That’s all from me today. Thank you for reading this live blog. Check in again tomorrow as we countdown to the moment we’ve all been waiting for.
I think we have a winner for biggest sacrifice to watch the final. Thank you, Jeanne Gropp-Wedig:
“We had big plans to celebrate our 34th wedding anniversary tomorrow. But cancelled them to sit in our conservatory (in 90 degree weather) in Woodstock, Illinois, USA.”
Playing on the biggest stage comes with a lot more scrutiny and interest from the outside world. It is good to have some distractions from football to keep you grounded. I remember being at Euro 2005 where Eni Aluko and I were studying for our A-levels. It was a good distraction, ensuring we were not always thinking about football (we passed, do not worry). I saw that Lamine Yamal learned during the Euros that he had passed the Spanish equivalent of GCSEs and is doing homework in Germany because he will continue his education. What a great example to the younger generation.
Lamine Yamal will keep us entertained on the pitch after staking his claim for player of the tournament at just 17. Former teenage sensation, Karen Carney, is full of admiration for the Spanish winger.
Matthew Lever probably wins the competition for the best view from which to watch the game:
I’ll be watching from my house in the Ligurian hills along with a small number of friends (mostly English) and a hyperactive dog ... likely spooking the by-then freshly-arrived next set of holiday-let tenants in the house next door (which has a terrace about a single metre from mine).
Or... I may brave the coast and find a bar with a screen. We will see...
Here’s an update from Brian Roberts:
“Smashing! Found a bar called The Block in Vientiane that will be showing the match. I’m supposed to be at work by 6am on Monday. Better call the boss!”
Ted Thomas shares where and how he’ll be watching the game:
I’ll be watching from a remote village in the Philippines, 3AM. Nowhere will have it on, so I’ll be relying on a VPN and iPlayer.
“If we are successful at under-16 and under-17, the players will carry the mindset through to the senior team that England is a place we go to and win. Like the Spanish are experiencing, like the Germans do,” Southgate told the Guardian’s David Conn a couple of months after his appointment. “Rather than insisting to clubs, saying we want mandatory release of players, we’d like players to want to come and play in England squads.”
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Gareth Southgate has come a long way from his role as the FA’s Head of Elite Development in 2011. Southgate’s interest and investment in England’s youth setup has paid dividends at this tournament. Read Ed Aarons’ article about it here:
Away from football and the Euros, Barbora Krejcikova is this year’s Wimbledon champion after beating Jasmine Paolini in the women’s singles final.
Here’s one from Chris:
“I have an interesting one where I will watch from. I have a flight from Pearson Airport in Toronto at 6:25 pm Toronto time, game starts at 3:00 pm here so I’ll try to watch the first half before going to the airport, then hopefully get the second half at the airport before I fly. hopefully it’ll make it a good flight back to Heathrow.”
We’ve got another Spain v England viewing location. This time it’s from Krishna:
”I do not know how this goes as far as exciting locations go. We have a small Indian community here in Czestochowa, a religious small town in the south of Poland. Our daughter is here on her summer vacation from Costa Rica and we all plan to assemble at my home tomorrow night for an all Indian crowd. Who wears red and who wears white is still not known. But it is going to be lively and lovely. A total of 15 - enough to convert our home into a local pub.”
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Transportation between the 10 cities hosting matches was also a far cry from the impressive efficiency of 2006, with delays hitting fans and even teams, including the Dutch squad who had to scrap plans for a train journey ahead of their semi-final against England and eventually arrived four hours later than planned by plane.
Fans took to social media to complain about these disruptions and the transport minister said the national rail operator’s performance had not met Germany’s standards during the event.
The Euros have put Germany’s vaunted efficiency under international scrutiny as the country struggles to modernise its ageing rail infrastructure and boost punctuality.
(Reuters)
What have you thought of the tournament so far? Email me your thoughts.
According to a report from Reuters:
German organisers of the Euro 2024 tournament will breathe a sigh of relief after Sunday’s final between Spain and England, having delivered an event without major issues but having failed to replicate the success of the 2006 World Cup on home soil.
The Euros have been Germany’s biggest international sports event since the 2006 World Cup which at the time triggered a massive wave of home enthusiasm, filled fan zones nationwide and has since become known as “the summer fairy tale”.
While this year’s Euros went off without major hitches on both the operational and security level, it has come nowhere close to matching the success of the World Cup 18 years ago.
