Euro 2024 draws to a close with a battle of the Berlin behemoths on Sunday evening, as finalists Spain and England emerge to a raucous Olympiastadion atmosphere for the right to be crowned kings of the continent.
While La Roja – tipped by many as the favourites to prevent football from coming home once again – are already familiar with feel of the Henri Delaunay Trophy, the 1966 World Cup winners are yet to hoist the iconic cup aloft.
Luis de la Fuente’s red-clad superstars and Gareth Southgate’s crop of hopefuls both had to do it the hard way in their semi-final ties, as Spain denied France a shot at Euros supremacy, while the Three Lions roared to a mesmerising victory over the Netherlands to reach back-to-back finals.
By the time Francois Letexier’s final whistle blows on Sunday night, the Spain vs. England major tournament final chapter would have come full circle; after all, the two nations crossed paths in two showpiece matches this time last year, just not in the senior men’s game.
Several weeks after Lee Carsley’s England Under-21s sunk their Spanish counterparts to earn their European Championship stars, Spain’s women’s team conquered the globe with an identical 1-0 success in the World Cup final, leaving Sunday’s mouthwatering meeting as delicately poised as they come.
As the likes of hosts Germany, the Kylian Mbappe-led France and – to an extent – England lapped up most of the pre-tournament fanfare, De la Fuente’s Spain may have flown slightly under the radar before commencing their Euros duties, especially in the wake of their recent major tournament failures.
However, La Roja made a complete mockery of the so-called ‘Group of Death’, amassing nine points from a possible nine against 2018 World Cup runners-up Croatia, reigning European champions Italy – who will soon be deposed – and the unfancied Albanians, ending the first phase as the only nation with a 100% record both points-wise and defensive-wise.
