Fantastic Spain! They set a record by being the first four-time winner of the trophy and did it in beautiful fashion, winning all their seven matches.

They controlled the final match from kick-off to final whistle and are worthy winners.

And yet another positive, Yamal Lamine, the Moroccan born kid star has become the youngest player at age 17 and a day, to win a major trophy, sending into the archives, the feat by Pele in the 1958 World Cup.

For England, it is yet another cup loss. In two years’ time, it will be 60 years since they won a major trophy, the World Cup.

Even then, their 1966 World Cup win is still shrouded in controversy. Great Spain, they have extended the long wait of England for major football victory.

 Mikel Oyarzabal’s 87th-minute goal clinched the  2-1  victory for Spain.

He  slid in to poke home Marc Cucurella’s cross, just when the game at Berlin’s Olympiastadion seemed destined for extra time after the latest show of resilience by England at the tournament.

Substitute Cole Palmer equalized for England in the 73rd minute to cancel out Nico Williams’ opener in the 47th from 17-year-old prodigy Lamine Yamal’s pass.

Spain also won the title in 1964, 2008 and 2012.

“I’ve told my mum that if we win I don’t want any presents, I just want to celebrate in Madrid with my mates,” Lamine, as he prefers to be called, said in an interview with Spain’s Marca outlet on Saturday.

“That would be crazy, to celebrate with people on the streets all the way from the airport. Everyone would go crazy! We would arrive with incredible euphoria.”

Yamal has been breaking records since making his professional debut for Barcelona less than 15 months ago, the last one becoming the youngest goalscorer in Euros history with a stunning curled long-range shot against France that helped his side reach the final.

The youngest to play, start and score for his club and his nation are other records he has broken since. Against England at Berlin’s Olympiastadion he may have the chance to reach even higher ground if he helps his side win a record fourth European Championship title.

It would strengthen his case as the most productive young player in Europe and surely put him in the frame to be named player of the tournament.

Lamine fever has set in, with his father making headlines last week by publishing on social media a December 2007 photo of his baby son in the arms of former Barcelona forward Lionel Messi.

Messi, 20 at the time and starting a career which would take him on to win the Ballon D’Or eight times, was posing for a charity calendar, and just happened to be cradling in his arms a baby who 17 years later would take the European Championships by storm.

His father told Spanish TV La Sexta it was “just a life coincidence”. The reporter suggested maybe Messi’s blessing had somehow given Yamal his remarkable talent, to which his mother fired back: “What if it was the other way around?”

Yamal, born in Spain to a father from Morocco and a mother from Equatorial Guinea, is the latest wonderkid to make headlines in a country that has become one of European soccer’s most fertile production grounds for world-class players.

Following in the footsteps of Barca academy teenage sensations Pedri, Gavi and Ansu Fati, Yamal has established himself as an important part of Barca’s forward line.

He has also been highly influential for Spain in Germany as the player with most assists (3), key passes (16) and clear chances created (6).

He has been a nightmare for opponents, running up and down the right channel and showing great technique and vision to deliver key passes, making him one of Spain’s most dangerous weapons.

He was close to scoring several times in Spain’s first five games in Germany, but it wasn’t until their sixth – the semi-final against France, that he finally made his mark with a candidate for goal of the tournament.

“We have seen genius from a genius,” Spain coach Luis de la Fuente said. “We are very lucky that he is Spanish and that we are going to enjoy him for many years to come.”

-Reuters

ENGLAND

England 1 Serbia 0

An early header by Jude Bellingham rewarded England for a good first half in their first game but they went off the boil and ended up hanging on for the win as manager Gareth Southgate’s gamble of starting with Trent Alexander-Arnold in midfield backfired.

The tally of 11 shots – six by Serbia, five from England – was the lowest in a European Championship match since 1980, but within weeks England fans would have seen five shots as wild entertainment.

England 1 Denmark 1

England led through Harry Kane but struggled for control all game and Denmark deservedly equalised with a 30-yard pile-driver by Morten Hjulmand after a wild pass from Kane, who spent more time around his own box than the opposition’s. Results elsewhere later meant that England were guaranteed progress on four points.

England 0 Slovenia 0

A dull game where England managed three shots on goal ended with them nevertheless top of their group on five points, though it was the Slovenian players and fans celebrating at the end as they progressed to the knockout phase for the first time.

Round of 16: England 2 Slovakia 1 after extra time.

Ivan Schranz put outsiders Slovakia ahead in the first half and England seemed unable, almost unwilling, to do anything about it in another toothless display. They were rescued by Jude Bellingham’s brilliant bicycle kick in the 96th minute and won it with a Kane goal in extra-time – their only shots on target.