The England squad have finished training and are on their way to Berlin for the final. The tension is building…
How far? Here’s where Ephraim will be watching the game from:
I will be watching the match at the Senior staff Club bar at the Lagos University teaching Hospital in Lagos Nigeria, hoping football comes home on Sunday. England win will the best gift of this century. I’m looking forward to it
Drew Savage is tuning in from the US to watch the final at midday:
“Hi, Love your news feed listing Brits all around the world who will be watching the game and would like to add my name to the list! I live in sunny San Diego, California! Kick off time for us is a relatively civilized 12 noon Pacific time and I’ll be watching with a friend who is also British, via one of the local sports channels available here. We will be at home, however, there is an English style pub in the downtown area called Shakespeares (lol) where there will be a sizeable gathering of Brit expats also cheering the team on! Come on England!”
Time to check back in with you all and your Euros plans. Here’s where Gregg Williams will be watching the game from:
“It’s not as far away as New Zealand, but probably more remote.
I’m working on a mining project in the Atacama desert in Chile. The internet is terrible and ominously cut out for 4 hours yesterday afternoon. I’m more worried about that than the result, to be honest. I will lock myself away in a site office tomorrow afternoon and pretend I’m on a Zoom call.
Keep up the good work with the live blog; it makes me feel like I’m not so far away.”
Everybody needs to know their role, and to accept it. “There’s a holy trinity when you’re talking about roles and that is: clarity, acceptance and support,” Collins says. “Let’s say Ollie Watkins. Ollie must know what his role is, and be completely happy to accept and fulfil that role. Meanwhile everybody else knows that about Ollie and are going to support Ollie in that role.
Boris Starling made a great point earlier about the belief Gareth Southgate has instilled in the England squad. Our very own reporter, Paul MacInnes, offers more analysis on Gareth Southgate’s leadership style in his article.
Thank you, Emillia. I’m back and ready to continue with the EURO 2024 final updates. Make sure to let me know where you’re watching the game from via email.
That’s all from me today! I’ll pass you back over to Xaymaca for the remainder of the afternoon.
Jonathan Denness will be watching tomorrow’s match from Belgium. He says: “I will be watching at home in Brussels with my Spanish wife. I love my in-laws a lot but I fear the first week in August when we will all be together. Either the 17 of them or I will be insoportable as we say in their language. I really hope it’s me.”
How could England break down Spain tomorrow? Click here for an in-depth look at Luis de la Fuente’s side:
Mainoo determined to 'finish the job'
England midfielder Kobbie Mainoo admits he will not be happy to look back on his “crazy” first tournament experience “until the job is finished”. A year and a day ago Mainoo was playing in United’s pre-season friendly against Leeds in Oslo but 12 months on he will do battle with Spain in the Euro 2024 final in Berlin.
“We’ve come so far but this is the biggest hurdle yet,” he told Lions’ Den. “It’s been good to play my part when called upon. To represent my country and to be in the final of the Euros is crazy. I can’t look back on it too fondly until the job is finished and we have lifted the trophy.”
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Also happening today…
Follow the action from the Wimbledon women’s singles final here:
We have a score prediction from Boris Starling – he says: “I’ve put a tenner on England to win on penalties after the final finishes 1-1. There would be quite a bit of numerical symmetry in that (the same result as the last Euros final but reversed; England’s knockout games this time reading 2-1, 1-1, 2-1, 1-1), but more than that I think it would be a cosmic vindication of Project Gareth, to win a tournament on penalties and thereby finally banish the England hoodoo and his own 1996 part in it.
"The opprobrium he still gets in so many quarters is to my mind totally baffling. Yes, England haven’t been great to watch in large parts of this tournament, but their resilience and utter belief in themselves very much comes from the values he’s been instrumental in instilling in the squad. People rightly praise his substitutions on Wednesday, but it goes much deeper than just bringing on the right players at the right time. Ollie Watkins had played 20 minutes in the tournament before the semi-final. Ivan Toney had come on ahead of him in both previous knockout matches, making Watkins effectively back-up to the back-up.
"But an entire squad culture - not just the odd pep talk from the manager, but something permeating through every training session, every meeting and every minute of downtime - had made Watkins not just believe he would get his chance but that he would make it count when he did. That run in behind, that touch and that finish weren’t simply a very good player doing what he does very well: they were all the hallmarks of someone who BELIEVES in himself, in his team-mates and in his manager. And that in turn has to come first and foremost from the top back down to the players.”
Ashley Green will be cheering on England… in Spain! “On holiday with family in the Gothic Quarter in Barcelona. The Dream Final is actually happening and we’ll be watching in an English pub or on one of many screens being set up all over the city centre. Really hoping England can get the win, but nervously awaiting a Catalonian earthquake when local boy Yamal bags another scorcher! Come on England!”
The entire country will be on tenterhooks on Sunday to see if the Three Lions can fight their way to victory in the men’s Euros final. But one small area south of Manchester will be rooting for its very own trio, some of England’s brightest young stars: Phil Foden, Cole Palmer and Kobbie Mainoo, who all grew up here within a few miles of each other.
