Spain is the champion of the Euro Cup! They defeated England 2-1 and crowned themselves in a tournament they dominated from start to finish, showcasing the best football and claiming the Berlin trophy for the fourth time, making them the most successful team on the continent. A well-deserved prize for a team with a solid game plan, featuring young talents shining alongside experienced players who never strayed from their script.
The final was thrilling. England aimed to neutralize Spain, and neither side could gain an edge initially. However, everything changed in the second half: Spain broke the deadlock early with Lamine Yamal’s run down the left, passing right for Nico Williams who fired a cross-shot for the 1-0 lead. A play orchestrated by the 17-year-old who celebrated his birthday on Saturday and the 22-year-old who celebrated his on Friday.
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With the lead, Luis De la Fuente’s team loosened up and sought more goals, while England struggled to find ways to threaten. Yet, England’s lesser-exploited talents connected in one play: Bukayo Saka’s pass, Jude Bellingham’s pivot and pass, and a stunning long-range goal by Cole Palmer with a slight deflection to equalize 1-1.
But Spain stuck to their base idea of playing and attacking. They had threatened earlier through Williams and the talented Dani Olmo, but the title-winning goal came unexpectedly from Mikel Oyarzabal. The Real Sociedad forward, who replaced Morata, anticipated and pushed a perfect cross from Marc Cucurella into the net for the 2-1 lead, sparking celebrations five minutes before the end.
Spain won all seven matches, starting with a 3-0 victory over Croatia and dominating Italy in the group and knockout stages, facing the toughest fixture: defeating the hosts Germany in extra time in the quarterfinals, then France in the semifinals, and now England in the final with a 2-1 victory to leave no doubts.
On the other side, there’s disappointment for England once again. They lost their second consecutive Euro final after the penalty shootout defeat to Italy in 2021. Despite many star names, their collective performance was lacking throughout this tournament. Their best attribute was their ability to come back in matches, evident in the round of 16, quarterfinals, and semifinals, but in this final, their efforts fell short.
This is likely the end of Gareth Southgate’s tenure as coach, who took over in 2016 and led England through multiple tournaments (World Cups 2018, 2022, and two Euros), but fell short of the ultimate goal, as he himself acknowledged. Their title drought since the 1966 World Cup will continue, but if they can regroup in time, they have the talent to aim for success in 2026.
Meanwhile, the joy belongs to Luis De la Fuente, the 63-year-old coach who quietly took over from Luis Enrique after the Qatar 2022 disappointment. He had spent a decade working with youth teams, knew all the players well, and for this Euro, he revamped Spain’s possession-based style with added speed, explosiveness, and counter-attacking prowess, as he himself described. This approach was evident in players like Lamine Yamal and Nico Williams, the team’s wingers. Managing a team with youngsters like and seniors must have been a significant task.
Yamal has been awarded the Young Player of the Tournament, and Rodri takes the Player of the Tournament title. Yamal and Rodri have scored a single goal each in the tournament.
It’s an unforgettable title for Spain, their fourth Euro after 1968, 2008, and 2012, surpassing Germany’s three titles as well. A championship performance in every aspect, celebrating their trophy in style and also securing a spot in the 2025 Finalissima against the Copa America winner.
