Spain wins 4th Euro title as late goal breaks England's heart

Spain spoiled England’s hopes of ending its 58-year trophy drought after Mikel Oyarzabal scored late to beat the Three Lions 2-1 and win Euro 2024 in Berlin on Sunday.

Nico Williams and Cole Palmer traded targets within the second half earlier than Oyarzabal’s strike within the 86th minute secured Spain’s file fourth European Championship.

It was the nation’s first continental title since 2012, whereas England’s wait for an additional main males’s trophy continues.

The outcome was a becoming finish to the match for Spain, broadly considered one of the best workforce all through Euro 2024. La Roja completed with an unblemished file, beating Croatia, Italy, Germany, and France previous to Sunday’s engrossing remaining.

Spain additionally set a brand new European Championship file for many targets scored by a workforce in a single match with 15.

“I did my job, what I needed to do at each second,” Oyarzabal informed reporters, in accordance with Agence France-Presse. “I used to be fortunate sufficient to attain the winner. You worth it so much. And in the event you’re fortunate sufficient to attain the objective … it is one of the best.”

England is now the primary workforce ever to lose back-to-back Euro finals. Gareth Southgate’s squad fell to Italy on penalties within the Euro 2020 remaining at Wembley Stadium three years in the past.

“Dropping in a remaining is as robust because it will get,” England captain Harry Kane mentioned. “We did very well to get again within the sport at 1-1, after which we could not use our momentum to push on. … It is as painful as it may be in a soccer match.”

Luis de la Fuente’s squad began the sport off because the superior workforce, controlling possession and registering one of the best probabilities within the first 20 minutes.

Because the opening half progressed, each side had probabilities to attain however have been cautious to not let their guards down or take too many dangers in assault.

Spain responded nicely to the adversity of dropping midfield talisman Rodri, who was substituted at halftime with an obvious leg harm. La Roja took the lead nearly instantly after the break when Lamine Yamal related with Williams to open the scoring.

Yamal received in behind Luke Shaw and crept throughout the highest of the England field earlier than pulling the set off on a move out vast to a surging Williams, who beat Jordan Pickford with a shot into the far nook of the objective within the forty seventh minute.

Like Rodri, Kane was additionally faraway from the competition and changed by England’s semifinal hero Ollie Watkins.

Spain pressed for a second objective earlier than Palmer introduced England stage three minutes after approaching in its place with a composed strike with lower than 20 minutes to play.

The competition was minutes away from heading to additional time, however Oyarzabal, who got here on for captain Alvaro Morata, redirected Marc Cucurella’s low cross and scored from shut vary within the 86th minute.

England had one final probability to equalize late, however Dani Olmo got here to Spain’s rescue with a goal-line clearance to cease Marc Guehi’s Ninetieth-minute header.

After the sport, Rodri was introduced because the Participant of the Event, and Yamal was named one of the best younger participant – a day after his seventeenth birthday.

Southgate, who’s out of contract on the finish of the 12 months, was unwilling to handle his future after the sport.

“I do not assume now is an effective time to decide like that,” he mentioned, in accordance with The Guardian. “I’ll speak to the suitable folks and, yeah, it is simply not for now.”