England face Spain in the Euro 2024 final tonight as the Three Lions bid to win a first major men’s trophy for 58 years.
England’s route to the final in Berlin has been a rollercoaster ride thanks to a series of dramatic comebacks. Jude Bellingham’s spectacular overhead kick prevented a dismal defeat by Slovakia, before a tense penalty shootout victory over Switzerland and Ollie Watkins’ pinpoint 90th-minute winner to stun the Netherlands in the semi-finals.
Now they meet a talented Spain side widely regarded as the best team in the tournament so far, inspired by the brilliance of teenage winger Lamine Yamal. With fellow flyer Nico Williams on the other wing and Manchester City’s Rodri alongside playmaker Fabian Ruiz in midfield, Spain have a balanced side full of quality all over the pitch.
England will have to be at their best to win, but Gareth Southgate has a fully fit squad to call upon – with Luke Shaw fit and ready to start – as he seeks to go one step further than the heartbreaking defeat by Italy three years ago and make history.
Follow all the build-up and team news from England v Spain in the Euro 2024 final below:
England v Spain Euro 2024 final
- England face Spain in the Euro 2024 final at Berlin’s Olympiastadion at 8pm BST
- PREVIEW: England’s fate and a key advantage over Spain can end 58 years of hurt
- ANALYSIS: The simple idea that made Spain the most dangerous team in Europe
- TEAM NEWS: Luke Shaw set to start ahead of Kieran Trippier at left wing-back, say reports
Spain - England
Back home hopeful England fan predicts Harry Kane hat trick
17:39
Chris Wilson
Brad Ferwin, 35, who is watching the match at a BBQ in the back garden of a friend in south London after arriving back from Germany after the Switzerland game, predicted a resounding 3-1 victory for England.
The teacher said: “This team is still young but has an exciting depth. Despite their age they have total professionalism, not a dentist chair in sight.
“We have such potential when it all clicks. But my favourite thing? We can now score penalties!
“Of course Gareth deserves to take us to the World Cup. He just needs an assistant manager to introduce more flair and a more attacking style of football to the team. Then we’ll win it probably.”
In a last-minute message to the Three Lions, the 5-a-side legend offered sage advice: “Nows your time. It’s best to shoot sooner than later.”
Lamine Yamal becomes youngest-ever men’s Euros goalscorer with world-class strike against France
17:35
Chris Wilson
Lamine Yamal became the youngest-ever player to score at a men’s European Championship on Tuesday, when he netted a wonder goal for Spain.
Lamal, 16, fired a long-range shot into the top corner from outside France’s penalty area, equalising for his nation after Randal Kolo Muani’s early opener in the Euro 2024 semi-final.
With his goal, the winger broke a 20-year record; at Euro 2004, then-18-year-old Johan Vonlanthen scored for Switzerland against France, four days after Wayne Rooney set a record by scoring against the Swiss.
We’re nervous … but we’ve got Pickford, and I’ve had a shot
17:28
Chris Wilson
Jamie Brooks (2L) and Ross Davis (R) are nervous. Really nervous.
“But we’ve had a couple of shots,” says Jamie. “So we’ll be alright.”
Could we beat Spain at penalties? Ross laughs. “We’ve got Jordan Pickford, don’t we!”
There’s no love lost for the local lad.
From Weston-super-Mare to the Euro 2024 final – Ollie Watkins is England’s unlikely hero
17:25
Chris Wilson
Will this man start today?
Bobby Charlton, Harry Kane, Ollie Watkins. There is an incongruous presence on the rather short list of players who have scored a semi-final winner for the England football team. Charlton was England’s record goalscorer and Kane is now. Charlton was a knight of the realm and, if England win Euro 2024, Kane may become one in retirement, too. Then there is Watkins; formerly of Weston-super-Mare, a footballer who was playing in the Conference South at the age Kobbie Mainoo was starring in a European Championships semi-final; who, at the age Jude Bellingham is now, was plying his trade in League Two for Exeter.
