England face Spain in the Euro 2024 final on Sunday as the Three Lions attempt to win a major trophy for the first time in more than half a century.
Gareth Southgate’s side have endured a rollercoaster ride in Germany this summer, stumbling through the group phase despite an opening match victory over Serbia and going behind in each of their knockout round games so far. A dramatic late overhead kick by Jude Bellingham saved them from a dismal exit in the round of 16 before a perfect penalty shooutout display edged them past Switzerland. Their best performance came last time out versus the Netherlands where they were rewarded by an Ollie Watkins last-minute strike to secure a 2-1 win.
Ahead of the final versus Spain on Sunday evening the manager has been speaking about his feelings during the tournament. He came under fire from pundits and critics for England’s early performances with some fans launching beer cups at him following a dull draw with Slovenia.
Yet, Southgate understands those feelings insisting he is still an England fan at heart. He said: “I’m an England fan in the dug-out, I have more responsibility now, but... I’m desperate for England to win and I was the same as a player. I want to win so much on Sunday that it hurts, don’t get me wrong.”
Follow all the build-up to England v Spain in the Euro 2024 final below:
Euro 2024: England v Spain latest news
- England take on Spain in the Euro 2024 final in Berlin on Sunday
- How Gareth Southgate changed England fortunes and rebranded patriotism
- England’s dramatic late goals are not luck – there is a secret ingredient to their success
- PREVIEW: England’s fate and a key advantage over Spain can end 58 years of hurt
- Final press conference: Southgate and Harry Kane speak to media 24 hours before the match
- Southgate ‘set to keep faith’ with Trippier at left-back with Shaw on bench
England v Spain: Gareth Southgate poised to keep faith with Kieran Trippier at left-back
Sunday 14 July 2024 00:16
Jack Rathborn
Gareth Southgate is poised to keep faith with Kieran Trippier at left-back for England’s Euro 2024 final against Spain, reports the Telegraph.
In a largely expected move, the Three Lions boss looks set to pick the same line-up that started against Netherlands.
It means Luke Shaw is poised to start on the bench and will have to wait once more to impact the Berlin final.
England’s fate and a key advantage over Spain can end 58 years of hurt
Saturday 13 July 2024 23:58
Karl Matchett
Gareth Southgate allowed himself a mere three hours’ sleep after the semi-final win over Netherlands, before delving into analysis of Spain. That’s the scale of the challenge for the Euro 2024 final. That’s the scale of the game, as the England manager has already stated – twice – that his team need to be “perfect” in order to win. There was still no weariness about such exertions, however. There are only “healthy nerves”.
The smiles around the England camp emphasise that, in an atmosphere that is completely different to what it was like even two weeks ago. At that point, there was a risk of a bored disgruntlement taking hold, that could have made this campaign like 2010 or even 2000. It might instead be like 1966, with a chance for a grand redemption of Euro 2020.
While most of the players are just looking ahead to Sunday, some can’t help discussing that defeat to Italy at Wembley. Declan Rice has admitted it will “haunt” him “forever”. That’s only if this is another defeat, and Sunday sees England become the first ever team to lose consecutive European Championship finals, while Spain become the first to win this trophy four times.
It’s not about who starts Euro 2024 final, it’s who finishes it - and England can reimagine their attack
Saturday 13 July 2024 23:00
Karl Matchett
Super subs. Late winners. Drama until the last. England’s journey through Euro 2024 has been about the collective, Gareth Southgate - and just about every post-match narrative since the last 16 - has been keen to reaffirm.
It can lead several conclusions to be drawn, depending on your perspective: a strong squad, perhaps? The wrong tactics or selections, for others. Either way, it is undeniable that England are finishing games better than they’ve started them, or finishing the tournament better than they started it.
But if the substitutions and in-game changes are of paramount importance to one team, so must they be to another: Spain themselves have a deep squad, one which Luis de la Fuente rotated to its fullest extent in their final group-stage game, one they’ve relied upon in the knockouts too as suspensions and injuries hit, particularly in the semi-final.
Of course, there’s every possibility - it’s a game of football, after all - that there are two or three early goals and the game is done, subs almost irrelevant, one team en route to glory and with a defensive second half. But the chances of that occurring seem low, with a final often tight, tense and full of moments rather than magic.
So who has the advantage if it goes the distance and the subs have a part to play?