Southgate was widely criticised for his inactivity, with the focus on his decision to throw on striker Ivan Toney with one minute of stoppage time remaining.

Quarter-final: England 1 Switzerland 1. England win 5-3 on penalties

In a tight game Breel Embolo put Switzerland ahead after 75 minutes, with Bukayo Saka levelling with a great shot 10 minutes later as England improved, but were still shot-shy.

It went to penalties, but what for so long had been England’s weakness suddenly looked a strength as Cole Palmer, Bellingham, Saka, Toney and Alexander-Arnold all scored confidently and Jordan Pickford saved from Manuel Akanji.

Semi-final: England 2 Netherlands 1

For the third knockout game in a row England fell behind, to a superb Xavi Simons shot, but they responded brilliantly with an exhilarating first-half display that was unrecognisable from the stodge previously served up.

They equalised with a VAR-awarded Harry Kane penalty and went close several times. The second half was quieter but exploded in the 91st minute when substitute Ollie Watkins scored to take England into their second successive European Championship final.

SPAIN

Spain 3 Croatia 0

Spain set their Euros stall out with an impressive opening match demolition of Croatia with first-half goals by Alvaro Morata, Fabian Ruiz and Dani Carvajal.

Spain 1 Italy 0

A 1-0 win secured by an own goal might sound close but Spain totally outclassed the defending champions, firing in 20 attempts on goal, to gain revenge for their elimination by Italy in Euro 2024.

Spain 1 Albania 0

Already through, Spain made 10 changes for the game but were still comfortably in charge and won it with a superb early Ferran Torres strike.

Round of 16: Spain 4 Georgia 1

Despite the shock of going behind via Robin Le Normand’s own goal, Spain delivered another emphatic display.

Rodri equalised and second-half goals by the impressive Fabian Ruiz, Nico Williams and Dani Olmo saw them home.

Quarter-final: Spain 2 Germany 1 (aet)

After the Georgia cruise, Spain faced a considerable step up against the host nation but were deserved winners.

Olmo put them ahead early in the second half but Germany levelled a minute from time via Florian Wirtz.

The game was into the 119th minute and looked set for a penalty shootout when substitute Mikel Merino headed the winner.

Semi-final: Spain 2 France 1

Randal Kolo Muani put France ahead but two goals in five first-half minutes settled another deserved victory.

At 16, Lamine Yamal became the youngest scorer in a Euro or World Cup – and Spain’s 10th different scorer at the tournament – with a lovely curler, before Olmo scored for the third successive knockout game.

-Reuters

Adolf Hitler was not there that day but Joseph Goebbels, Hermann Goering and Rudolf Hess were in the crowd as England’s players raised their arms to give the ‘Heil Hitler’ salute during Germany’s national anthem ahead of the game.

Neville Chamberlain’s British government was seeking appeasement with the Nazis, hoping to head off impending war.

The players were instructed before the match to give the Nazi salute, with the order coming from the Foreign Office for the sake of Anglo-German relations.

England won 6-3 but history has not looked kindly on the incident.

The Olympiastadion then held over 100,000 spectators, having been built for the 1936 Olympics where Black American sprinter Jesse Owens’ four gold medals punctured the Nazi myth of Aryan racial superiority.

If Owens’ achievements at the Berlin Games won him a place among the great all-time athletes, then Usain Bolt’s 9.58 seconds 100 metres world record at the stadium in 2009 at the world athletics championship sets him out as the best ever.

The Jamaican also ran 19.19 seconds in the 200 at the same meeting, a mark that also still stands some 15 years on.

Since World War Two, the Olympiastadion has had several renovations, notably ahead of the 2006 World Cup when a gigantic oval-shaped roof was installed and the stands extended further downwards, so that the crowds are closer to the playing surface.

Berlin hosted the final, another game remembered for a notorious incident rather than the action. Zinedine Zidane’s head-butt on the chest of Italy defender Marco Materazzi saw the France midfielder sent off and the Italians won on penalties.

The stadium is home to the German Cup final every season but its regular tenants Hertha Berlin slipped down to the second division last year, and attendances declined. Rivals Union Berlin played their Champions League matches there last season.

England remain unbeaten after five visits to the stadium, the last a 3-2 friendly win over Germany in March 2016.

Spain, whose only previous match at the Olympiastadion was in 1942, started their European Championship campaign at the venue with a 3-0 victory over Croatia that set the tone for their progress to Sunday’s final.

-Reuters

Every so often, a goal is scored at a European Championship that stands the test of time. It is remembered, replayed, and talked about for decades.

