Spain will face England in the UEFA EURO 2024 final match at the Olympic Stadium in Berlin. The fixture will take place on Monday, July 15, beginning at 00:30 IST.
Parimatch News will tell you everything you need to know ahead of the upcoming match.
Spain News & Current Form:
The European Championship held in Germany has come to a close, bringing a wealth of emotions to fans from various countries. While the new champion is yet to be crowned, many teams have exceeded expectations by reaching the playoffs and providing memorable performances. However, there were disappointments, notably from the reigning champions, Italy, and the general desire for more thrilling matches filled with goals. The trend has shown that breaking through the defence of any high-level opponent has become increasingly challenging.
Standing out among all teams is the collective representing Spain, which showcased attacking football in every group stage match, dominating possession, winning all their matches, and deservedly advancing to the final. A contentious moment arose during their quarterfinal against Germany, with a possible penalty that sparked much debate, but that is now in the past.
Most fans, except perhaps the youngest, remember the Spanish team that shone from 2008 to 2012, winning their first FIFA World Cup and two consecutive European Championships. Now, La Roja has a chance to win the EUROs for the fourth time, setting a new record. The current squad is so well-rounded that it recalls tales of old where new warriors replace the fallen seamlessly.
Before the semifinals, there were concerns that their victory over the tournament hosts could be Pyrrhic. Two key defenders, Dani Carvajal and Robin Le Normand, were suspended, and Pedri was injured. Yet, the team adapted without missing a beat, with Nacho, ex-player of Real Madrid CF, and 38-year-old Jesús Navas stepping in, the latter serving as a link to the legendary squad from 15 years ago.
Moreover, the main stars of the championship are playing for the Red Fury. Dani Olmo leads the goal+assist chart with five contributions (3+2), despite starting only twice. His value is highlighted by the fact that he tallied four of these points in the playoffs. Chasing him are Fabián Ruiz (2+2) and Lamine Yamal (1+3) – the hero of the semifinal against France. The 16-year-old forward equalised with a stunning long-range shot, becoming the youngest goal scorer in Euro history and previously the youngest assist provider.
One concern for the upcoming match is the condition of Álvaro Morata. After the last game, a steward chasing a fan fell at the captain’s feet, causing him to limp. However, Morata later assured that he was fine.
16-year-old football prodigy Lamine Yamal became the youngest scorer at the EUROs
Spain were not initially seen as a major contender for the title, but they proved everyone wrong in the group stage as they were the only team to win all three group matches without conceding a goal. They started with a 3:0 victory over Croatia, followed by 1:0 wins against Italy and Albania. In the first knockout round, they came from behind to thrash Georgia (4:1), then edged out Germany in extra time, and defeated France with a final score of 2:1 in the semifinal.
In the semifinal, the team under the guidance of Luis de la Fuente conceded as early as the ninth minute but managed to equalise and take the lead within 16 minutes. Despite the opponent’s efforts, Spain skillfully disrupted their pressing and forced turnovers. Now, Kylian Mbappé and Co. are packing their bags, while the best team of the Euro rightfully advances to the final.
“They were better than us,” admitted Frenchman Antoine Griezmann after the semifinal.
“We knew they could shoot well from a distance, and we allowed them to do so. We knew Lamine was left-footed, and we let him shoot with his left. The first goal hurt us, and the second four minutes later finished us off. No excuses about fatigue or anything else, they also played extra time. They were better at everything.”
Spain’s strength lies in their teamwork, coupled with players capable of deciding the outcome single-handedly. Importantly, this team has won their last two Euro finals. In all their matches at the championship, the Fury secured victories in regular time, scoring 11 goals in total — an average of 2.2 goals per match, a rarity among other top teams who played more pragmatically. This attacking style has brought Spain to their first major tournament final since 2012.
England News & Current Form:
The other finalist in the tournament is England, a team whose journey has been quite the opposite of Spain’s. The squad of Gareth Southgate faced heavy criticism throughout the group stage for their lacklustre performances. Despite having a roster full of stars, the coaching staff struggled to form a cohesive team. The English media and fans were particularly critical, questioning the mentor’s ability to deliver exciting football. Historically, Southgate’s focus has been on results rather than style, and this approach has again taken his national team to the finals for the second consecutive European Championship.