Watkins may be a perfect product of Gareth Southgate’s England. There are echoes of Kieran Trippier scoring in a World Cup semi-final in 2018, something only Charlton and Gary Lineker had previously done for the country. Southgate’s England have reversed a national trend of underachievement. They have also given some unlikely lads a rare status. Watkins will go from Weston-super-Mare to West Berlin, to the Olympiastadion. Whatever happens – and there is no guarantee he will even get on the pitch – he will remain indelibly associated with Dortmund.
17:23
Chris Wilson
Tom Watling is in Newcastle...
The first England fans have started moving into the Newcastle Fanzone already, where 2,000 Geordies are expected to cheer on the Three Lions.
No-one is thinking about work tomorrrow.
James’ “Laid” is blaring on the loudspeakers. Several punters are already a couple of pints down. The crowds are swelling by the minute.
And everyone is thinking the same thing: It’s coming home.
We’re boss at pens now, so bring them on!
17:20
Chris Wilson
England fans are gathering in Newcastle this afternoon ahead of the Euro final against Spain.
Terry Starling, 31, and Lauren O’Donnell arrived early to the Central Park Fanzone by the train station, where 2000 fans are expected, and have managed to grab themselves a barrel on which to put their drinks.
Asked what his expectations for the game were, Terry said: “It’s coming home. It has to, doesn’t it? “It’s been building up to this,” said Lauren.
“This has to be the worst we’ve played in any tournament I can remember,” said Terry. “I wasn’t alive for the others. But last game was the best I’ve seen England play.
“I think we’ve hit form at the right time. So, hopefully we’ll keep that (Yamine) Lamal quiet and we’ll batter Spain 3-1. That’s the plan.”
Terry said he “nearly passed out” when Ollie Watkins scored the late winner for England against Holland in the Euros.
And one final question on everyone’s minds. Can you take penalties, or will it all be too much to watch?
“Well strangely, we’re boss at pens now, said Terry. “So if it goes to pens, it’s definitely coming home!”
Team news
17:15
Chris Wilson
Here’s a reminder of some early team news.
Southgate is likely to have some decisions to make for the final. Luke Shaw has been playing an increasingly bigger role in the quarter-final and semi-final, and might be considered fit enough to start, in place of Kieran Trippier – nevertheless, early reports indicate that Southgate will stick with the Newcastle man in the starting eleven.
Ollie Watkins laid down a marker with his late goal to send England through to the final, and could be pushing Harry Kane for a role as the starting forward, after the captain has not had the impact at the tournament he would have wanted.
Spain were without key players Robin Le Normand and Dani Carvajal through suspension for their win over France, but both are expected to return to face England. Pedri however will remain unavailable through injury.
Predicted XIs
EnglandXI: Pickford; Walker, Stones, Guehi; Saka, Mainoo, Rice, Shaw; Foden, Kane, Bellingham.
SpainXI: Simon; Carvajal, Le Normand, Laporte, Cucurella; Olmo, Rodri Fabian Ruiz; Yamal, Morata, Williams.
Dani Olmo addresses Golden Boot race with Harry Kane - and England captain’s lack of trophies
17:05
Chris Wilson
Spain take on England in the Euro 2024 final on Sunday with personal awards as well as collective glory on offer in Berlin.
While both nations will primarily be seeking to end waits for another men’s international trophy - one rather longer than the other - there’s also the Golden Boot award to settle, with at least one player from each nation in the running.
Dani Olmo has three for Spain, with Harry Kane on the same number for England - they’ll share the award if that remains the case, along with four others. One goal for each, though, and they’ll be a step toward a solo win and a team success, too.
17:00
Chris Wilson
Sam Tattersall, 29, from Nottingham, shaved a red St George’s Cross into his hair before travelling out to Berlin for the Euro 24 final.
The barber said: “We decided on Friday to do a little trip to Berlin and because I’m a barber, I was going to get my hair cut and I thought I’d go for it with the St George’s cross because football’s coming home.
“We got here at 2am, my cousin drove us and we set off from Nottingham at 10.15am yesterday.”
He said he had not got tickets for the final but was looking forward to soaking up the atmosphere in Berlin. He added: “I keep forgetting about my hair and noticing people looking at me. I wish I had done it with permanent dye not a spray because it’s coming off in the rain.
