Spain beat England in the Euro 2024 final with a goal from Mikel Oyarzabal on Sunday, but Nico Williams and Lamine Yamal, two powerful wingers, led La Roja to victory from the beginning to the end.
The young players were very important in getting their team to the final in Berlin. They helped put Spain ahead of England, which felt right given how great their summer was.
Spain got off to a good start when Williams scored a goal, and both of them came close to making it 3-0 before Cole Palmer scored a draw for England.
Yamal, 17, and Williams, 22, who both had birthdays in the days before the final, gave Spain an exciting new attacking edge that they had been missing for most of the last ten years. This helped the team win a record-setting fourth European Championship.
Spain hasn’t won a big trophy since 2012. That was the end of a great run that saw them win the Euro 2008 and the 2010 World Cup.
After that, they have had a hard time on the pitch and more recently off the pitch because their football league is in trouble.
Many people didn’t think they were among the top picks to win the trophy this summer, but Yamal and Williams’ flair and contagious spirit gave a national team that was already known for being able to control the ball more life.
Yamal scored the youngest goal in the history of the Euros when he scored a brilliant long-range goal in the knockout win over France. He was named the tournament’s young player of the year.
Williams played a big role in Spain’s comeback win over Georgia in the round of 16 and their win over Italy in the group stage. Williams also shone in Spain’s win over Georgia in the last 16 before they beat Italy.
Earlier in the game, Spain coach Luis de la Fuente said that both players were “gifts from god.” He did the right thing by using both of them instead of being more cautious.
To make matters worse, Spain didn’t always have more of the ball than their opponents. But that didn’t bother them or their fans as they celebrated with the prize.