35,000 England fans expected in Berlin with only 10,000 officially allocated tickets
Saturday 13 July 2024 22:30
Barney Davis
More than 35,000 Three Lions fans are expected at Berlin’s Olympiastadion for Sunday’s Euro 2024 final against Spain.
The Football Supporters’ Association said the allocation for the 71,000-seater stadium confirmed “the old story” of tickets being kept from supporters and going to Uefa dignitaries and corporate sponsors.
“It’s tickets going to the wrong people in the first place,” they told the Guardian. “There will still be 30,000 England fans in the stadium but many will have ended up paying way over the odds on the black market.”
On Saturday night, England supporters gathered outside Murphy’s Irish Pub on Friedrichstrasse and sang as German police watched on.
Riot police stood to the side as fans congregated, some waving their T-shirts round their heads and standing on tables.
England vs Spain referee: Who is Euro 2024 final official Francois Letexier?
Saturday 13 July 2024 22:00
Karl Matchett
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.
Letexier, who also works on a part-time basis as a court bailiff, will be joined for Sunday’s final by two French assistants while Polish referee Szymon Marciniak, praised for his performance in the 2022 World Cup final, will be the fourth official.
Kobbie Mainoo determined to cap remarkable rise by making history with England
Saturday 13 July 2024 21:30
Karl Matchett
Kobbie Mainoo is aiming to complete a remarkable rise to the top by helping England put themselves in the history books.
Gareth Southgate’s side face Spain in Sunday’s Euro 2024 final after Ollie Watkins hit a last-gasp winner to down the Netherlands 2-1 in Dortmund.
The semi-final success was the third game in a row in which England scored after the 80-minute mark as they reached a second straight European Championship final.
Mainoo once again impressed in midfield having started all three knockout games in Germany, with the 19-year-old belying his young age and lack of experience to shine on the big stage.
Gareth Southgate expects no fairytale final - England must ‘make it happen’ to win Euro 2024
Saturday 13 July 2024 20:57
Karl Matchett
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 ‘96 following Southgate’s own missed penalty.
Southgate’s final pre-match press conference:
Declan Rice vows England won’t ‘sit back’ against Spain as they look to learn from Euro 2020 final defeat
Saturday 13 July 2024 20:45
Sonia Twigg
Declan Rice says that England know “not to sit back” in order to win Sunday’s Euro 2024 final against Spain at Berlin’s Olympiastadion, having learned from the painful memory of Euro 2020.
The midfielder said the squad are “desperate” to “rewrite history”, as he admitted that seeing Italy lift the trophy will haunt him forever. That may also involve learning from history, as Rice said that experience has shown them “how we can win this final”.
The 25-year-old is one of 11 players in the current squad who lost that showpiece at Wembley, and he admitted he now feels that it was England who let the game get away from them. Rice now believes the greatly improved performance in the 2-1 victory over Netherlands can be crucial to beating a Spain team that England have “massive respect for”, but that just winning a semi-final should also be enjoyed.
From Gazza’s tears to Rooney’s rant: The tragicomedy of England abroad
Saturday 13 July 2024 20:30
Sonia Twigg
“There’s some corner of a foreign field that is forever England,” wrote Rupert Brooke. Although it is probably defined by disappointment. And if the corner isn’t, the penalty spot almost certainly is. Which, as Brooke was a poet who died in World War 1, rather predated him. But Gareth Southgate has taken England – or one version of England, anyway – further on foreign fields than anyone else.
A first final abroad, the prospect of a first trophy anywhere other than Wembley stands in stark contrast to England’s tragicomic tournament record abroad. A history of hubris and humiliation, ignominy, injury and illness, goalkeeping errors and goalkeeping understudies.
And penalties; conceded by Phil Neville, ballooned by Chris Waddle and David Beckham and Harry Kane, missed by Stuart Pearce and Paul Ince and David Batty and Darius Vassell and Steven Gerrard and Frank Lampard and Jamie Carragher and Ashley Cole and Ashley Young.
How an English and Spanish family will be watching the Euro 2024 final
Saturday 13 July 2024 20:15
Sonia Twigg
An English and Spanish family will be watching the Euro 2024 final together on Sunday, 14 July - but who will their children support?
Rebecca Garcia, 40, who is English, and her Spanish husband Eugenio, 38, anticipate a “tense” but “fun” atmosphere at home in Penge, London, with their daughters Alba, five, and Eva, three, during the clash.
“It’s not every day that you get your two sides of your life competing against each other,” Rebecca said, adding that her children like to have both English and Spanish flags painted on their faces during matches.
