Euro 2024 final – live! Southgate undecided on future as England lose to Spain

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So jubilation for Spain, heartbreak for England.

The European Championship trophy has been lifted and the Spanish party will continue long into the night, while England pick over the bones of their second straight defeat in the final of this competition.

Southgate says he is not ready to make a decision about his future as England manager but we’re sure there will be developments in that regard in the days to come.

Thanks for following along this evening – that’s all from everyone at PA. Good night.

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Southgate refused to be drawn on his future as England manager in his post-match interviews.

He told ITV: “I don’t think now is a good time to make a decision like that. I’m going to talk to the right people and, yeah, it’s just not for now.

“I think England are in a really good position in terms of the experiences they’ve got now, the age of the squad. Most of this squad are going to be around not just for the World Cup but the next Euros as well. There’s a lot to look forward to but at this moment that’s not any consolation.”

Southgate added on BBC One: “We have competed until the very end of the final.

“Today we didn’t keep possession of the ball quite well enough, especially when we had defended well.

“When they press you really well, you have got to get out of that pressure and we were not able to do that.

“In the end, that meant they had more control of the game and that can wear you down a bit.

“That said, we were still right in there when we got the equaliser, the game was still wide open, and we had a big chance at the end.

“As always in these games, it is fine margins, but I think there were the better team.”

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Former England right-back Gary Neville praised Spain for regaining control after Palmer’s equaliser but rued yet another agonising outcome at a major tournament.

He said on ITV: “The most impressive thing about Spain tonight was that you thought the momentum was with England and the floodgates would open at that end of the pitch but for them to respond the way they did, get control of the game back and get a winner was absolutely fantastic. They were the best team in the tournament, they were the best team tonight but it’s incredibly tough and painful for England, us and the fans.

“It feels like a never-ending story where we just can’t get over the line. We didn’t deserve to get over the line tonight, and through the tournament because we didn’t play as well as we could do.

“But this feels like one time too many for us, I have to say. It just feels like how long can this go on?”

Former England striker Shearer believes Southgate will not stay on in the job.

“I suspect he might say, ‘over to someone else’,” Shearer said on BBC One.

“I suspect it will be Southgate’s last game. From where he took over and where they are now. There will be great disappointment at home.

“Yes, we could have played more attacking football, but they have got to the final – but when you are here, you have got to get over the line.

“The reality is he got us to a final three years ago (at Euro 2020) and got us to a final here, and hasn’t won. That will hurt him and maybe he will think it’s time for someone else.”

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The moment Spain have waited to relive since 2012.

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Bayern Munich forward Kane said it had been “a tough tournament”.

He told BBC One: “We have had to show a lot of resilience, me personally, and the whole team as well.

“It has been a difficult ride, we have done extremely well to get here, but ultimately we are going to be judged on this game.

“We wanted to do it so badly for ourselves and the fans, everyone who has believed in us.”

On the future of England boss Southgate, Kane said: “We made it clear, we love the manager, but that is his decision.

“It is not the time to talk about that now.”

Kane added on BBC One: “He will go away and think about it, right now we are all just hurting.”

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Kane added on BBC One: “We just didn’t quite keep the same intensity and pressure (after scoring) or keep the ball well enough.

“It is the last stage of the tournament, there is a lot of tired legs and tired mentality there.

“We just struggled and then got caught with the ball in behind.

“It is down to big moments – we had a big moment at the end where they cleared one off the line, it could have been different, but for now it is really disappointing.”

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Former Scotland striker Ally McCoist – speaking in his role as ITV co-commentator – felt Spain were deserved victors.

He said: “Seven wins in a row in the tournament tells you all you need to know. Deserved champions. There was nothing in it in the first half at all but for me they were slightly better in the second half and deserved their victory.

“Three classic finishes, I loved every goal we saw, especially the winner from Spain, the move down the left-hand side. England had a good tournament, there’s no doubt about it, but the best team in the tournament won it.”

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England captain Kane lamented a missed opportunity to make history.

He told ITV: “It’s an opportunity missed. It’s not easy to get to these finals. It takes unbelievable resilience and character to get to where we are but ultimately you take the opportunity when it comes and we haven’t done it again. It’s extremely painful, it’s going to hurt for a long, long time.

“It’s disappointing that we couldn’t win it for Gareth, we wanted so badly to win it for him.”

Former England defender Micah Richards said on BBC One: “We have not been able to push this team forward in the way it deserves.

“That is no slight on (Gareth) Southgate, that is just his tactics.

