UEFA Euro 2024 final
The UEFA Euro 2024 final was a football match that determined the winners of UEFA Euro 2024. The match was the seventeenth final of the European Championship, a quadrennial tournament contested by the men's national teams of the member associations of UEFA to decide the champions of Europe. The match was held at the Olympiastadion in Berlin, Germany, on 14 July 2024, and was contested by Spain, in their fifth final, and England, in their second final, but their first appearance in a major men's tournament final held outside their home country. Following their defeat in the previous final, England also became the fourth different side to appear in two consecutive Euro finals, after the Soviet Union, West Germany, unified Germany, and Spain.
In front of a crowd of 65,600, Spain won the match 2–1 for their record-breaking fourth UEFA European Championship title, surpassing Germany as the sole record-winners of the competition. It was also their third title in the last five editions of the tournament.
Spain won all seven matches they played in the competition, the first side to accomplish this since France won five out of five in 1984, and set a new record for most goals scored in a single European Championship, with fifteen. England, meanwhile, became the first side to lose consecutive finals. This was also the first time both finalists conceded in every knockout game contested since the tournament's expansion in 1980.
Venue
The final was held at the Olympiastadion in Berlin, Germany, located in Westend of the borough of Charlottenburg-Wilmersdorf. On 27 September 2018, UEFA announced the 2024 tournament would be held in Germany after they had defeated Turkey in the host selection vote in Nyon, Switzerland. The Olympiastadion was chosen as the final venue of the tournament by the UEFA Executive Committee in May 2022, where it was announced it would also host three group stage matches, a round of 16 match, and a quarter-final match in the tournament.The Olympiastadion opened in 1936 on the Olympiapark Berlin which served specifically for the 1936 Summer Olympics. The stadium is owned by the state of Berlin and has been the home stadium of football club Hertha BSC since 1963. The Germany national team has also occasionally played its home matches at the stadium. The Olympiastadion has also hosted several significant matches, including several matches in the 1974 and 2006 World Cups, the latter of which included the final between Italy and France. It has been the venue of every final of the DFB-Pokal since 1985. It also served as the official opening match venue for the 2011 FIFA Women's World Cup as well as the 2015 UEFA Champions League final between Barcelona and Juventus.
Route to the final
Spain
Spain qualified for the tournament as qualifying Group A winners, winning seven of their eight matches with their only loss coming against Scotland. They were drawn into Group B along with Croatia, current holders Italy and Albania. Spain opened their campaign with a 3–0 win over Croatia at the Olympiastadion, Álvaro Morata opened the scoring for Spain in the 29th minute, then Fabián Ruiz doubled their advantage in the 32nd minute and Dani Carvajal then added a third for Spain in the 47th minute. By starting this match, Lamine Yamal became the youngest player to make an appearance at a UEFA European Championship final tournament. Spain then played title holders and arch-rivals, Italy at the Arena AufSchalke winning 1–0 with the sole goal coming from a Riccardo Calafiori own goal in the 55th minute. They then rounded off their group stage campaign with another 1–0 win over Albania at the Merkur Spiel-Arena with the lone goal scored by Ferran Torres in the 13th minute, with Spain manager Luis de la Fuente making wholesale changes to the starting eleven due to Spain having already secured top-spot in their group.In the knockout stage, Spain played the third-placed team from Group F in the Round of 16, Georgia – who were making their European Championship debut – at the RheinEnergieStadion where Spain won 4–1 with goals for the Spanish from Rodri in the 39th minute, Fabián in the 51st minute, Nico Williams in the 75th minute and Dani Olmo in the 83rd minute. Robin Le Normand scored an own goal which acted as a consolation goal for Georgia in the 18th minute. In the quarter-finals, Spain played hosts Germany at the MHPArena, in a re-match of the UEFA Euro 2008 final, which Spain won 1–0. This time Spain won again 2–1 after extra time with Olmo opening the scoring for Spain in the 51st minute, Florian Wirtz then equalised for Germany in the 89th minute. Mikel Merino scored with a header in the 119th minute to send Spain through to the semi-finals and eliminate Julian Nagelsmann's hosts at the last-eight stage. In the semi-finals, Spain played 2022 FIFA World Cup runners-up, France at the Allianz Arena, in a re-match of both the UEFA Euro 1984 final and the 2021 UEFA Nations League final, both of which France won. Spain won this time with Randal Kolo Muani opening the scoring for the French with a header in the 9th minute, but Yamal then equalised for the Spanish in the 21st minute with a shot to the left corner from outside the penalty area, Olmo then scored the winner for Spain in the 25th minute – this was originally given as a Jules Koundé own goal but after a review was given to Olmo – this sent Spain through to their first UEFA European Championship final since the UEFA Euro 2012 final against Italy which they won 4–0. Yamal also became the youngest player to score in a UEFA European Championship.