“If we lose it’s going to have to go on Tuesday, but if we win it could stay for a year!”
Uefa confirm baffling Golden Boot decision ahead of Euro 2024 final
16:55
Chris Wilson
Uefa have confirmed how the Golden Boot will be awarded after the Euro 2024 final on Sunday, with Harry Kane still in the running to claim it for a second major international tournament.
Scoring from the penalty spot against Netherlands in the semis - after also finding the target against Denmark and in extra time against Slovakia - put Kane level at the top with Dani Olmo of Spain, Cody Gakpo of Netherlands, Jamal Musiala of hosts Germany, Georgia’s Georges Mikautadze and Slovakia’s Ivan Schranz.
Until now, though, if it stayed the same way that would simply mean the qualifying criteria came into force: the top scorer with most assists claimed the award, with minutes played the next differentiator if players were still level.
But ahead of the final Uefa have announced that the Golden Boot this year will instead be shared between all players who finish level with the most goals.
Hundreds of rail services have been cancelled today with workers choosing to watch the game instead of work overtime.
16:50
Chris Wilson
Hundreds of Sunday trains have been cancelled across Britain as staff exercise their right not to work overtime on the day of the Euro 2024 final.
The leading intercity operator, GWR, is warning passengers: “Sickness and England reaching the final of the Euros are likely to reduce the number of colleagues available for overtime shifts.”
So bad is the disruption caused by train crew choosing to watch the Euro 2024 final between England and Spain that National Rail is warning passengers on the Great Western line linking London Paddington with South Wales and the West of England: “Do not travel after 6pm.”
Read the full story from Simon Calder:
Euro 2024 Golden Boot standings: Harry Kane, Dani Olmo and Jude Bellingham battle to be top scorer
16:45
Chris Wilson
Europe’s best strikers have been vying for individual honours as well as team success as they aim to top the scoring charts at Euro 2024.
Footballing greats such as Antoine Griezmann, Fernando Torres, Alan Shearer and Gerd Muller are among those who have won the prestigious prize throughout the history of the Euros, and the likes of Harry Kane, Jude Bellingham and Dani Olmo are hoping to join them this time around.
It hasn’t been an extremely high-scoring campaign so far in individual terms, but that just means there are still some in the running who haven’t had a prolific tournament – one big game in front of goal could change everything.
Team news - Luke Shaw set to start
16:43
Chris Wilson
Shaw’s return to the starting eleven will be a welcome sight for some. Though both players are similarly solid in defence, the lack of a naturally left-footed left-back occasionally harmed England’s attacking efforts in previous matches.
Trippier is perhaps less keen to make overlapping runs when attacking too – something that Shaw did to great effect when he scored the opener in the Euro 2020 final.
While both players are similarly effective from dead-ball situations, Shaw’s desire to get forward – and his effectiveness when he does – could prove vital come the end of tonight’s match.
Central London in chaos as thousands of Three Lions fans swarm capital
16:40
Chris Wilson
Flares, road signs and morph suits were out in full force as thousands descended on both Leicester Square and Trafalgar Square hours before kick off.
Police had to fight back crowds of over-exuberant England fans some carrying road signs others on piggyback as they sing ‘Hey Jude’ and threaten to spill out in the busy road.
The Met Police warned that an anti-social behaviour dispersal order is in place across Westminster until 2am. A spokesman said: “Crowds of people gathering and drinking in central London streets could be in breach of this order.
“We encourage those to enjoy themselves safely at local licenced premises.”
Euro 2024 awards: Best player, standout goal, favourite match and more
16:35
Chris Wilson
Euro 2024 is drawing to a close with just the final ahead, where Spain will face England in Berlin on Sunday.
That match will see either La Roja pick up their first trophy in over a decade - or the Three Lions win their first in very nearly six.
One more match, the biggest of all, could of course influence decisions over who has had most impact at the tournament or who will win the official awards, but here at the Independent we’re getting our votes in now ahead of the final to have our say on the best goals, games and individuals, plus the team of the tournament and what our biggest takeaway from Germany is.
