Euro 2024 final: Three keys as England face Spain as Lamine Yamal and Jude Bellingham take center stage

The UEFA 2024 Euro final will take place this Sunday in Berlin where Spain will face England in one of the most exciting matchups of recent years. The side coached by Luis de la Fuente won all six matches in the tournament and are the leading candidate for the final victory but England are one of the strongest teams after Gareth Southgate’s team lost UEFA Euro 2020 to Italy. The Three Lions have a chance to win their first European tournament while Spain already won the trophy three times in 1968, 2008 and the last one in 2012. Let’s take a look at three keys to watch Sunday’s final: 

How to watch and odds

• Date: Sunday, July 14 | Time: 3 p.m. ET
• Location: Olympiastadion — Berlin, Germany
• TV: Fox | Live stream: Fubo (try for free)
• Odds: Spain +150; Draw +180; England +250

Lamine Yamal vs. Jude Bellingham

The two stars to watch on Sunday, and it’s been their tournament so far. Spanish star Lamine Yamal and English midfielder Jude Bellingham were the players that impressed most this summer. Yamal, after making his professional debut at FC Barcelona under Xavi, quickly became a key player for the side coached by de la Fuente and also became the youngest ever to score at the Euros, as he will turn 17 one day before the final. More than the records and the age, Yamal impressed with the quality of football expressed, and how he’s already becoming a key player for the team while scoring stunning goals such as the one against France in the semifinal. On the other side, Bellingham has launched into superstardom after he joined Real Madrid from Borussia Dortmund in the summer of 2023 for €103 million and won the Champions League and La Liga in his first season under Carlo Ancelotti. Both Yamal and Bellingham are now brattling to win the MVP award of the UEFA Euro 2024, and Sunday’s match will probably also determine the winner of it.  

Southgate handling the pressure 

While Spain just started a new cycle under de la Fuente after he was promoted in 2022 as the Spanish manager after coaching the U23 team, England head coach Gareth Southgate became the manager of the national team in 2016 and since then England started a cycle that still didn’t bring any trophies,  including the disappointment of 2021, when the Three Lions lost to Italy in penalties in the final at Wembley. After the 2018 semifinals at the World Cup, the 2020 final and the quarterfinals of the last World Cup, this is probably the last chance for him to win a trophy with the national team. After some criticism and public doubt, it’s not impossible to think that he might leave his job one way or another. However, we thought the same could happen to France manager Didier Deschamps, but it looks like he will stay in charge for the 2026 World Cup. Southgate must continue like he did in the semifinals by pressing the right buttons against the tricky Spanish. 

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Some similarities, but who can stand out?

Spain and England have some things in common when looking at the roster. Generally speaking, they both have a balance of some experienced players and talents that already showed their potential for the future. Yamal, Bellingham, but also Nico Williams, Phil Foden, Pedri, Kobbie Mainoo are playing alongside the experienced Alvaro Morata and Harry Kane, for example. While Spain are currently building a team after Luis Enrique left his role in 2022, Southgate is looking for his trophy after taking charge in 2016 and missing out the potential Euro win in 2021. For sure, both national teams have a lot to achieve in the coming years and a defeat on Sunday won’t change what their ambitions will look like in the coming years, starting from the 2026 World Cup. But due to their similarities and potential going forward, this game will be about limiting mistakes and potentially an individual moment of brilliance.