‘Always something a bit different’ about Phil Foden, says youth coach
Saturday 13 July 2024 20:00
Sonia Twigg
Phil Foden’s youth coach has said there was “always something a bit different” about the England midfielder and that he was “destined for stardom” from the age of seven.
Joe Makin, football development officer at the Reddish Vulcans club in Stockport, taught Foden from 2007 to 2008 and said he was a “shining light” from the beginning.
Foden, who has won six Premier League titles with Manchester City, as well as the Champions League and two FA Cups, is expected to start for England in the Euro 2024 final against Spain in Berlin on Sunday.
Makin, who has coached at the Reddish Vulcans for 30 years, said: “There was always something a bit different with Phil.
Gareth Southgate and Luis de la Fuente speak ahead of Euro 2024 final
Saturday 13 July 2024 19:59
Karl Matchett
And that’s it from Luis de la Fuente too - no more talk, tomorrow night it’s all about the football back here in Berlin - see you then!
Gareth Southgate and Luis de la Fuente speak ahead of Euro 2024 final
Saturday 13 July 2024 19:53
Karl Matchett
LdlF: It’s not difficult to calm Lamine and Nico because they have maturity for such young people. But they understand our game, they listen, they understand the work they have to do. That’s what makes them so dangerous.
We are here and the development of us through to the final is being true to our style, our idea. We believe in it and we will play the game we need to against England but being true to our idea. That’s our road, that’s our process, this is what’s important.
Gareth Southgate and Luis de la Fuente speak ahead of Euro 2024 final
Saturday 13 July 2024 19:49
Karl Matchett
LdlF: Tomorrow we have an idea of the team but we’ll just choose the ones we think are best for the game.
I think it’s a brilliant generation. A lot of them have come from successful youth teams. I don’t want to say so much (as the 08-12 team) because that was a mythical team but I believe totally in this team, in other players not here and in Spanish football.
That doesn’t mean we’re going to win everything, but with this process I have the sensation that if you’re near that competitive level and have that ability, you’ll be capable of it.
Gareth Southgate and Luis de la Fuente speak ahead of Euro 2024 final
Saturday 13 July 2024 19:45
Karl Matchett
LdlF:
If we’re not [playing like] Spain we’re not going to win. We focus on being the players and doing the work we have been so far. We acknowledge the opponent because they have many strengths. But being ourselves, we’ve got the chance to win.
England have strong options and the best version of them could appear tomorrow. But in one game, even being worse, they can still win. One game: be concentrated, don’t make mistakes. That’s the clear route we need tomorrow.
Gareth Southgate and Luis de la Fuente speak ahead of Euro 2024 final
Saturday 13 July 2024 19:35
Karl Matchett
LdlF:
Tomorrow will be the day I say the least, it’s already done. I see their faces, I see the spirit they have. I might tell them to enjoy that they’ve got here after difficult moments but that’s it.
There’s nothing about the future here. The future is right now and the minutes ahead, that’s it. Think about get here well in the morning, be in position to fight and be proud about the process we’ve had to get here. Nobody’s given anything to this time, they’ve worked and sacrificed for it.
Gareth Southgate and Luis de la Fuente speak ahead of Euro 2024 final
Saturday 13 July 2024 19:33
Karl Matchett
Spain’s head coach is here now - Luis de la Fuente will speak:
I’m happy and that’s it. I don’t keep the bad things with me that happens I just embrace the good. We’re in a Euros final, it’s one of the biggest sporting moments. We’re really looking forward to the game.
What game do we expect? A final. Difficult, against the best because we’re here. It’ll be a very even game. People have to understand that in these equal games it’s the details which matter. Don’t make mistakes, be concentrated, keep recovered.
See below for the officiating team in full for England vs Spain:
Saturday 13 July 2024 19:30
Sonia Twigg
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)
Gareth Southgate and Luis de la Fuente speak ahead of Euro 2024 final
Saturday 13 July 2024 19:26
Karl Matchett
That’s it from the England manager and captain until tomorrow when the real action gets underway!
A lot to break down there from Southgate, plenty of recollections and lots of talk of growth and resilience again, but some insights into what it’s been like over the last month too.
Luis de la Fuente and Jesus Navas will be up next shortly.