We’ve had New Zealand, now we’ve got Australia! Kathryn will be watching all the way from Adelaide… at 4am!
She says: “Set my alarm for Monday morning at 4.00am- watching from a chilly couch in Adelaide trying not to wake my Australian husband, daughter or dogs who are not in the least bit interested in our version of football!”
Spain defender Aymeric Laporte believes England have not been up to standard at Euro 2024 so far. In a recent interview with Sid Lowe, he said: “I’ve been watching England because I have ex-teammates of mine there. We exchange messages once in a while. What surprises me is how good they are individually and how we’ve seen less of that here. Against Slovakia, they score in the 94th minute. All the players they have, even the subs, and they weren’t able to show football of a great level. They didn’t overrun Slovakia, didn’t create as much football as I perceive them to be individually.
Why? “I don’t know. I feel like either they have their day or they don’t. When you see [Phil] Foden, what he does always at his club and in the national team, when you see [Bukayo] Saka, [Harry] Kane … these are players who are very hard to defend.”
Neil Clough is writing in from a sleeper bus in Vietnam! He says: “Currently on a sleeper bus from Nha Trang to Hoi An, Vietnam. Will be watching the game at 2am Monday morning on my laptop in my Airbnb or maybe in a Hoi An bar if I can find one. They are football mad in Vietnam and there’s plenty of Brits here so good chance I’ll find somewhere. If not it will be ITV and the great Ian Wright.”
2am! That’s real dedication!
Greg Williams will be watching the match all the way from Chile! He says: “It’s not as far away as New Zealand, but probably more remote.
“I’m working on a mining project in the Atacama desert in Chile. The internet is terrible and ominously cut out for 4 hours yesterday afternoon. I’m more worried about that than the result, to be honest. I will lock myself away in a site office tomorrow afternoon and pretend I’m on a Zoom call. Keep up the good work with the live blog; it makes me feel like I’m not so far away.”
No injury concerns for England – all 26 players train
England stars have been busy in training this afternoon in preparation for tomorrow’s final. All 26 players were involved, with no injury concerns expected before kick-off.
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Feel free to email me with any Euro 2024 final plans, predictions or any funny stories you may have from the tournament so far – I want to hear from you!
Good afternoon! Lunch has been consumed and I’m back with you again for the next few hours. Keep the ticket price stories coming and let me know where you’ll be watching tomorrow’s match from!
That’s all from me for now. I’m handing over to Emillia Hakwins who will keep you updated for the next couple of hours.
We’ve got a ticket price story from David Williams:
“I spent 120,000 yen (about 700 GBP at the time) for England vs Brazil in 2002 in Japan, that was after 70,000 for England vs Denmark a week earlier. My wife reminds me of this ‘once in a lifetime investment’ at every possible opportunity. I’ll be watching the final at 4am in Tokyo. Hoping for a win in 90 mins I have to go to work.”
England boss Southgate was asked about the fitness of Trippier and Kane on Friday, saying: “No scans, no. As far as we know they’re OK, but we haven’t done a lot out on the pitch, so we’ll find more out (Saturday). Obviously, we’re not expecting anybody to rule themselves out for the final.”
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There’s some team news from the England camp courtesy of the Press Association:
“England’s full squad trained ahead of their departure to Berlin for the Euro 2024 final against Spain … Kieran Trippier went off at half-time of the semi-final with a knock and captain Harry Kane was in discomfort after winning the penalty from which he equalised. But both were in action on Saturday lunchtime as the full 26-man squad trained at their Blankenhain base for the final time before making the journey to Berlin.”
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Hitler reportedly reacted with disgust after seeing the black American Jesse Owens become the most successful athlete at the [1936 Olympic] Games. Owens, who won four gold medals, was celebrated by anti-racist campaigners for single-handedly macerating Hitler’s bogus Aryan supremacy theory with his prowess.
It is fitting then, that 88 years on it will be two multicultural teams who are battling it out on the same ground, making Europe’s right-wing populists squirm perhaps as much as Hitler did.
It’s great to know there’s such a range of fans tuning into the final from various locations. The final being held in the Olympiastadion Berlin is particularly significant given the stadium’s history. Kate Connolly writes all about it here:
Actually, Jon Radcliffe is in the best location:
“I live in Berlin and, after weeks of trying to get tickets for the matches across Germany, I finally took the plunge and got a ticket for the final (not cheap, as you can imagine). I do, at least, not have to worry about travel and accommodation, a small silver lining. Ultimately, though, I would not have forgiven myself if I wasn’t there on Sunday. Watching my nation play in my home city in a major tournament final – it’s once-in-a-lifetime.
