foreign soil, with their two previous finals being at Wembley in the World Cup in 1966 and the previous Euro Final in 2021. Meanwhile Spain had been in five previous major finals and had won four of them (three of them outside Spain).

Spain entered this final as favourites given their impressive run of six victories to get to the final, including wins over strong teams such as France, Italy, Croatia and hosts Germany. This compared to England’s four wins against Serbia, Slovakia, Switzerland and The Netherlands.

Spain started in control with around 70% of possession in a rather uneventful first half. Young Yamal, who only just turned seventeen years old the day before the final, was a joy to watch. On the left young Nico Williams was also terrorrising England’s defender Kyle Walker.

It was young Williams who set this final on fire at the start of the second half coming in off the left with Walker ball-watching and a great finish past Pickford to make it 1-0 on the night.

Dani Olmo had a great chance for Spain to make it 2-0 but miss-kicked his shot wide from around ten yards out. Spain looked too hot for England to handle.

After 60 minutes Southgate had seen enough, bringing Kane and Mainoo off for Palmer and Watkin. It made the difference as 13 minutes later the ball fell to Palmer just outside the Spanish box who hit a right footed shot low and hard past Simon in the Spanish net.

England looked like they may get on top but the Spanish manager made a change bringing Merino on to steady things up at the back. With four minutes left on the clock Williams turned the magic on again on the left and hit a cross in low and hard for substitute Oyarzabal to slide in at the back post and put it in.

There were wild celebrations but England did not lie down. Rice with a great header forcing a great save from Simon and a clearance off the line from another header from Rice in the dying moments.

2-1 to Spain on the night and once again football was not going home. It will be 60 long years for the England men’s senior team in tournament football come their next chance at World Cup 2026.

For the Spanish it was their fourth Euros title and with such a new and young talented squad the future looks bright for them adding to their five major titles in two years’ time at the new expanded World Cup in USA, Mexico and Canada.