Gareth Southgate and Harry Kane speak ahead of Euro 2024 final
Saturday 13 July 2024 19:24
Karl Matchett
HK: Everything’s done before kick-off. I’ll have a final word in the huddle but everyone’s ready by then. Even the younger players, they are fearless and a lot of them just want to get out there and get the ball at their feet. I’m sure they’ll be ready for that tomorrow night.
Gareth Southgate and Harry Kane speak ahead of Euro 2024 final
Saturday 13 July 2024 19:23
Karl Matchett
GS: For me those difficult nights from ‘96 have shown me football can change quickly. It’s given me more perspective in my life because in the end there are bigger things than football that are more important. But football has given me an amazing life, being part of something I love for nearly 35 years. I couldn’t imagine anything better than representing then leading my country. I have no fear of tomorrow because I’ve been through everything and I want my players to feel that and be the best versions of themselves because we support each other. If we’re not afraid of losing it gives us a better chance of winning.
It’s been a brilliant tournament, I have to thank everybody in Germany for putting on an amazing event and especially everybody where we’re staying. We’re looking forward to this last step now.
Gareth Southgate and Harry Kane speak ahead of Euro 2024 final
Saturday 13 July 2024 19:20
Karl Matchett
HK asked about Lamine Yamal: I guess happy birthday to him today! He’s playing with no fear and enjoying the big occasion, we know he’s a main threat going forward so we’ll be ready for that but all you can say is well done for a short career so far but a very good one.
Gareth Southgate and Harry Kane speak ahead of Euro 2024 final
Saturday 13 July 2024 19:19
Karl Matchett
HK: It’s not for me or the players to decide who is favourites, it’s for fans and media. Spain have had a fantastic tournament and have had earned that right but in football in one game, anything can happen. We back ourselves against anyone we play against and we’ve come through difficult spells - that builds everything you need in a final.
Gareth Southgate and Harry Kane speak ahead of Euro 2024 final
Saturday 13 July 2024 19:18
Karl Matchett
GS: Sometimes you have to go through difficult nights as a team. We tried to change the mindset from the start and be more honest as a football nation. I’ve travelled to tournaments watching as an observer and watched highlights reels from before the game and we weren’t in them, they only showed the big games! We needed to change that. Now the high expectations are still there but we’ve had consistent performances over three of the last four tournaments and a quarter-final in the other.
You have to be in the latter stages to be able to learn how to win those big games. A lot of records have been broken but in the end we have to do this one, we have to get this trophy to really feel the respect of the rest of the football world.
Gareth Southgate and Harry Kane speak ahead of Euro 2024 final
Saturday 13 July 2024 19:15
Karl Matchett
GS: Vs Spain in 96? I played well! 0-0, defender’s dream! Nadal is the player who sticks in my mind from that game, maybe Kiko as well and Luis Enrique? On the bench. It was a very tough game, probably a game Spain should have won. Our games with Spain have always been close, they hadn’t had the success then they have since.
We’ve met at youth level as well in a lot of finals, we’ve followed their projects closely.
But our juniors have also been developing and improving and we’re seeing them in the senior side as well, so two nations on a good pathway now and in the future.
Gareth Southgate and Harry Kane speak ahead of Euro 2024 final
Saturday 13 July 2024 19:13
Karl Matchett
HK: I feel the support here in Germany even at the hotels and so on, as a professional I can just say thank you. I’ve had the staff at Bayern messaging to wish me luck - tomorrow’s a big chance to say thank you to them.
Of course I’d swap top scorer awards for trophy tomorrow! It’s not a secret and tomorrow I’ve got the chance to win one of the biggest. I’d swap everything in my career to have a special night but that’s not the case - I’m determined to make tomorrow night a special one.
Gareth Southgate and Harry Kane speak ahead of Euro 2024 final
Saturday 13 July 2024 19:11
Karl Matchett
GS: A lot of people are involved and deserve credit. In the end I believe you can practice and improve performing under pressure and we wanted to feel in charge of it. This time around we’ve got more players taking penalties for their clubs but we’ve won three of our last four and we have to be ready in case we need that again tomorrow.
Gareth Southgate and Harry Kane speak ahead of Euro 2024 final
Saturday 13 July 2024 19:09
Karl Matchett
GS: I think we’ve had to find a different way of playing as the tournament progressed. We had a lot of issues at the back, players who had missed a lot of football - John Stones had hardly played but he’s been exceptional. Guehi, Trippier, Shaw were all out for months. We’ve been trying to find the right blend all summer really, finding the best balance for attacking players because we have lots who operate in similar areas and we’ve started to find that as we progressed. We look dangerous and like we can score goals again.