England
England qualified for the tournament as Group C winners, winning six of their eight qualification matches. England were drawn into Group C along with Serbia, Denmark, and Slovenia. England opened their campaign with a 1–0 win over Serbia at the Arena AufSchalke, with Jude Bellingham scoring with a header in the 13th minute. England then played Denmark at the Waldstadion, in a re-match of the semi-final at the previous European Championships which England won 2–1 after extra time. This time it ended in a 1–1 draw. Harry Kane scored early on in the 18th minute, but Denmark's Morten Hjulmand equalised with a low shot to the corner before half time in the 34th minute. England finished the group stage by facing Slovenia at the RheinEnergieStadion, which ended goalless. England finished top of the group with five points, and progressed to the knockout stage to play a third place team from one of Groups D, E, or F.In the knockout stage, England played the third-placed team from Group E in the round of 16, Slovakia at the Arena AufSchalke where England won 2–1. Ivan Schranz opened the scoring for Slovakia in the 25th minute. At the end of the second half, England were seconds away from being knocked out of the competition before Bellingham's bicycle kick goal in the 5th minute of added time sent the game into extra time. Kane immediately scored with a header after extra time started, in the 91st minute. In the quarter-finals, England played Switzerland at the Merkur Spiel-Arena, where they drew 1–1 after extra time, with Breel Embolo opening the scoring for Switzerland in the 75th minute and Bukayo Saka then equalising for England in the 80th minute when he cut in from the right before shooting low to the left corner of the net. With the scores still level after extra time, the match went to a penalty shoot-out, which England won 5–3 with Cole Palmer, Bellingham, Saka, Ivan Toney and Trent Alexander-Arnold all converting their penalties for England and Fabian Schär, Xherdan Shaqiri and Zeki Amdouni all converting their penalty kicks for Switzerland. Only Manuel Akanji missed the opening Switzerland penalty, which was saved by England goalkeeper Jordan Pickford. In the semi-finals, England played the Netherlands at the Westfalenstadion where England won 2–1. Xavi Simons opened the scoring for the Dutch in the 7th minute. Kane then equalised after a controversial penalty kick was awarded for a foul on him by Denzel Dumfries following a video assistant referee review in the 18th minute. England then won the game very late on when Palmer assisted Ollie Watkins to score in the 90th minute, sending them through to their first major tournament final outside of their home country, and their second consecutive European Championship final after appearing in the UEFA Euro 2020 final at Wembley Stadium which they lost to Italy.
Head-to-head
Their most recent encounter in a senior men's major tournament was the Euro 1996 quarter-final, which England won 4–2 on penalties after a 0–0 draw. England's manager Gareth Southgate was a starting centre back for The Three Lions in that game. Spain's only victory over England in a major tournament was a 1–0 win in the 1950 FIFA World Cup group stage match.The two teams' latest competitive matches were in League A of the 2018–19 UEFA Nations League, with both teams winning away from home; Spain won 2–1 at Wembley while England won 3–2 at the Estadio Benito Villamarin in Seville.
Across men's and women's, youth and senior football, it is the fourth England–Spain tournament final in just over a year, after the 2023 UEFA European Under-21 Championship final, the 2023 FIFA Women's World Cup final and the 2024 UEFA Women's Under-17 Championship final. The 2023 Under-21 Championship final was won 1–0 by England and featured Álex Baena, Cole Palmer and Anthony Gordon, who were all in the squads for Euro 2024.
Pre-match
Notable attendees
The match was attended by Prince William, the heir apparent to the British throne and President of the Football Association, together with his elder son Prince George. He also attended the previous tournament's final at Wembley and the Women's Euro 2022 final at the same venue and awarded winner's medals to the victorious England women's team afterwards. Downing Street also confirmed that Sir Keir Starmer, the prime minister of the United Kingdom, would also attend. He was accompanied by Lisa Nandy, the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, and Debbie Hewitt, chairwoman of the Football Association.From Spain, both King Felipe VI and his younger daughter, Infanta Sofía, attended the match. King Felipe was one of the authorities who greeted the players at the awards ceremony and the one who presented the trophy to the champions. Both royals later joined the Spanish team's celebrations. Pedro Sánchez, Prime Minister of Spain, also attended, along with the Minister of Education, Vocational Training and Sports, Pilar Alegría.
Relevant German authorities such as the president of Germany, Frank-Walter Steinmeier, the German chancellor, Olaf Scholz, and the president of the Bundestag, Bärbel Bas, were also present.
Also present were Gareth Bale, Lando Norris, David Villa, Xavi, Andrés Iniesta, Harry Styles, Danny Dyer and Dani Dyer.