By: Isabella Liu

England lost to Spain during the 2024 European Championship Finals match on July 15th, 2024 at Olympiastadion in Berlin with the score 2-1.

The game started with no one scoring in the first half. At the start of the second half, Nico Williams from Spain scored an astonishing goal in the bottom corner of the net. Halfway through the second half, England’s substitute Cole Palmer tied with a spectacular goal from outside the box. England’s hopes of winning the cup were reignited.

Nevertheless, with only three minutes left on the clock, Spain took a late lead with Mikel Oyarzabal scoring a spotless pass from Marc Cucurella for Spain to take the victory. This was Spain’s fourth Euro title, while for England, adding to their losing streak for 58 years. During recent years, Spain won First Place in the 2010 FIFA World Cup, First Place in the 2012 UEFA European Championships, and First Place in the 2024 Championships. On the other hand, the last cup England won was the FIFA World Cup in 1966.

Harry Kane, the captain of the Three Lions, was awarded the 2024 Euro Golden Boot which is given to the highest scoring players in each UEFA European Championship Tournament. Kane was very upset about the team loss even though his individual performance was exceptional. He told the press that the defeat was “as painful as could be,” Additionally, he stated that, “We wanted to do it [win] for ourselves but also for the fans, everyone who’s believed in us the whole way – right now it’s just huge disappointment.” Furthermore, England’s manager Gareth Southgate resigned just two days after the team lost.

It is an exciting time for La Roja, the team from Spain. La Roja has now won three of the past five Euros. The young generation of the team, including Nicholas Nico Williams and Lamine Yama, carry the legacy on their shoulders.

England, Spain, and their fans look forward to the next World Cup in 2026.

Image Credit by RF._.studio