“Now we have to move forward in the right direction and play the football that these players do at club level.”

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Rio Ferdinand was left perplexed by how long it took England to kick into gear.

“Every fan in this stadium and watching on TV would have been thinking, ‘why are we waiting until we go a goal down to actually let the shackles off and start going at them?’,” he said on BBC One.

“It wasn’t really until Ollie Watkins came on and started pressing at the front and hurrying the two centre-backs – who had cigars out for most of that first half.

“Then all of a sudden Cole Palmer comes on the pitch and slots one home – but why should we have to wait for that long to really be on the front foot and aggressive when we have such quality players all over the park?”

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One-cap England striker Chris Sutton told BBC Radio 5 Live: “I don’t think anyone could argue that Spain didn’t deserve it.

“They were the dominant team, they have been the outstanding team in the tournament. It’s Spain’s deserved title.”

And former England defender Matthew Upson added: “As much as you wanted it to happen (for England), you cannot argue that over tournament and for the lion’s share of this game Spain have shown what a quality team they really are.

“They have got a lovely way of playing.”

Former England striker Gary Lineker, who reached the semi-finals of the World Cup in 1990, said Spain’s positivity was the difference.

“It is a heartbreaking defeat for England, but in some ways it is a victory for attacking football,” he said on BBC One.

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The moment Spain won their fourth European crown.

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Former England defender Rio Ferdinand felt Spain had “played the most courageous football” at the tournament.

He said on BBC One: “We played with a low block and never really threatened from a low block with any runners or directness playing forward with pace until we went behind.

“When the game was in the balance, we were always a team held back on a leash. That is the disappointing thing with the quality players we have in this squad.

“Until we go a goal down, wake up and go on the front, start pressing high, we make teams look unnervey, but it seems we have to wait until we go a goal behind to be able to do that.”

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Former England captain Alan Shearer felt Spain were deserved winners.

“They were the better team. Seven out of seven (wins), the best team in the tournament by a mile,” he said on BBC One.

“I felt we just stood off them, showed them too much respect. We didn’t have enough energy.

“But having said that, it is really difficult when you go up against good players who are good under pressure and punish you when you make mistakes, that is exactly what happened.”

2153 – THAT’S FULL-TIME AND SPAIN ARE THE EUROPEAN CHAMPIONS

Oyarzabal’s goal proved the difference as Spain claimed a 2-1 win while England fell at the last hurdle for a second European Championship final in succession.

2150 – CLOSE!

Olmo was on hand to keep Spain in front, clearing a Guehi header off the line as England looked to equalise for a second time.

2145 – GOAL SPAIN!

Late England goals had seen them all the way through to the final but it was Spain who would strike in the closing stages in Berlin, substitute Mikel Oyarzabal turning home Marc Cucurella’s low cross with four minutes remaining.

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That… was a goal.

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Someone is royally pleased with Palmer’s leveller.

2132 – GOAL ENGLAND!

Cole Palmer was the next change for England as he replaced Mainoo – and he soon made a name for himself as he finished brilliantly from Bellingham’s lay-off to equalise for Southgate’s side.

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Jude Bellingham fired wide with a rare chance for England, with Jordan Pickford then saving well to prevent Yamal doubling the Spanish lead.

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Current mood.

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Kane’s ineffectual evening came to an end when he was replaced by Ollie Watkins, the late match-winner against the Dutch, just after the hour.

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Spain remained on top as Alvaro Morata was too strong for Marc Guehi and got a shot in which John Stones hooked clear.

Time for a change?

2105 – GOAL SPAIN!

Unperturbed by losing Rodri, Spain took a 1-0 lead just over a minute after the restart as Nico Williams finished low past Jordan Pickford having been played in by Lamine Yamal.

England were rattled and Dani Olmo, tied on three goals for the golden boot, missed a fine chance to double the lead just two minutes later.

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Spain were forced into a change for the second half as Martin Zubimendi replaced Rodri, who had looked uncomfortable following an accidental clash with team-mate Aymeric Laporte not long before the break.

2045 – GOALLESS AT HALF-TIME!

Foden registered England’s first shot on target in the closing moments of the half but it was a tame effort at the back post as the teams headed in locked on 0-0 at the interval.

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Captain Kane’s first involvement was to be booked just after the half-hour mark for catching Fabian on the top of the foot as he slid in to try and win the ball back.

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England were given an early injury scare as Walker seemed to hurt his leg after a sliding challenge took him off the pitch and into Spain head coach Luis de la Fuente.

