PeakNews Online
By John-Francis Alamise
Spain and England will clash in the final of the European Championship on Sunday. Spain aims to secure a record-breaking fourth title at the Euros, surpassing Germany/West Germany, while England seeks its first major trophy in men’s soccer since the 1966 World Cup. The match will kick off at 9 p.m. local time (8 p.m. Nigerian time) in Berlin.
Spain enters the final as the favorite, having won all six of its matches in Euro 2024 and earning a reputation as the tournament’s best team. A victory would extend a period of success for Spanish national teams, following the men’s UEFA Nations League win last year and the women’s World Cup triumph two months later.
Lamine Yamal, Spain’s emerging star, has been instrumental in the team’s success. At just 16, he set up three goals before the semifinals and scored a spectacular long-range strike in the victory over France. Yamal turned 17 on Saturday, the day before the final. His breakout performance draws comparisons to Kylian Mbappé’s at the 2018 World Cup and Pelé’s at the 1958 World Cup.
Spain last appeared in a major tournament final in 2012, winning their third European Championship by defeating Italy 4-0. England, meanwhile, played in the final of Euro 2020 (held in 2021 due to the pandemic) and lost to Italy in a penalty shootout.
England has demonstrated resilience throughout Euro 2024, coming from behind in all three of its knockout-stage matches. Jude Bellingham scored an equalizer with an overhead kick in stoppage time against Slovakia in the last 16, Bukayo Saka netted an 80th-minute equalizer against Switzerland before a penalty shootout victory, and substitute Ollie Watkins scored a last-minute winner against the Netherlands in the semifinals.
The stage is set for an exciting showdown as Spain and England vie for European glory.
Joe