Our writers have been at the tournament throughout and can therefore give an insightful perspective on what they’ve seen so far.
Get involved by signing up and joining the comments section below!
Team news
16:32
Chris Wilson
New reports are suggesting that Luke Shaw is set for a shock start at left-back tonight.
The 29-year-old played his first competitive football since February earlier on at Euro 2024, though he is yet to start at the tournament.
Eyebrows were raised when Southgate decided to name Shaw in his squad for Germany, though with Kieran Trippier putting in mixed performances so far, it may make sense to utilise the squad’s only natural left-back.
Pub opening hours extended for Euro 2024 final as England face Spain
16:30
Luke Baker
Pubs across the UK will stay open late on Sunday for England’s match against Spain in the Euro 2024 final, the government has confirmed.
England will face Spain at 8pm in Berlin for the seismic final as the Three Lions attempt to rectify their Euro final loss to Italy in 2021.
To mark the occasion, pubs will be able to remain open two hours later than usual, not having to close until 1am. Under current rules, most will close at 11pm.
The government says it has extended the licensing hours to mark this event of ‘exceptional national significance,’ as it did last Wednesday for England’s triumphant semi-final match against the Netherlands.
Read the full story from Albert Toth:
Is Gareth Southgate a substitution genius? Every England sub at Euro 2024 ranked and rated
16:25
Chris Wilson
England are into the Euro 2024 final after Ollie Watkins hammered homean injury-time winner against the Netherlands to send the nation into raptures. Spain now await in the showpiece on Sunday as the Three Lions try to end a 58-year major tournament drought.
Watkins emerged from the bench to score the winner, which was assistedby fellow substitute Cole Palmer. It’s far from the first time at this tournament that Gareth Southgate has altered the outcome of a match with his changes, yet his reputation as a cautious manager who refuses to utilise his subs seems to persist.
During every England game, the cries across pubs, living rooms and social media insist that the England boss make immediate changes by bringing on a very specific player that the armchair manager knows for sure will definitely, 100 per cent win the Three Lions the game. Of course, this is a different player for each armchair manager but the certainty is always there.
Prince William in Berlin for Euro 2024 final
16:16
Luke Baker
Thousands of England fans have travelled to Berlin with a party atmosphere now taking place in the German capital. Many are enjoying a pre-match drink at the Reichstag Euro 2024 Fan Zone.
Among those lucky enough to have a ticket for the game is Prince William, who has left behind his wife, Kate Middleton, who is at the Wimbledon men’s final.
Also back home, thousands of people are starting to fill fan zones, parks and pubs to watch the final.
But it’s not all cheer. Hundreds of rail services have been cancelled today with workers choosing to watch the game instead of work overtime.
Alan Shearer urges Gareth Southgate to make one England change for Euro 2024 final
16:10
Chris Wilson
Alan Shearer believes Gareth Southgate will make one England change for their Euro 2024 final on Sunday against Spain.
England face La Roja in Berlin after a stunning win against the Netherlands on Wednesday following Ollie Watkins’ late strike.
And the former Three Lions striker insists Luke Shaw, replacing Kieran Trippier at left-back, could offer an extra dimension in attack.
England fans caught queuing from 9.48am just to get into the pub
16:02
Barney Davis
Hundreds of desperate England fans formed an orderly line to get into The Crooked Billet in Clapton, east London hours ahead of opening time.
With London fan parks selling tickets for £50 and reports of scalpers selling the Mayor of London’s 02 Arena tickets, walk-ins got there early for the free entry hipster hotspot.
Will they be still standing by kick off at 8pm?
England fans have been seen queueing at a pub in London since 09:48am this morning pic.twitter.com/amiPDq5af8
— UB1UB2 West London (Southall) (@UB1UB2) July 14, 2024
Trent Alexander-Arnold: England cannot have doubts heading into Euro 2024 final
15:55
Chris Wilson
Trent Alexander-Arnold feels it would be a “crime” if England allowed any doubts to creep in as they prepare for Sunday’s Euro 2024 final against Spain.
