Things You Might Have Missed From Spain 2-1 England
England’s Euro 2024 campaign ended in heartbreak as Spain beat them 2-1 in the final to lift the trophy for a record-breaking fourth time. Nico Williams put his side in front, before Cole Palmer came off the bench to equalise and give the Three Lions some hope. It wasn’t to be, though, as Mikel Oyarzabal bagged a winner with less than five minutes remaining and that was enough to get Spain’s hands on the trophy once again.
Despite there being three goals to report on, there have been plenty of other interesting developments throughout the match. On that note, here is what you might have missed from the Euro 2024 final.
Jude Bellingham’s Post-Match Tantrum
The Real Madrid man was very frustrated with the loss
There was heartbreak all over England as the Three Lions lost, but one man who looked the most frustrated at the result was Jude Bellingham. The Real Madrid talisman was spotted looking very angry after full-time, and was caught on camera lashing out and taking his frustration out by kicking a water cooler over on the touchline.
He then proceeded to sit alone on the bench as he dwelled in his team’s devastating defeat. It’s not often you see that sort of passion from footballers in this day and age, and while it can often result in ugly scenes, it is also encouraging to see just how much succeeding with England means to their star man.
Jan Vertonghen Calls for Rodri to Win Ballon d’Or
The former Tottenham man thinks the Euro win is enough
With Spain’s victory, Jan Vertonghen believes that Rodri is now the clear favourite to win the Ballon d’Or later this year. In fact, the former Tottenham Hotspur man spoke out on social media after the match and revealed that he thought the Manchester City man’s eventual win was confirmed with the result.
It’s hard to argue with him, as Rodri has been a standout player for both club and country over the last 12 months. Whether it was playing a key role in City dominating English football, or being a linchpin in the middle of the park as Spain stormed throughout the Euros, he’s been incredible and should certainly be considered the favourite now.
Dani Carvajal Taunting Bukayo Saka
The Real Madrid man mocked the Englishman
In a fairly tight and tense first half, there were a number of interesting battles on the pitch and one was between Bukayo Saka and Dani Carvajal. The defender was judged to have fouled the Arsenal star in the centre of the park and clearly wasn’t happy with the reaction from his opponent. Carvajal mocked Saka for how he reacted to the foul, using his hands and pretending to cry at him while the winger lay on the turf. Absolutely brutal.
It was a savage response from Carvajal and was a sign of how intense things were going to be from that point onwards.
Spanish Fans Defend Cucurella
They sang his name to drown out boos
Throughout the match, boos could be heard whenever Marc Cucurella was on the ball. The response, from German fans in attendance stems from Spain’s match with the Euro 2024 hosts earlier in the tournament when the ball struck the arm of the Chelsea man in his penalty area, and it looked as though Germany deserved a penalty. It wasn’t given, though, and the Spaniards progressed.
The host fans are clearly still unhappy with the decision and booed Cucurella whenever he was on the ball, but his own supporters had his back. To drown out the jeers, they sang his name passionately. It served as a reminder to the defender that while he was public enemy number one in Germany, his own fans were still firmly behind him.
Cole Palmer’s Tribute to Kobbie Mainoo
The Chelsea man saluted the midfielder after he scored
With England trailing in the second half, Southgate rolled the dice and brought Cole Palmer into the game, taking off Kobbie Mainoo in his place. The Manchester United youngster has had a very impressive tournament, but was the man whose number was called in favour of Palmer.
The move was an instant success as well, as the Chelsea man immediately equalised for England with a well-struck effort from outside the box. He used the moment to salute the man he replaced too, borrowing his celebration and signalling towards him afterwards. It wasn’t to be for England, who eventually lost, but Palmer’s goal, and the tribute to Mainoo was as good as it got.
Lamine Yamal Made History
He tied the record for most assists at the tournament
Euro 2024 has been a massive tournament for Lamine Yamal. The 17-year-old has been incredible from start to finish and his stock has risen massively over the summer. Alongside his fantastic strike in the semi-final against France, he has assisted his teammates on multiple occasions. In fact, he has tied the record for the most assists in a single European Championship with four over the course of the competition.
The Barcelona star played a huge role for his country on their way to winning the trophy, and considering he’s only just turned 17 years old, the notion that he’s only going to get better is very scary indeed.