Spain and its captain Alvaro Morata (centre) celebrate their fourth European Championship title. © ANSA / HANNIBAL HANSCHKE

Late winning goal: Spain is European champion!

Italy's successor as European football champions has been found: the Spanish national team won the European Championship final in Berlin's Olympic Stadium. The best, most spectacular team of the tournament defeated England very late on.

July 14, 2024

From: dpa/fop

Thanks to their young magicians and joker Mikel Oyarzabal, Spain have crowned themselves the record European champions and extended the agonizing wait for the English. La Roja won the exciting but rarely high-class final in Berlin on Sunday evening with 2:1.

The 22-year-old Nico Williams (47th minute) after preparatory work by the 17-year-old Lamine Yamal and the substitute Oyarzabal (86th) scored for the Spanish team. Cole Palmer (73rd) had given England hope again in the meantime.

Coach Luis de la Fuente's team won a record fourth European Championship title, while England lost a European Championship final for the second time in a row, having lost to Italy on penalties at Wembley Stadium three years ago.

New record European champion

Among the 71.000 spectators in Berlin's Olympic Stadium, there were significantly more English fans, only parts of the east curve were clearly in Spanish yellow and red. In the VIP box, the English heir to the throne, Prince William, and the Spanish King Felipe VI and their children were cheering along. Before their eyes, Gareth Southgate's team, including the once again ineffective Bayern star Harry Kane, deservedly lost. The captain was replaced by Ollie Watkins after just over an hour.

Italy's 2021 European Championship captain, Giorgio Chiellini, brought the trophy to the Olympic Stadium. © APA/afp / JAVIER SORIANO

During the ten-minute closing ceremony before kick-off, there was singing and pyrotechnics were set off. Giorgio Chiellini, the captain of the Italian team that won the last tournament in 2021, brought the European Championship trophy into the stadium. Then the ball finally rolled. The Spaniards took control of the game with their neat passing game, while England relied on lightning-fast counterattacks. At first, however, the encounter hardly produced any big goal-scoring opportunities. The respect was great on both sides, almost too great.

There was little excitement on the pitch, apart from the early yellow cards for Bundesliga stars Kane and Dani Olmo. Young star Yamal, who became the youngest player to appear in a European Championship final one day after his 17th birthday, was hardly noticeable at first. He replaced Portugal's Renato Sanches (18 years, 328 days). However, the Spanish attacks were mostly carried out on the left side by Williams.

Rodri out, but Spain scores

But chances to score? The Spanish fans waited in vain for that in the first 45 minutes. On the other side, it took until shortly before half-time for Phil Foden to test the Spanish keeper Unai Somon for the first time (45.+1). Before that, Rodri had blocked a shot from Kane just in time. Otherwise, the Bayern striker hardly made an appearance.

In this scene, Nico Williams scores Spain's 1-0. © ANSA / HANNIBAL HANSCHKE

In the second half, the Spanish had to replace the injured Rodri, perhaps their best player of the tournament. But they were not at all shocked - on the contrary. Just 69 seconds after the restart, Yamal, who was getting better and better, set up Williams, who scored from the left-hand position. The Spanish had already struck against Germany shortly after the break.

Kane, who is still chasing a title, immediately cheered up his colleagues. But Olmo had the next chance (49th minute), and shortly afterwards good opportunities followed from Alvaro Morata (55th minute) and Williams (56th minute). The final finally picked up speed.

Cole Palmer (l.) scored the interim equalizer. © APA/afp / JAVIER SORIANO

England was in trouble. Southgate had to act - and surprisingly took Kane off the field. Bellingham (64th minute) provided the first sign of life before Jordan Pickford kept his England in the game with a save against Yamal (66th minute). Southgate also brought on Palmer and was lucky again. Just three minutes after coming on, the Chelsea man scored from distance.

Oyarzabal becomes a hero

Everything was back to square one - now it was a thrilling European Championship final. Yamal had a great chance to score the winning goal, but Pickford was there again (82'). Spain wanted to make it clear in regular time - and were rewarded. After a cross from Cucurella, Oyarzabal flicked the ball into the goal. England threw everything forward again, but Olmo saved the win on the line.