The Manchester City right-back continued on but did not look comfortable but did manage a lung-busting overlap to be played in by Saka and win England’s first corner.

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You can watch the fans in Berlin react to every kick of the ball thanks to our live video stream at Brandenburg Gate – check it out below.

2000 – KICK OFF!

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England boss Southgate has issued his final rallying call before the match kicks off at 8pm.

“It isn’t about what it means to me, it’s about what it means for English football,” he said on X.

“This group of players have been a privilege to work with for these six weeks, and we want to give everyone the night of their lives.”

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T-minus 30 minutes…

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Former England defender Matthew Upson welcomed Shaw’s first start in the tournament amid suggestions that Trippier, who has lined up at left-back throughout, was struggling with injury or illness.

Upson told BBC Radio 5 Live: “Just fit enough for the final. Not bad timing from Luke Shaw, is it?

“He’s actually looked better than what I thought he was going to be in the moments where he’s come on off the bench.

“Whether or not there’s an injury or an illness that has just forced the issue a little bit, he certainly brings the left-footed balance and the ability to deliver a ball first time on the run. There was one moment in the Dutch game where it was crying out for a cross into the box and it just didn’t come in.

“At least you know this evening if there is an opportunity to do that with Bellingham, arriving, Foden around there, Kane in the box, then that can be a real threat for England.”

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Sizing up their surroundings.

1900 – ONE HOUR TO KICK-OFF

Shaw in, Trippier out.

1851 – THE ENGLAND TEAM IS HERE!

Here is England’s XI to face Spain in the Euro 2024 final: Jordan Pickford, Marc Guehi, John Stones, Kyle Walker, Luke Shaw, Declan Rice, Kobbie Mainoo, Bukayo Saka, Jude Bellingham, Phil Foden and Harry Kane.

Shaw coming in for Kieran Trippier is the one change made by Southgate.

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Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer compared Southgate’s struggle to convince the public he is the right man for England to his own battle for the keys to Number 10.

He told ITV Sport: “It’s been an amazing 10 days, to have a Labour government and to hit the ground running, we’ve tried to get across a sense of service but electoral victories don’t drop from the sky, we had to work for it and so did the England manager.

“You don’t get to a final just by luck: it’s talent, skill, strategy and I just desperately hope now we get that win this evening.”

Asked about the criticism Southgate has faced during the course of this tournament, Starmer added: “I can totally relate to that. When I started as Labour leader people said you’re not going get it over the line, we weren’t going quick enough, we’ll never get a Labour government.

“Gareth obviously started this with people saying it wasn’t good enough. I always said from the get-go this is a fantastic squad, a fantastic manager who can get the best out of them so I’m really, really pleased to get this far, we should be proud of them, we’re all proud, the whole country is behind them.”

On the all-important question of a potential bank holiday if England win, he said: “I don’t know. Let’s get through the next few hours, get the hands on the trophy. We’ll need to mark it in some way, we’d have to see what that is. An appropriate way.”

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England fans… assemble!

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Former England captain Alan Shearer backed the current generation to succeed where he and others have failed repeatedly since 1966.

Shearer told BBC Radio 5 Live: “Look, we’ve all had to put up with that word ‘pressure’ at some stage. You don’t get to elite, top-level sport, top-level football without having any pressure, unfortunately – or fortunately because some people live off that, they feed off that, they want that, so pressure comes with being an England footballer.

“Now I get there might be more because I and other players before me and after me weren’t able to deliver that trophy, but ’66 was the last time it happened and we’ve all had to carry that burden at times – and sometimes it has been a burden.

“But this is a really, really, really talented squad who have got an incredible chance to make history.”

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All eyes on the prize.

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It’s getting very real now as Spain have just revealed their starting XI for the final.

Unai Simon, Dani Carvajal, Robin Le Normand, Aymeric Laporte, Marc Cucurella, Rodri, Fabian Ruiz, Lamine Yamal, Dani Olmo, Nico Williams and Alvaro Morata are the men standing between England and European glory.

And we think Rio Ferdinand might have seen the Spanish team sheet, too.

1800 – TWO HOURS TO KICK-OFF

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Jamie Carragher believes Southgate, whose contract runs out later this year, should stay on after this tournament and take England through to the 2026 World Cup in the United States.

The former Liverpool defender said on Sky Sports: “I always feel that an international manager, if the players and his FA don’t want him to leave, then it always feels strange leaving after a Euros. It feels to me that the World Cup is the one you leave after.