Gareth Southgate and Harry Kane speak ahead of Euro 2024 final
Saturday 13 July 2024 19:08
Karl Matchett
HK: Before every tournament you have to have a belief you can win it but that’s grown during the tournament with what we’ve been through. It builds resilience and belief, the team is confident but we prepare in the same way and we know they’ll be difficult so we take nothing for granted. We have togetherness and it’s great to be a part of it. Tomorrow there’ll be nerves and excitment but when you get on the pitch it’s about doing the job.
Gareth Southgate and Harry Kane speak ahead of Euro 2024 final
Saturday 13 July 2024 19:07
Karl Matchett
GS: Not so much a concern but my observations on the team are they have a settled team, clear way of playing, press really well with intensity and they keep possession exceptionally well. You have to be organised the way they play but we’ve kept the ball well the last few matches and showing our real selves. That’s been starting to come over the last three matches, we played very well against Netherlands and that’s our intention again tomorrow night.
Gareth Southgate and Harry Kane speak ahead of Euro 2024 final
Saturday 13 July 2024 19:05
Karl Matchett
GS: I was probably one of the more popular Englishmen in Berlin in 1996! I’m not a believer in fairytales but I am in dreams. We’ve felt the importance of that but you have to make them happen. Fate, the run we’ve had, the late goals and penalties...that doesn’t equate to it being our moment. We have to make it happen and perform at the level we need. It would be a lovely story but it’s in our hands.
Gareth Southgate and Harry Kane speak ahead of Euro 2024 final
Saturday 13 July 2024 19:02
Karl Matchett
GS: When you’re trying to create dreams you’ve got to have a vision for the end of it. That was the improvements we needed to make as a team over the last few years but you’re trying to afect the group in different ways. We know what it would mean to people at home but also to us, including the players who have played a big role over the years and the staff. We’d love to give everybody a special night tomorrow.
Gareth Southgate and Harry Kane speak ahead of Euro 2024 final
Saturday 13 July 2024 19:00
Karl Matchett
HK: It would mean everything to win. Whenever you lose a final it’s always tough to wipe it out of the memory but it helps to improve you as a player and person. It hurt but it was three years ago, a lot has happened since. I’m excited to be back on the stage and we want to get over the line. We have that opportunity tomorrow.
Gareth Southgate and Harry Kane speak ahead of Euro 2024 final
Saturday 13 July 2024 18:58
Karl Matchett
GS: We haven’t had time on the training pitch but several meetings assessing the opponenents and trying to work out the best way to play them but the message hasn’t changed.
It’s a long-term vision and we break it down into smaller pieces. We’ve got experience of big matches, you don’t need to say too much to the players. Fine margins decide these games and we’ve got to make sure we’re on the right side of them. We keep repeating mentality and approach to the game, our decision making being important. You’ve got to make sure on these nights you get everything right.
Gareth Southgate and Harry Kane speak ahead of Euro 2024 final
Saturday 13 July 2024 18:57
Karl Matchett
Gareth Southgate:
Everybody is fit which is great although not unusual for a cup final! We’re excited for the challenge, clearly the team have improved over the last few weeks and have been a privilege to work with, fully committed to every session.
Now we have a fabulous opportunity to achieve what we set out from the moment we left Qatar a bit earlier than we liked to.
Harry Kane:
It shows unbelievable consistency. A lot of us after the final were heartbroken and it’s always a long journey back to where we are now. Full credit to the boys for the resilience they’ve shown and it speaks volumes for the mentality of the squad. Of course we’re really desperate to go one step further.
Euro 2024 final: Spain v England
Saturday 13 July 2024 18:54
Karl Matchett
While we wait...Having had a quick walk through the stadium en route to the press conference, I can confirm the Olympic Stadium is looking resplendent.
An immaculate pitch, the running track covered in Euros blue, flags and logos in position.
Helps that it’s sunny too...hopefully it’s perfect conditions for tomorrow’s game after a lot of storms of late, including one here in Berlin yesterday.
Euro 2024 final: Spain v England
Saturday 13 July 2024 18:49
Karl Matchett
As for what time Southgate will begin his press conference...well, that’s slightly to be determined.
It was scheduled for now, but media matters have been running somewhat late with England over the past days and the manager was over an hour late with press duties yesterday.
