Euro 2024: Spain win against England in final
England 1 - 2 Spain
It just wasn't meant to be for England.
England's hopes of ending 58 years of pain and disappointment were dashed as they lost to Spain in the Euro 2024 final at Berlin's Olympiastadion.
Gareth Southgate's team suffered heartbreak once again, falling to a late goal by Mikel Oyarzabal, which left them unable to end the long wait for success for the men's team in a second consecutive European Championship final.
Spain took the lead just two minutes into the second half when Lamine Yamal set up Nico Williams, who beat England goalkeeper Jordan Pickford with a powerful low shot.
England's captain, Harry Kane, struggled to find form and was substituted after an hour. Cole Palmer, who came on for Kobbie Mainoo, briefly revived hopes of a comeback with a composed left-footed strike in the 73rd minute.
However, Spain ultimately clinched victory, as Oyarzabal converted Marc Cucurella's cross four minutes from time, leaving England once again as the nearly men.
England's dreams were sadly dashed
The iconic stadium was awash with a sea of white as England fans vastly outnumbered their Spanish counterparts, believing that this time the near misses of previous years would finally end.
When Cole Palmer's smooth finish brought England level 17 minutes from time, confidence surged. Many felt that Southgate's team was poised to mount another dramatic comeback, reminiscent of their earlier rescues against Slovakia, Switzerland, and the Netherlands in Euro 2024.
But this time, there was no escape. England were clinically undone by Oyarzabal's decisive strike, securing the victory that Spain's performances throughout the tournament deserved.
To add to England's agony, Declan Rice and Marc Guehi both saw headers cleared off the line in the dying moments, first by keeper Unai Simon and then by Dani Olmo, who celebrated as if it were a trophy-winning save – which, in effect, it was.
The best reaction
William, a Luton Town fan, told us: "It has been a strange tournament. England looked poor at times but battled through well. Ultimately, Spain deserved the victory but England have proven that they can compete at this high level."
Liam, a Manchester United fan, added: "England fans wanting Southgate out need to be careful what they wish for. I've seen some awful times in the last 40 years as an England fan. Southgate has been our most successful manager since Alf Ramsey. My question to these people would be, who replaces him?"
Thomas Jones also gave an opinion on his LinkedIn profile. Like Liam, he also spoke very positively about the England manager and believes he should stay on until the next World Cup.
The story of the tournament can be found here. Euro 2024 news and stories (eurosuperfootball.blogspot.com)
