Spain were crowned champions of Euro 2024 on Sunday following a 2-1 win over England in the final at Berlin’s Olympiastadion. Spain thus became the first-ever team to clinch the European Championship title a record four times, having previously won it in 1964, 2008, and 2012.
Goals from Nico Williams and Mikel Oyarzabal in the second half led La Roja to victory, but not without a scare from England in the form of Cole Palmer’s equalizer in the 73rd minute. For England, it’s a second successive heartbreak in the final of the Euros, having lost to Italy in the final of the 2020 edition three years back.
Spain has been comfortably the best team over the last month in Germany and was not intimidated by the atmosphere at the Olympiastadion, where the majority of the crowd was given over to England’s cause.
England had hoped to finally claim a first men’s international title since their fabled victory at the 1966 World Cup but fell just short in their first-ever final on foreign soil. After the agony of their defeat on penalties to Italy three years ago, they are the first side ever to lose back-to-back Euro finals.
Captain Harry Kane, meanwhile, is left at the age of 30 still looking for the first trophy of a career so rich in goals, this defeat coming after a season in which he also won nothing with Bayern Munich. It was always likely that Spain would control this game, and England spent most of the first half chasing the ball.
Spain controlled the game from the off, but it took until stoppage time at the end of the first half for either team to manage a shot on target, with Phil Foden’s effort from a Declan Rice free-kick delivery being easily saved by goalkeeper Unai Simon.