Gareth Southgate’s squad beat the Netherlands in a dramatic semi-final on Wednesday night with a late goal from Ollie Watkins to book a trip to Berlin.
It is the first time an English men’s team has reached a major final overseas – and a second successive European Championship showpiece for a side who lost on penalties to Italy at Wembley three years ago.
England vs Spain referee: Who is Euro 2024 final official Francois Letexier?
15:40
Chris Wilson
Francois Letexier will take charge of England’s Euro 2024 final against Spain in Berlin on Sunday night.
The 35-year-old French official, a FIFA-listed referee since 2017, has been the man in the middle in three matches so far at Euro 2024: Spain’s last-16 win over Georgia, and the group-stage clashes between Denmark-Serbia and Croatia-Albania.
Letexier refereed the 2023 UEFA Super Cup final between Manchester City and Sevilla and was the fourth official for the 2024 Champions League final between Real Madrid and Borussia Dortmund at Wembley. He has also been selected to officiate at the Paris Olympics this summer.
England v Spain referee
15:26
Luke Baker
See below for the officiating team in full for England vs Spain:
Referee: Francois Letexier (France)
Assistant Referees: Cyril Mugnier and Mehdi Rahmouni (both France)
Fourth official: Szymon Marciniak (Poland)
Video Assistant Referee: Jerme Brisard (France)
Reserve Assistant Referee: Tomasz Listkiewicz (Poland)
VAR Assistant: Willy Delajod (France)
VAR Support: Massimiliano Irrati (Italy)
How Gareth Southgate changed England fortunes and rebranded patriotism
15:13
Luke Baker
Southgate, you’re the one. The one manager in England’s century and a half of playing international football to take them to two finals. The only one to reach a final on foreign soil. The one who, if Spain are beaten in Berlin on Sunday, will have a claim to dislodge Sir Alf Ramsey from the top of the list of England managers.
Win Euro 2024 and it will complete an eight-year journey for Gareth Southgate; one of largely smooth, and sometimes unexpected, progress over the first five years, but a rockier ride during the last three, when there have been questions if the manager who took England forwards has then taken them back again.
The dark truth behind England football and the ‘high stakes’ on and off the pitch
15:00
Luke Baker
“I was petrified of him coming home and killing me.” For Emma Armstrong, a survivor of domestic abuse, football went from an enjoyable pastime and hobby to something that even 11 years on has left its scars.
Emma went from a season-ticket holder at a Premier League club to someone who actively avoids the game and tries to distance herself from it because of the association between football and what she experienced.
Football is unavoidable, especially when England are in a major tournament, and it has a lasting impact far beyond the reaches of whether Gareth Southgate’s 26-man squad succeed or fail.
A brilliant, if harrowing, piece by Sonia Twigg:
WATCH: Gareth Southgate discusses whether England win in Germany would be ‘fate’
14:46
Luke Baker
Germany won Euro 96 on English soil, so would England returning the favour on German soil at Euro 2024 be fate? Gareth Southgate ponders that question
The Euros has lost its unique selling point – it is no longer a great tournament
14:33
Luke Baker
Having had his finalists lavishly praised in comparison to other sides at the Euros, Spain coach Luis De La Fuente made a point of being respectful to everyone else’s style.
That hasn’t been unanimous within his squad, however. Some in the Spanish camp do naturally feel their football is superior, and haven’t been all that impressed when they’ve sat down to watch the rest of Euro 2024.
It is a fairly widespread feeling, as illustrated by how often the subject has been brought up in press conferences. Didier Deschamps’s constant comments about “changing the channel” if you don’t like it have informed the mood, although many viewers will obviously feel the final will be much better for his dour France team not being in it.
Euro 2024 could do with a good finish, if only so the last memory of it is one of excitement. The sporting legacy of Qatar 2022 in terms of pure football, as an example, would have been rather different had it ended with France efficiently beating Croatia rather than the epic Argentina win we saw. This summer’s mood has so far been mixed, but probably tilts towards unimpressed. In South America, the commentary has been scathing.
A big question as we come to the end is whether Euro 2024 has actually been “good”.
