Spain head into Euro 2024 final as favourites after impressive campaign

Spain head coach Luis de la Fuente gives his players instructions from the sidelines. (Photo by Dean Mouhtaropoulos/Getty Images)

By Yanga Sibembe

14 Jul 2024

La Roja and the Lions will duke it out for Euro 2024 glory.

Of the 24 hopefuls who landed in Germany last month for the 2024 European Championship, hoping to be crowned the kings of European soccer, only two remain: Spain and England.

The Spanish beat Kylian Mbappé and his fellow Frenchmen 2-1 to book the last dance of the tournament with England. The Lions played their most enterprising game to date to see off the Netherlands, also 2-1.

The two remaining sides’ journeys could not be more contrasting. Three-time European champions Spain have been the best team in Germany. Comfortably.

La Roja have scored the most goals with 13 from their six games leading up to the final. Youthful wingers Lamine Yamal – who will celebrate his 17th birthday on 13 July, the day before the final – and Nico Williams (21) have shone on this massive international platform, displaying immense maturity to spearhead the Spanish charge to this final stage of the tournament.

Hosts Germany were a close second behind Spain before the draw pitted the two most successful nations in Euro history against each other in the quarterfinal. The Germans also have three European titles.

By contrast, a star-studded Lions team have failed to impress, mirroring a lazy house cat as opposed to the predatory king of the jungle. They have managed just under half the goals of their opponents in the final, with seven strikes in six Euro outings.

A defiant Southgate

Nevertheless, a Gareth Southgate-coached team boasting superstars such as Jude Bellingham, Harry Kane, Phil Foden and Declan Rice have ground their way into a second consecutive Euro decider.

“We all want to be loved, right? When you are doing something for your country and you are a proud Englishman, when all you read is criticism, it is hard. To be able to celebrate a second final is very, very special,” Southgate said after the team’s victory over the Dutch.

Three years ago, the Lions reached the final of the Covid-delayed quadrennial tournament. They lost to Italy in a penalty shootout despite being the favourites.

Lamine Yamal of Spain celebrates scoring at Euro 2024. (Photo: Dan Mullan / Getty Images)

For this 2024 final they are the underdogs, with Spain favoured by many to win their first Euro title since 2012.

Ironically, before the Euros it was the other way round. For a number of soccer lovers, England was the team to beat, owing to the plethora of global superstars on the team’s roster, as well as their performance at the previous Euro.

Spain also did relatively well at the previous Euro, reaching the semifinals where they were downed 4-2 on penalties by eventual winners Italy.

However, after an underwhelming 2022 World Cup campaign, where they were victims of Morocco’s historic march to the semifinals, La Roja headed into this Euro below the likes of England, Germany, France and even Portugal on the favourites list.

After they crushed Croatia 3-0 in their opening group game in mid-June, the public perception changed. They looked convincing and confident, and have since won every game they have played at the tournament. Come the final, they will be keen to maintain their perfect record.

England are also unbeaten, although their sojourn in Germany has included some drab draws and hard-fought victories.

“We will have to get the ball off them first,” said Southgate about what he believes will help his side extinguish the fierce and formidable La Roja.

“It is not as simple as us having the ball and making them run. We have to be exceptional with the ball and without it. They have been the best team,” he added.

Looking back

When Germany routed Scotland 5-1 in the opening match of the Euros, a seed of hope was planted that it would be a riveting tournament with a number of goals scored. But it has not lived up to those expectations.

For example, France reached the semifinals without scoring a single goal in open play. The three goals they managed came from two own goals and a Mbappé penalty.

Meanwhile, group C, which consisted of England, Denmark, Slovenia and Serbia, produced just seven goals between them.

England head coach Gareth Southgate celebrates victory. (Photo: Stu Forster / Getty Images)

The Euros’ all-time top scorer, Cristiano Ronaldo, could not add to the 14 that he has scored since his debut at the tournament in 2004.

Despite trying 23 shots at goal in his five matches, the 39-year-old just could not find the back of the net at this Euro, as Portugal fell in the quarterfinals.

Impressive impressions

In spite of the generally poor goal return compared with other Euro editions, there were some amazing moments, not least in the form of tournament debutants Georgia.

The Georgians reached the knockouts as one of the four best third-placed finishers after shocking Portugal 2-0 in their final group game. Their fairytale run was stopped by Spain, who thrashed them 4-1 in the round of 16.

“Everyone will want only one thing: to come back,” said Georgian coach Willy Sagnol, who had already declared his team the “real winners” of the tournament after the Portugal win.

“The only responsibility we had was to make the Georgian nation proud of their players, and we’ve done it the best way.”

There were also a number of youngsters who showed glimpses of their quality at this tournament. One was Turkish wunderkind Arda Güler, and then there was Bayer Leverkusen forward Florian Wirtz (21). He impressed whenever he was called upon by German coach Julian Nagelsmann and scored two goals in five games.

Spain head coach Luis de la Fuente gives his players instructions from the sidelines. (Photo: Dean Mouhtaropoulos / Getty Images)

Porto and Portugal youngster Francisco Conceição joined an exclusive club of sons who, like their fathers, have scored at the Euros. Sergio Conceição did so at the Euros 24 years ago. The only other duo to manage this rare feat is Italy’s Enrico and Federico Chiesa, who scored at the 1996 and 2020 editions, respectively.

The revelation of the tournament, though, has been Yamal. The teenager has enjoyed many firsts while starring for Spain on their way to the final, including being the youngest player in Euro history. At 16, the Barcelona star is also the youngest provider of an assist in the Euros and the youngest player to feature in its knockout stages.

With his wonder strike in the semifinal win against France, Yamal became the youngest goalscorer in Euro history, surpassing the title held by Switzerland’s Johan Vonlathen, who was 18 when he scored in 2004. Against England on Sunday, Yamal will once again be vital. DM

This story first appeared in our weekly Daily Maverick 168 newspaper, which is available countrywide for R35.

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Sport

A defiant Southgate

Looking back

Impressive impressions