Marco van Basten’s angled volley at Euro 1988 is one. Paul Gascoigne’s individual run and finish at Euro 1996 is another, as is Karel Poborsky’s chip at the same tournament.

Lamine Yamal’s history making goal for Spain against France in the semi-finals of Euro 2024 can be added to the list.

With Spain trailing 1-0, Yamal curled a brilliant strike from outside the box into the top corner to send him into the history books.

At 16 years and 362 days he became the youngest man to score in the tournament’s history – and had those watching left in awe.

“A superstar is born,” former England striker Gary Lineker said on BBC One. “It was the moment of the match, possibly the moment of the tournament.”

“Just incredible,” added ex-England striker Alan Shearer. “We’ve been talking about him all tournament and saying what a ridiculously young age it is.

“To do that, it’s just outrageous.”

The goal, which had fans inside the Allianz Arena and around the world gasping as it was replayed in slow motion, was all the more impressive because of its timing.

This was at 1-0 down in the semi-final of a major tournament. It was a high-pressure moment, but one he handled effortlessly.

At no stage in the build-up to the heavyweight contest did Yamal show signs of nerves.

He was smiling and joking with his team-mates on the pitch in the hours before kick-off, and carried that confidence into his performance.

“We saw a touch of genius,” Spain boss Luis de la Fuente said of Yamal’s goal.

“We all need to take care of him. I would like him to work with the same humility and keep his feet on the ground, to keep learning.

“He looks like a much more experienced player to be honest. I celebrate that he is in our team, that he is Spanish.

“We count on him and hopefully we can enjoy him for years to come.”

-BBC

Messi, who was 20, was already making a name for himself and would go on to become arguably the greatest of all time.

But little did the photographer know that the baby would also make waves in international football less than 17 years later.

Messi was bathing Lamine Yamal – the 16-year-old who is taking the European Championships by storm.

Lamine Yamal as a baby with Lionel Messi in 2007

His goal against France in the semi-final on Tuesday is one that will be talked about for decades.

At 16 years and 362 days, the strike also made him the youngest man to score in the tournament’s history.

The long-forgotten photo of Messi and Yamal resurfaced after Yamal’s father posted it on Instagram last week with the text: “The beginning of two legends.”

The photos were taken by Joan Monfort, who works as a freelance photographer for the Associated Press.

The shoot came about after Unicef did a raffle in the town of Mataró where Lamine’s family lived, he said.

“They signed up for the raffle to have their picture taken at the Camp Nou with a Barça player. And they won the raffle,” Mr Monfort told the Associated Press.

The assignment wasn’t a straightforward one, the photographer said.

“Messi is a pretty introverted guy, he’s shy,” he said.

“He was coming out of the locker room and suddenly he finds himself in another locker room with a plastic tub full of water and a baby in it. It was complicated. He didn’t even know how to hold him at first.”

Like Messi, Yamal went on to play for Barcelona, where he became the club’s youngest ever starter and goalscorer, as well as the youngest scorer in the Spanish league.

Mr Monfort said it was only when the photo started going viral online last week that he realised that the baby was Yamal.

“It’s very exciting to be associated with something that has caused such a sensation,” he said.

“To tell you the truth it’s a very nice feeling.”

-BBC

Koeman said it was heartbreaking to lose a game where he thought his side were best, but felt Dutch fans should be optimistic about the future after his players showed an attacking mentality until the end.

“I’m disappointed about the final result because it started good for us,” said Koeman, whose team went 1-0 up after seven minutes thanks to a brilliant Xavi Simons strike.

But the Dutch went on to relinquish control in midfield against English players like Jude Bellingham and Phil Foden, Koeman said, before then coming back strongly.

“The feeling was we were the better team overall in the last 20 minutes, we went on attacking more. And suddenly, there was that great goal,” he added, referring to Ollie Watkins’ stoppage-time winner.

“And it was all over … that’s difficult to accept.”

Koeman said he did not agree with the decision to award the penalty that brought England level when Harry Kane was caught by the studs of Denzel Dumfries as he shot.

But the Dutch coach said his side could still have turned the game back to their advantage had they been more decisive.

“As a former defender myself, what could he do in that position? He tried to block the ball … To penalize that is to tell him we cannot play properly football,” Koeman said.

“That’s my personal opinion. We should be proud because we’ve achieved many things in these weeks and there’s no criticism after seeing how my player fought until the end.

“We have fought like lions. We just needed a little more balance and the English team did it better than us, so congratulations to them.

“I have to thank my players because they believed in something and it was good to see that … Although now it’s too late. We can’t do anything with that feeling, but in the future we will come back stronger.”