Spanish football’s cultural crisis is not over – but Euro 2024 brings hope
14:20
Luke Baker
As justified as the praise has been for Luis de la Fuente’s management of a brilliant Spanish team, there was one “severe criticism” from his tenure, which the coach admitted was “totally deserved”.
That was when he applauded the disgraced Luis Rubiales, at the press conference when the disgraced former federation president insisted he would not resign after his unsolicited kiss on Jenni Hermoso. De la Fuente later pleaded for “forgiveness” for “an inexcusable human error” that did not reflect his “values”, but there are those in Spanish football who think it will “haunt him for his career”.
That would admittedly change if his team beat England in the Euro 2024 final, to secure Spain’s fifth men’s trophy and fourth European Championship, but it does add a few layers to this historic match – as well as a twist worth considering.
An important piece by Miguel Delaney:
Gareth Southgate reveals timeline to decide on England future after Euro 2024
14:02
Luke Baker
Gareth Southgate insists he has still not decided on his future, but that he will likely take a decision quickly after Euro 2024 regardless of what happens.
The England manager has considered the “angry” reaction back home after underwhelming performances at the tournament, admitting that he almost certainly would have gone had the team been eliminated in the group stages, although he half-joked that might not necessarily have been his choice.
When directly asked whether he has decided if the Euro 2024 final against Spain in Berlin on Sunday would be his last game, Southgate simply said: “no.”
“The way my emotions have gone over the last five weeks, it would be ridiculous for me to think about anything beyond Sunday,” Southgate said. “We’ve got time to make a decision.”
Gareth Southgate expects no fairytale final – England must ‘make it happen’ to win Euro 2024
13:51
Luke Baker
Gareth Southgate believes everything is in place for England to win Euro 2024 – but warned success won’t just fall into the players’ laps or simply happen as a culmination of the hard work put in so far.
The Three Lions boss spoke in glowing terms of the effort the squad have put in to reach this stage to face Spain, not just during this summer in Germany but over a number of years, as well as again reinforcing his belief that the togetherness of the group has led to a gradual improvement in performances as the tournament has gone on.
However, his last public words to the group ahead of Sunday’s final in Berlin emphasised that they’d have to once more earn victory in a tough environment, despite the possible storylines and symmetries around Southgate and England winning in Germany, almost three decades after this year’s host nations won on English soil at Euro 1996 following Southgate’s own missed penalty.
“Look, I’m not a believer in fairytales but I am a believer in dreams, and we’ve had big dreams. We’ve felt the need and the importance of that, but then you have to make those things happen,” he told media at the Olympiastadion ahead of the final.
“And fate, the run that we’ve had, the late goals, the penalties: all that doesn’t equate to it being our moment. We have to make it happen tomorrow. We have to perform at the level that we need to. Of course it would be a lovely story but it’s in our hands and our performance is the most important thing.”
The ‘bittersweet’ moment driving Luke Shaw to bring England a new dimension
13:40
Luke Baker
A select group only has three members. For more than half a century, it had just two: Geoff Hurst and Martin Peters, the West Ham double act who were the only men to score for England in the final of a major international tournament. Then, belatedly but rapidly, they had company. At Wembley against Italy, Kieran Trippier crossed in the second minute, Luke Shaw met it on the half-volley and a player who had then scored just three goals in his entire career had put England ahead in the Euro 2020 showpiece.
Shaw has not ended up bracketed with Hurst and Peters in another respect; his goal did not bring silverware. But for 65 minutes of football and 15 of half-time, it was set to. If many another could have been forgiven for imagining that they were the player who had brought England a trophy, Shaw is adamant he did not during the time before Leonardo Bonucci equalised.
“To be honest, I definitely wasn’t thinking that but of course at that moment it was a very special feeling,” he said. “It is quite bittersweet considering what happened after with the result so for me the goal it didn’t really matter,” he said. “After that game, it was the most hurt I have ever been. It was very hard to take, even more the fact that I scored so it was tough but I think we learnt a lot from that night.”
England fans gathering in Berlin
13:26
Luke Baker
The England fans are gathering in Berlin ahead of tonight’s seismic encounter and there’s a party atmosphere