Aston Villa’s Ollie Watkins has taken the England national team to the final
The Lions’ path to the final was anything but smooth. They managed to secure only one victory in the group stage and were equalising the score in every knockout match. Remarkably, they are the first team in Euro history to reach the final after trailing in both the quarterfinal and semifinal.
They started their campaign with a 1:0 win over Serbia, followed by draws against Denmark (1:1) and Slovenia (0:0). Group C was notably uneventful, with five draws in six matches and only seven goals scored across all teams.
In the knockout stages, expectations were high for England to improve, especially against Slovakia in the Round of 16, a team considered much weaker than the Whites. However, the Three Lions fell behind in the first half and struggled to break down the opponent’s defence. It was only a stunning overhead kick from Jude Bellingham that levelled the score, followed by a winning goal by Harry Kane, the top scorer in the Bundesliga, in extra time (2:1).
In the quarter-final against Switzerland, Southgate’s team again had to bounce back, which they did within five minutes. The match ended in a penalty shootout, where England triumphed thanks to a famous water bottle with penalty notes from Jordan Pickford (1:1, 5:3 on penalties).
The semifinal against the Netherlands was the collective’s toughest test. An early goal from Xavi Simons put the Dutch ahead, forcing the Whites to attack more aggressively than usual. They equalised thanks to a Dutch defensive lapse during a pressing attempt. Southgate then made a surprising substitution by taking off key players Kane and Phil Foden before extra time, bringing on Cole Palmer and Ollie Watkins, who together managed to score the winning goal in stoppage time (2:1).
The final scenes of the semifinal will be remembered for a long time: Watkins disappearing into a sea of jubilant teammates, John Stones dropping to his knees with arms raised, Pickford repeatedly looking to the heavens, and Gareth Southgate, abandoning his usual composure, letting out a victorious roar while celebrating with ecstatic England fans. Suddenly, this team became synonymous with dramatic comebacks, snatching victory from the jaws of defeat, relying on luck, riding waves of momentum, winning penalty shootouts, and reaching both the semifinals and the finals.
As England prepares for the final against Spain, their pragmatic style under Southgate has once again proven effective, even if not universally loved. The team’s resilience and ability to turn games around have given them a shot at European glory, aiming to win their first major tournament since the 1966 World Cup.
Spain form guide: W-W-W-W-W-W
England form guide: W-D-D-W-W-W
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Spain vs England Head-To-Head Record:
| Spain | Draw | England |
| 10 | 3 | 14 |
- November 13, 2015: Spain 2 – 0 England (International Friendly);
- November 15, 2016: England 2 – 2 Spain (International Friendly);
- September 8, 2018: England 1 – 2 Spain (UEFA Nations League);
- October 15, 2018: Spain 2 – 3 England (UEFA Nations League).
Spain vs England Predicted XI:
Spain’s possible starting lineup (4-2-3-1): Simon: Navas, Nacho, Laporte, Cucurella; Olmo, Rodri, Ruiz: Yamal, Morata, Williams.
England’s possible starting lineup (3-4-2-1): Pickford; Walker, Stones, Guehi; Saka, Mainoo, Rice, Trippier; Bellingham, Foden; Kane.
Statistical preview of the match Spain vs England:
- The England national team holds 5th place in the FIFA ranking of national squads, while the Spanish collective is ranked 8th.
- Spain’s First XI average age is 28.2 years, and England’s First XI average age is 26.9 years.
- Francois Letexier has been appointed as the centre referee. The match official has already served 27 games this season, showing an average of 4 yellow cards and whistling 21.4 fouls per game.
- The Spanish national team has won the European Championship three times: in 1964, 2008 and 2012.
- The Red Fury won all six matches at Euro 2024 with a total of 13 goals scored and 3 conceded.
