Spain is the king of European soccer for a record fourth time. For England, it鈥檚 another agonizing near-miss in the team鈥檚 decades-long tale of underachievement.
Completing a tournament the team dominated from start to finish, Spain beat England 2-1 in the European Championship final on Sunday with Mikel Oyarzabal the unlikely match-winner in the 86th minute.
Oyarzabal, a backup striker who came on as a substitute for captain Alvaro Morata, slid in to poke home a left-wing cross by Marc Cucurella, just when the game at Berlin鈥檚 Olympiastadion seemed destined for extra time.
England, the birthplace of soccer, is still without a major title in the men鈥檚 game since winning the 1966 World Cup and its players watched on forlornly as Morata raised aloft the silver trophy to backdrop of confetti and fireworks inside the stadium built for the 1936 Olympics.
Add 2024 to the titles won by Spain in 1964, 2008 and 2012.
鈥淗ere we are, champions of Europe,鈥� said Nico Williams, whose opening goal for Spain in the 47th minute was canceled out by England substitute Cole Palmer in the 73rd. 鈥淲e are thrilled and hope this can keep going and we can go for the (2026) World Cup.鈥�
Lamine Yamal, the prodigy who turned 17 on Saturday and is the youngest player to have appeared at a European Championship, set up Williams鈥� goal with an inside run before passing across the face of the area. The two wingers have become the poster boys of an exciting, multicultural team that reflects Spain鈥檚 changing demographics.
Yamal鈥檚 mother is from Equatorial Guinea and his father is from Morocco, while the 22-year-old Williams has Ghanaian parents who made the long journey to Europe looking for a better life. To make it to Spain, they had to ride on the back of a crowded truck and walk barefoot through the Sahara desert.
鈥淚 believe there is a historical change, we are really grateful,鈥� said Williams, the player of the match with his darting runs and his second goal of Euro 2024.
鈥淢y parents have suffered a lot to get here. They are the ones who have suffered the most and they have instilled this sort of respect and loyalty in me,鈥� he said. 鈥淚鈥檓 really happy because we are making history.鈥�
Unlike his brother Inaki, who is a Ghana international, Nico chose to play for Spain and will now be regarded as a national hero there.
Spain is back as a major player in senior soccer after winning both the Women鈥檚 World Cup 鈥� also against England 鈥� and the men鈥檚 UEFA Nations League in 2023.
Since 2001, Spanish men鈥檚 teams have won 23 consecutive major finals in club and international soccer.
鈥淚 said before the tournament, nobody can hang with us,鈥� Williams said.
Spain won all seven games at this European Championship 鈥� an unprecedented feat 鈥� and broke the record for goals scored in a single tournament, with 15.
There were joyous scenes after the final whistle, with defender Dani Carvajal piled on by jubilant teammates after slumping to the ground. Spain coach Luis de la Fuente was thrown into the air by his players. Both Cucurella and Yamal led Spain鈥檚 players in jumping over the advertising boards to reach the red-and-yellow-clad Spanish fans in the stadium鈥檚 east end.
鈥淭his is the best (birthday) gift I could have asked for,鈥� Yamal said. 鈥淚t is a dream come true.鈥�
After getting his medal, the teenager turned and shook his fist in celebration, stuck his tongue out and showed off a beaming grin. By then, Yamal and his team mates were wearing Spain jerseys with 鈥淜ings of Europe鈥� and the number 鈥�4鈥� on the back.
Meanwhile, fans who had watched the game on a big screen in Madrid celebrated wildly, chanting 鈥渃hampions, champions鈥� in Spanish. It was a great sporting day for the nation, with Carlos Alcaraz winning the Wimbledon men鈥檚 singles title for a second straight year hours before the Euro 2024 final.
As for England, the men鈥檚 team has now lost back-to-back Euro finals 鈥� it was defeated in a penalty shootout by Italy on home soil in the final in 2021 鈥� and this was another painful loss for a team that will have gone six decades without a major title by the next World Cup.
England鈥檚 women have been more successful, though, winning the European Championship in 2021 and reaching the World Cup final two years later.
鈥淭his time it just wasn鈥檛 meant to be,鈥� Prince William, who attended the final alongside other dignitaries including Spain鈥檚 King Felipe, wrote on social media. 鈥淲e鈥檙e all still so proud of you.鈥�
It was the fourth straight game that the English came from behind since the group stage, but their resilience wasn鈥檛 rewarded this time.
A team that has produced big moments when it really mattered at Euro 2024 鈥� including Jude Bellingham鈥檚 95th-minute overhead kick against Slovakia in the round of 16 鈥� couldn鈥檛 deliver another one, with Spain midfielder Dani Olmo clearing the ball off the line at a corner in the 89th minute.
鈥淚t has been a difficult ride, we have done extremely well to get here, but ultimately we are going to be judged on this game,鈥� England captain Harry Kane said.
鈥淚t鈥檚 extremely painful,鈥� he added. 鈥淚t鈥檚 going to hurt for a long, long time.鈥�
England coach Gareth Southgate, who has been in charge for eight years and also led the team to the World Cup semifinals in 2018, said it wasn鈥檛 the time to make a decision on his future. His contract expires in December.
鈥淢ost of this squad are going to be around not just for the World Cup but the next Euros as well,鈥� Southgate said. 鈥淭here鈥檚 a lot to look forward to but at this moment that鈥檚 not any consolation.鈥�
Steve Douglas, The Associated Press
