The 2024 Euro finals will take place on Sunday night at the Olympiastadion in Berlin, Germany, with Spain set to go head-to-head with England. The Spanish side will be looking to secure its fourth Euro title – Spain currently sharing the most titles spot with Germany – while the English hope to win their first Euro title, their first international trophy since the 1966 World Cup at Wembley, and their first major international trophy overseas.
According to The Athletic, Spain is currently the favourite to win the tournament because of its sensational run-up to the finals – beating the likes of Croatia, Italy, Germany and France. England, however, were favoured before the tournament began, mainly due to the depth of the squad, and manager Gareth Southgate has carried his side to a second consecutive Euro Cup final (after England infamously failed to beat Italy in 2020 after a 1-1 draw that led to a penalty shootout). Nevertheless, Southgate says it will be a “huge task” to beat the in-form Spanish side.
[See more: Who is the youngest goal scorer in Euro football history, Lamine Yamal?]
This has meanwhile been a tournament characterised by hugely talented young players – the likes of 22-year-old Italian Riccardo Calafiori from Bologna (now linked with Arsenal) and 23-year-old Georgian Georges Mikautadze from Metz (reportedly close to joining AS Monaco). Then there are debutants like Fermin López (21), Adam Wharton (20) and Anthony Gordon (23).
Sunday’s match (which takes place in the early hours of Monday morning Macao time) is no different. Here are some of the young debutants for Spain and England who have made it to the finals of Euro 2024.
Spain
Lamine Yamal
In the football world, no name tops the likes of Lamine Yamal right now. The 16-year-old sensation (who turns 17 on 13 July) became the youngest player to score a goal in Euro history.
Former Barcelona legend and manager Xavi Hernández gave the player his professional debut in April 2023 against Real Betis.
Yamal says Xavi’s trust in him has helped him be consistent: “As Xavi says, fear is something you should not have. It can hurt you in the game. It does nothing positive to think about fear. You just have to be happy and enjoy having the ball at your feet.”
The youngster went on to play 50 games for the club and scored seven goals – securing his spot with the Spain national team. He has been doing his schoolwork while dribbling past some of the world’s best defenders at the Euros.
Yamal became the youngest-ever debutant at just 16 years and 57 days and is now the youngest-ever to appear in a final. Will we see another record broken?
Nico Williams
Yamal has been causing problems for defenders on the right flank and on the opposite side is teammate Nicholas “Nico” Williams. The 21-year-old winger recently signed a new deal with his club Athletic Bilbao until 2027. But with his recent performances at the Euros, many big clubs have knocked at the door – even Yamal’s Barcelona.
Williams has a release clause of 58 million Euros but Barça president Joan Laporta this week reportedly said they can afford to sign the player despite the financial difficulties. Compatriots Yamal and Pedri have even come out saying it would be nice having Williams alongside them at Barcelona.
Athletic Club president Jon Uriarte has been unmoved, saying “Athletic are financially, socially and in sporting terms capable of keeping players of the calibre of those named in its structure, including Nico.”
Williams has only registered one goal and assist, but like Yamal remains a huge threat on the wing and English players will be keeping a close eye.
England
Kobbie Mainoo
Four months after his debut for Manchester United in November 2023, 19-year-old Kobbie Mainoo caught the eyes of England manager Gareth Southgate, who picked him for friendly games in March against Brazil and Belgium. Before arriving at the Euros, Mainoo boosted his reputation even further by scoring the winner in the FA Cup finals against rivals Manchester City.
“The curious thing about young talents is how they will cope under pressure,” Southgate said. “You can see the technical ability but it’s about how tactically aware they are, how mature, [and their] ability to cope with big matches. When you’re playing for Manchester United you’re always under the spotlight. He’s shown that with them [and] with us in March. We’ve never been afraid to put young players in. If players are good enough we’re not so concerned about their age. Kobbie has had an amazing season and it was fabulous for him to finish the season with a goal and a trophy.”
In the first two games of the Euros, Mainoo played just 4 minutes. But he made an impressive 45-minute appearance in the last game of the group stages against Slovenia, and has since started all the games leading to the finals. Let’s see if the young star can help England lift its first Euro.
Cole Palmer
Cole Palmer had an impressive debut season with 22 goals and 11 assists for Chelsea. England fans were baffled as to why one of the Premier League’s hottest prospects and striker was left on the bench for the first two games.
The 22-year-old midfielder has come off the bench since but is still yet to start a game, given that England has a very experienced and in-form striker in the person of Harry Kane, England’s captain. In 45 games for Bayern Munich, Kane scored 44 goals and assisted twelve. In six starts at the Euros, he scored three.
In the semi-finals against Netherlands, Palmer and Aston Villa striker Ollie Watkins came on in the 81st minute. Palmer went on to assist Watkins in stoppage time, helping England secure a spot in the finals. “I swear on my life that I said to Cole Palmer that he’s going to set me up today and I’m going to score,” Watkins revealed in a post-match interview with ITV Sports. “It’s the best feeling ever.”
Palmer and the rest of the squad are “buzzing” as fans hope the midfielder will feature in the finals and give us his “cold celebration.”
Marc Guéhi
In a team full of stars, Marc Guéhi is the unsung hero. The 23-year-old defender has been one of England’s standout players with his consistency and composure at the back. England missed out on Harry Maguire, who was left out due to an injury, while fans wondered who would replace the Manchester United centre-back. Guéhi stepped up and proved he was the right man for the job.
He has started every game and played every minute at the 2024 Euros so far. From five games at the Euros, his England side managed to keep three clean sheets (and won a game without conceding a goal).
During the last game against the Netherlands, fans didn’t let Guéhi’s reaction after the final whistle go unnoticed. According to Express, the player showed his class and sportsmanship by going to the opposition’s bench and acknowledging every player, before joining his teammates in celebration.
“There’s still one more game,” Guéhi said in an interview. “That’s how I’m thinking. [Spain] have got good players all across the board, but so do we.”
Fans complained about the lack of goals from the England side, which score six in five games. But while attacks seem a little shaky, the defence has been on top form. As Sir Alex Ferguson famously said: “Attack wins you games, defence wins you titles.”