- The team’s top scorer at the championship is Dani Olmo, with 3 goals scored. Lamine Yamal is the best assistant, he has 3 assists on his account.
- Spain is confident at the climax of tournaments, having won three out of three finals of major international competitions between 2008 and 2012.
- England, on the other hand, has only reached the final twice, losing the Euro 2020 final and winning the 1966 World Cup.
- The Red Fury are an uncomfortable opponent for the Three Lions, having lost just four of their last 14 matches against England in all competitions.
- The England national team repeated the greatest achievement at the European Championships – the team reached the final for the second time, at Euro 2020 the team lost to the Italians.
- In six matches at Euro 2024, England scored 7 goals and conceded 4.
- The team’s top scorer at the tournament is striker Harry Kane, who has scored 3 goals, while five players have contributed 1 assist each.
- In the last 5 games, England conceded an average of 0.80 goals per game and scored an average of 1.20 goals per game.
- In the last 5 games, Spain conceded an average of 0.60 goals per game and scored an average of 2.00 goals per game.
What has been said before the match:
Luis de la Fuente shared his expectations for the match against England in the Euro 2024 final:
“Everyone has their own opinion and preferences. Both national teams were good. At the start of the tournament, they were among the title contenders. England is very strong, they have experienced and hardened players. It will be a very tough match. Along with France and Germany, England will always be one of the main favourites for the title. We ended up playing all the strongest teams in the tournament. They have an exceptional level of preparation and we hope to work out all the details.”
“England are very strong, their team is made up of players of a very high level. I don’t need to cite the most outstanding ones. They have mixed results in international tournaments, but we want to keep growing and improving our level. We need to be the best version of ourselves to win the final,” said the Spanish head coach.
England head coach Gareth Southgate commented on the victory over the Netherlands in the semi-finals of the Euros:
“I’m very proud to have been able to lead the England team to their first major final abroad. Now we want to beat the Spanish team, it will be difficult. I don’t think we deserved to lose tonight. I think we had great possession of the ball. I was very happy with the quality of my team’s play. I’m not sure England have ever had 60 per cent possession of the ball against the Netherlands before.”
“We are here to make history. We have an incredibly tough game ahead of us against the best team in the tournament at the moment. But we’re still here – we’re still fighting through a really good game. I’m just really happy.”
Spain centre-back Dani Vivian, who was the star of the semi-final against France, defends the team spirit that allowed his team to compete for the European Cup title:
“We feel like winners every day, but we don’t feel like winners of the Euro Cup. We don’t make assessments about whether we are better or worse, we simply believe in ourselves and we have since day one. We have earned the fact of feeling loved.”
“I have seen the respect that the coaching staff has for each other and the respect that they have for the players. The manager maintains a close, motivating relationship and holds us all in tremendous esteem. We are very grateful to have him here.”
“The feeling we have as a group means that there are no substitutes. We all feel supported and committed. Each one has his own personality, from the experience of the veteran to the innocence of the young. Each one has his role and each one of us assumes it with all its importance.”
Spain vs England Prediction:
Spain are expected to take the initiative due to their impressive attack, flexible space-opening strategies, and dominant fluid playing style with a high level of passing accuracy and variation in runs. All offensive expansions will be met by England’s very intense line of organised defence, whose viscous strategy is primarily aimed at neutralising the opponent’s strengths. High pressing will be crucial here to create dangerous chances for the Three Lions, who, thanks to the individual prowess of their star players and discipline, can also surprise their opponents on the counter-attacks or from set-pieces.
All of Spain and England’s play-off games have seen goals exchanged – a scenario that could well be repeated in the final. The Red Fury show a vibrant attacking flair, scoring more than twice per match on average. Southgate’s team, in turn, have managed to equalize in every knockout game, meaning they won’t be discouraged even after conceding an early goal. The same trend can be seen in the statistics of the previous three head-to-head meetings between the teams in all tournaments, where the teams have exchanged goals. We expect a close contest where the opponents will endeavour to minimise the risks while being able to capitalise on at least one of the chances created.
Parimatch News staff prediction:
We say: both teams will score — Yes.
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