So, stay tuned...we’ll be right here when he emerges.
Euro 2024 final: Spain v England
Saturday 13 July 2024 18:39
Karl Matchett
Evening all - we’re here in Berlin now ahead of the pre-match press conferences, with Gareth Southgate due to speak shortly.
The scale of the occasion can be measured in the sheer volume of people here - 24 hours before the game and it’s standing room only inside the Olympic Stadium.
England v Spain
Saturday 13 July 2024 18:30
Sonia Twigg
Here are some photos of England fans arriving in Berlin:
Euro 2024 Awards: Our writers’ favourite match
Saturday 13 July 2024 18:15
Jack Rathborn
MD: Much like goals, there have been a few genuine epics in this tournament, mostly involving the same four sides: Turkey, Georgia, Spain and Austria. I’m going for that first meeting between two in Turkey 3-1 Georgia.
RJ: Austria 3 Netherlands 2. Of the games I was at, the Spain-France semi-final was the best in terms of quality. But Austria's group-stage win over the Dutch was hugely entertaining, played at a frenetic pace, featuring influential substitutions by both managers and shifts in momentum. It was a great advert for Ralf Rangnick. As it meant Austria topped the group and sent France into the other half of the draw, it also had a lot of significance.
KM: Georgia vs Spain in the round of 16, which does follow the theme of what Miguel mentions above, but it was just utterly enthralling in every way you want a football match to be. An unforgettable one to be at.
AP: This is my second mention of Turkey 3-1 Georgia, but it has to be for me. No one wants to see fighting in the stands, but the combination of that aggro, the relentless rain, the atmosphere brought by both sets of fans, the way Dortmund's stadium contains noise, and finally the football itself... I'll remember it for the rest of my life. A privilege to have been there.
JB: Having seen all three of Scotland’s game and two of England’s in the group stages, the epics escaped me... I’ll go for Spain vs Italy simply because of Nico Williams and what was perhaps the outstanding individual display of the tournament.
KJ: Netherlands 2-3 Austria. The day Ralf Rangnick’s dark horses stunned Europe and topped a group with World Cup finalists France in it, sealed with a stunning late finish by Marcel Sabitzer. Makes it even more of a shame that they couldn’t progress beyond Turkey in the last-16.
Euro 2024 Awards: Team of the tournament
Saturday 13 July 2024 17:15
Jack Rathborn
MD: Pickford; Kounde, Guehi, Pepe, Cucurella; Rodri, Mainoo, Olmo; Yamal, Kvaratshkelia, Williams
RJ: Mamardashvili; Kounde, Pepe, Saliba, Kadioglu; Rodri, Ruiz; Yamal, Musiala, Baumgartner; Olmo
KM: Mamardashvili; Carvajal, Guehi, Pepe, Cucurella; Rodri, Ruiz; Williams, Olmo, Yamal; Mikautadze. Think Musiala, Ndoye, Kadioglu, Maignon and Kounde deserve mentions too though.
AP: Pickford; Carvajal, Pepe, Guehi, Cucurella; Rodri, Ruiz; Williams, Olmo, Yamal; Mikautadze
JB: Donnarumma; Kounde, Pepe, Laporte, Cucurella; Rodri, Ruiz, Vitinha; Yamal, Musiala, Williams
KJ: Pickford; Carvajal, Pepe, Guehi, Cucurella; Rodri, Ruiz; Williams, Musiala, Yamal; Mikautadze
Euro 2024 Awards: Goal of the tournament
Saturday 13 July 2024 16:15
Jack Rathborn
MD: For all the debate about whether it has been a good tournament, there can be no question about the quality of the goals. There have been so many brilliant strikes, to form a huge goal of the tournament competition. It takes a lot to really stand out but it’s precisely for its distinctiveness that I’m going for Hakan Calhanoglu against Czech Republic.
RJ: Samet Akaydin's own goal when Türkiye lost to Portugal, made all the funnier as Cristiano Ronaldo missed it because he was too busy berating Joao Cancelo. But of those scored at the right end, probably Jude Bellingham's overhead kick against Slovakia, for the combination of brilliance and the magnitude of the moment.
KM: Although not maybe the best individual hit, it was still a class finish, so that added to the sheer all-or-nothing moment of it, I’ll go for Mattia Zaccagni of Italy with the last-second equaliser to send his side through and knock out Romania. Hard to argue against Mert Mulder’s goal though, which stayed hit.
