A month-long festival of football comes to a close as Berlin’s Olympiastadion hosts the Euro 2024 final between Spain and England.
Spain, who had to come from behind to beat France in the semi-finals, have excelled at this tournament and go into this clash as favourites, a label that is hard to dispute considering they have won four of their last five finals. their big ones.
La Roja are also on an eight-game winning streak – the last time they achieved nine in a row was in 2012, a run that included lifting the European Championship trophy.
Such a repeat would not only give Spain their fourth Euro title, it would take them ahead of Germany and make them the most successful national team in the competition’s history.
With Luis de la Fuente, they look to have the perfect man on the bench as well, having guided the Spanish under-19 and under-23 sides to European glory earlier in his career.
After a much less straightforward path to the final, England fans can start to believe they too have the right man.
Gareth Southgate became the first manager to lead the Three Lions to two major finals as his side also came from behind to beat Holland, with two of his substitutes combining for a winning goal in the dying minutes.
Southgate’s side will need to be at their best to take on the skilful Spaniards, but they are not lacking in resilience if they go behind, as they are the only team in Euro history to reach the final having been disadvantaged in the quarter-finals and semi-finals.