“If we’d gone out to Switzerland (in the quarter-finals) he would probably have walked away because there would have been a lot of criticism and the scrutiny that goes with the job, which he has done for a long time.

“But I feel if he comes out of this feeling good – which he should do now whatever happens tonight – I think it would be right to finish it at the World Cup in America.

“If I was in Gareth’s position I would be thinking, ‘would I want to give this team to someone else and they maybe go on and win a World Cup?’ If it was me I’d do a couple more years, and I hope Gareth does the same.”

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One more game.

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1700 – THREE HOURS TO KICK-OFF

Where are you watching the match tonight?

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Well that’s one major Spanish success for the day ticked off… congratulations to Carlos Alcaraz for retaining his Wimbledon title.

Meanwhile, Juan Mata says he has been impressed by the maturity of England’s Kobbie Mainoo.

The 19-year-old Manchester United midfielder has been a revelation since breaking into Southgate’s side and is set to start against Spain.

“He looks so mature with the ball, he’s always asking for the ball and taking responsibility,” former United, Chelsea and Spain midfielder Mata told BBC Radio 5 Live.

“I asked the guys at United and they say he has been like that always. Doesn’t matter if he’s at Old Trafford with 75,000 or playing in the academy.

“We are seeing a generation of players that are playing in a way that looks like they have been in the Premier League for 10 years.”

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While we wait, here’s a look back at the highlights from Saturday’s final preview press conference with Southgate and captain Harry Kane.

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Former England defender Danny Mills is confident Southgate’s men can cope with whatever Spain and in particular teenager Lamine Yamal, who turned 17 on Saturday, will throw at them.

Mills told Sky Sports: “He’s an exceptional talent, we know that, but if I was England, I’d be looking and thinking, ‘we can deal with that, that’s not a problem’. Nico Williams down the other side, (Alvaro) Morata, probably, down the middle, ‘yes, we can deal with that’.

“I don’t see that as a huge problem. This isn’t Cristiano Ronaldo in his pomp, this isn’t Lionel Messi in his pomp, Gareth Bale in his pomp.

“This is a young kid with bags of talent; we’ve got Foden, Bellingham, Cole Palmer, (Bukayo) Saka. We’ve got equally as much threat.

“Spain will have to worry about what we are doing as well just as much as us worrying about them.”

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Here come the England fans!

The Spanish are arriving in big numbers, too.

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Former England goalkeeper David Seaman is in Berlin for the final and told Sky Sports: “It’s massive and I’m really confident if I’m honest.

“I’m sure it’s our time, and Gareth’s time, because of the way the squad is and the way we’ve been playing in this tournament.

“We haven’t played our best but every performance has been getting better and better.

“I’ve always said that football’s coming home. I started with that song in Euro 1996 and I want to be here when football finally comes home.”

Harry Redknapp, the former Tottenham boss, is similarly confident about England’s chances of ending their 58-year major trophy drought.

He said on Sky Sports: “I think we’ve got the best players, better players than them From the start of the tournament, I said to everybody I thought England were a good thing to win this tournament with the group of players.

“We’ve got an amazing group of talent. We’ve got the footballer of the year in Germany, the footballer of the year in Spain (Jude Bellingham), the footballer of the year in England, (Phil) Foden. We’re just full of talent.

“I just fancy us to put it all together. We haven’t really put it all together over 90 minutes throughout the tournament, but tonight, I’ve got a feeling that we could do that. I think we’ll be too strong for Spain.”

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Good afternoon and welcome to our live coverage of England’s historic Euro 2024 final showdown with Spain at the Olympiastadion in Berlin!

At stake is a first ever European crown for England’s men and a first major trophy for them since the 1966 World Cup.

It is their second shot at winning the European Championship final in three years after the agonising shootout defeat by Italy that saw Euro 2020 end with heartbreak, with the Lionesses then lifting the nation’s spirits in 2022 by winning the Women’s Euros in dramatic fashion at Wembley.

Standing in the way of Gareth Southgate’s side this time around are a Spain outfit who have won all six of their games at the tournament so far, scoring 13 goals to England’s seven.

Follow us throughout the afternoon as we round up the best of the pre-match opinion, check out how fans of both nations are gearing up for the big occasion and get the final team news to you as soon as possible.

Then it’s over to Berlin for the 2000BST kick-off to chart every key moment and soak up all the reaction – stick with us right through to the victorious team’s trophy lift and celebrations.