AP: Mert Muldur's volley against Georgia was an absolute peach. I've got a soft spot for a volley, but for the right-back to meet it first time after the defensive header, keep it straight and stop it from rising, and send it top bins... It was a lightning rod of a goal on a stormy day in Dortmund.
JB: Lamine Yamal vs France. The goal from Euro 2024 that will be replayed over, and over, and over again.
KJ: Jude Bellingham vs Slovakia. To produce a perfect bicycle kick in added-time with your team one minute away from elimination is the stuff dreams are made of. A moment of pure inspiration from a clutch player.
It’s not about who starts Euro 2024 final, it’s who finishes it - and England can reimagine their attack
Saturday 13 July 2024 16:00
Jack Rathborn
Super subs. Late winners. Drama until the last. England’s journey through Euro 2024 has been about the collective, Gareth Southgate - and just about every post-match narrative since the last 16 - has been keen to reaffirm.
It can lead several conclusions to be drawn, depending on your perspective: a strong squad, perhaps? The wrong tactics or selections, for others. Either way, it is undeniable that England are finishing games better than they’ve started them, or finishing the tournament better than they started it.
But if the substitutions and in-game changes are of paramount importance to one team, so must they be to another: Spain themselves have a deep squad, one which Luis de la Fuente rotated to its fullest extent in their final group-stage game, one they’ve relied upon in the knockouts too as suspensions and injuries hit, particularly in the semi-final.
BBC or ITV: Who should fans choose for the Euro 2024 final?
Saturday 13 July 2024 15:45
Jack Rathborn
England v Spain is a tough match to call on Sunday but there is one contest for which we already know the result. The BBC and ITV will both broadcast the Euro 2024 final live, and the BBC is set to enjoy a significantly larger share of the viewing figures.
Three years ago, a peak of 31 million people tuned into the Euro 2020 final, which England lost to Italy on penalties. It was the UK’s most-watched TV event since Princess Diana’s funeral and the BBC picked up 25 million (81 per cent) of the audience, compared to ITV’s 5.9 million.
That difference is the natural consequence of trying to push Gillette razors at every possible interval, which seems to include the miniscule gap between national anthems and kick-off these days. But might that ratio shift this time around? Could ITV eat into the BBC’s giant share of the pie?
Gary Lineker confirms BBC line-up for Euro 2024 final with surprise guest
Saturday 13 July 2024 15:30
Jack Rathborn
Gary Lineker, who will lead the BBC’s flagship coverage of the Euro 2024 final on Sunday night, has revealed who will be joining him in the studio.
The BBC’s studio throughout the tournament has been based in an ideal location right in front of the Brandenburg Gate in Berlin, the same city where the final will be held at the Olympiastadion. They will have a location inside the impressive stadium for Sunday’s match.
Throughout the tournament, the BBC and ITV have alternated which matches each broadcaster has shown, but both will be showing the final.
Euro 2024 Awards: Player of the Tournament
Saturday 13 July 2024 15:15
Jack Rathborn
Miguel Delaney: Rodri. There’s a temptation to put his teammates in Lamine Yamal and - especially - Dani Olmo but the reality is that the midfielder is just a level above.
Richard Jolly: I don't think there has been one dominant player. There are plenty of honourable mentions for those who have had good tournaments, some ended too soon - Christoph Baumgartner and Arda Guler were two who particularly impressed me, though I wish I had been at any of the Georgia games. Should Spain win the final, it may go down as Lamine Yamal's tournament, though the reliable Rodri may have been consistently their best performer. A personal choice, however, would be Fabian Ruiz who has added something Spain have not had in midfield for many a year.
Karl Matchett: Fabian Ruiz. A lot of his Spain teammates will get more headlines and it’s definitely arguable his partner, Rodri, is the “better” individual - but Ruiz has had a truly storming tournament. He’s excellent on the ball, has had cutting edge in and around the box which is often missing (or stifled) at club level and defensively he’s the best at Euro 2024 in regaining the ball high upfield, enabling Spain to do what they do best: dominate.
Alex Pattle: Fabian Ruiz. I was torn between the Spaniard and his midfield partner Rodri, but feel that Ruiz has mirrored some of what Rodri has done defensively while adding more offensively, too.
Jamie Braidwood: Lamine Yamal. Yes his age, but also what a joy to watch a footballer who is so naturally balanced and graceful and whose first instinct is to run. But also, his age! How is a 16-year-old doing this at their first major tourna