Koeman said that he is already looking forward to the 2026 World Cup and believes that the Netherlands will reach it with a great mixture of youth and experience that should make them a power to reckon with.

“I believe our team are able to do more and there are also players who will join us in the future. Some people were not able to play because they were not fit,” Koeman said.

“We have worked in a proper way together, it was important and it gave us a path to follow. We have to improve some aspects as well but I think we were really close to the finals.

“Great mentality … Team spirit … I wish I could see them playing in the final … but it’s not possible… And I feel so sorry about that.”

-Reuters

With the match looking set for extra time, Watkins received a pass from Cole Palmer and fired a sweet strike into the far corner to trigger euphoria among England’s fans and players. England will play Spain in Sunday’s final.

Xavi Simons had put the Dutch ahead seven minutes into a frenetic first half with a phenomenal long-range effort, before England levelled 11 minutes later with Harry Kane coolly converting a penalty awarded for a foul by Denzel Dumfries.

-Reuters

In all, England and the Netherlands, semi-final contestants at the Euro 2024 have met across all competitions and through the ages 21 times. The Netherlands won seven, England were victorious six times while they drew eight times.

Previous games

Netherlands 0-1 England: 18 May 1935

England   8-2 Netherlands: 9 Dec 1964

Netherlands 0-1 England: 5 Nov. 1969

England   0-0 Netherlands: 14 Jan 1970

England   0-2 Netherlands: 9 Feb. 1977

England   2-0 Netherlands: 25 May 1982

England    2-2 Netherlands: 23 Mar. 1988

England    1-3 Netherlands 15 June 1988

England    0-0 Netherlands: 16 June 1990

England    2-2 Netherlands: 28 April 1993

Netherlands  2-0 England: 13 Oct. 1993

England    4-1 Netherlands:18 June1996

England    0-2 Netherlands:15 Aug.2001

England    1-1 Netherlands:13 Feb. 2002

England    0-0 Netherlands: 9 Feb.  2005

Netherlands  1-1 England: 15 Nov. 2006

Netherlands  2-2 England:12 Aug. 2009

England    2-3 Netherlands: 29 Feb.  2012

England   1-2 Netherlands: 29 March 2016

Netherlands 0-1 England: 23 March 2018

Netherlands 3-1 England: 6 June 2019

The 16-year-old Yamal cancelled out Randal Kolo Muani’s opener with a sublime shot in the 21st minute to become the youngest scorer in a Euro or World Cup before Olmo added another in the 25th for his third goal in the knockout stage.

The Spaniards, who have won every game of the tournament so far, confirmed their favourites tag with another display of attacking football, especially in the first half, that is a far cry from the tiki-taka passing game that earned them world and European titles more than a decade ago.

“I’m very happy to have made it to the final,” said man-of-the-match Yamal. “Now the most important thing is to win it. We were in a difficult moment, you wouldn’t expect a goal so soon.”

“I wanted to put it in where it went in, and I’m very happy. I’m happy and content with the victory. I want to win, win and win,” added the teenager.

They will now face the winners of Wednesday’s match between England and Netherlands in the final in Berlin on Sunday as they hunt a record-breaking fourth European crown.

It was a anti-climactic end to France’s tournament, although the 2022 World Cup finalists never lived up to expectations in Germany with a very low conversion rate that carried into the semi-final.

“Spain proved tonight that they are a very good team. We were fortunate to open the scoring, but they caused us problems because they were superior in terms of control,” said France coach Didier Deschamps.

“Tonight they showed all their qualities. We were… perhaps a little less fresh, which led to some technical waste, particularly in the build-up of the game. We didn’t push forward often enough.”

Spain had an early chance when Yamal, the youngest player to feature in a World Cup or Euro semi-final, floated a cross to the far post but Fabian Ruiz headed over the bar.

FRANCE GOAL

France did better from an almost identical move in the ninth minute with Kylian Mbappe, playing without a mask after breaking his nose earlier in the tournament, crossing for Kolo Muani to head in their first goal from open play at Euro 2024.

But the Spaniards, who were missing suspended Dani Carvajal and Robin Le Normand as well as injured Pedri, quickly turned the game around.

Yamal curled a stunning left-footed effort from 25 metres in off the post to break another record held by Brazil great Pele, as the youngest scorer in a Euro or World Cup.

Before France had any time to recover Olmo completed their lightning-quick comeback in the 25th with a shot that was deflected in by France’s Jules Kounde.

France, who had only conceded one goal in their previous five games in the tournament, upped the tempo after the break and had chances through Mbappe and Theo Hernandez.

But they could not carve out an equaliser with Spain, pulling back and successfully soaking up the pressure.

-Reuters