My partner is German and, while I wanted them to do well throughout the tournament, I am relieved we are not playing them in the final – that wouldn’t have been much fun either way! All in all, it promises to be a special occasion and hopefully, this time, football goes home. Come on England!”
Wendy Bassam is in a great location for the game:
“My husband and I live in Spanish town in Andalucia called Chiclana. There is approximately 900 British people living here not many Spanish speak English. We have a dilemma do we watch with the Spanish locals or with the English. I think we might go to the only English bar in terms of town Bar Neros.”
Daniel Ryan finishes in a close second:
“It’s freezing here at the moment, and a school night. Hoping not to wake the wife and toddler on the way out the door as I did before the semi!”
Woah, I think we might have a winner for the furthest distance from the stadium with Matthew Wilson:
“Auckland, New Zealand. Kick off at 7am NZ time. Hoping England will win it within the 90mins as I have a 9am meeting to attend!”
Here’s one from James Fielding:
“Bom diiiiiiia, I will be watching the final in my local bar here in Benfica, Lisbon with a load of English supporting, sagres soaked locals! Ps, my PMT (pre match tension) is already through the roof, I honestly don’t know how I’m going to get through the next 36hrs, cheers!”
We’ve got another location! Here’s where Brendan Large will be watching the game from:
“I too enjoyed the piece. I will be watching on my own on my laptop here in Kristiansand Norway (family away and I had to work), accompanied by several Danish beers.
After reading Max’s column about what will happen if win, I started wondering what I would do. But that is madness, so I will continue assuming the worst and hoping for a miracle (again). Come on England!”
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The success of the black players was success for many black people who felt for the players who missed their penalties in 2021. Many of us didn’t look at the racist abuse they dealt with as an isolated incident but as a moment indicative of a culture that celebrates black people when they’re excellent but vilifies them when they’re not.
Well, thank you for that segue Phil. My pre-match anxiety is already building, not just because of Sunday but also because of the EURO 2020 final and the racist abuse that followed. I hope England can win it in normal time. Read my article about it here:
I wonder who is watching from the furthest distance away from the stadium. Phil Keegan is definitely a contender:
“I live in Vietnam so the game will be on at an unsocial 2am. I know that the Puku cafe in Hanoi old quarter will be showing the match so I may head there.
Enjoyed your piece about the penalty takers and the racism by the way.”
Wow, we’ve got some dedicated fans. Here’s a message from Brian Roberts:
“I’m working in Vientiane, Laos and am out now on a forlorn expedition to find a bar that will be showing the match at 2 am.”
Thomas Preston shares where he’ll be watching the game:
“I’m English but grew up in France. I’m living in Lille but there’s nowhere decent here to watch the game.
I looked at flights to Berlin, Eurostars to London. In the end I’ve decided to go to Paris - I’m at the station now - and I’ll be heading to the Bombardier, the most British pub you can find in Paris! Got the England shirt in my bag, with a the flag. Can’t wait.
Let’s bring one to win!”
Resale sites selling final tickets for £1,690
Some of you may be dedicated enough or simply rich enough to book a last minute trip to Berlin to watch the game in the Olympiastadion Berlin. Official match day tickets have sold out but resale websites are selling tickets from £1,300 (plus a staggering £390 service+tax fee). A £4.99 postage and packaging fee on Amazon is enough to make me reconsider my order so I can’t imagine spending so much for a match. What is the most you’ve spent on a football ticket? Send me an email – the more extortionate, the better.
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Where will you be watching Spain v England? I imagine pubs across the country will be heaving and I know free tickets to attend a screening at the O2 have sold out. Email me to share where you’re watching the game.
Perhaps it’s important to write about England winning 48 hours before kick-off. Because right now, it could happen. And it could. Forgive me if you heard this existential crisis before – but am I, are we, ready to know what to do if, IF, England are victorious on Sunday night?
I’ll be watching the game at my local town hall for an enhanced experience that beats cracking open a few cans and watching it on my couch.
Can you imagine the scenes IF England win? I assume that may be too unfathomable for some but don’t worry, our very own columnist Max Rushden has already done all the imagining for you. Read his article here:
Thank you Emillia. I’ll be providing you with Euros updates for the next couple of hours. Email me with your thoughts in the build up to the big game.
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That’s all from me this morning, Xaymaca Awoyungbo will be with you for the next few hours and I’ll be back later!
Xaymaca… Over to you!
“We know that winning or losing the Euro final isn’t going to change anything. But after a panoply of dismal days, one magical night will feel like the world…”
Ollie Watkins detects a winning demeanour similar to that of the Champions League winners Real Madrid in an England side one game away from a historic achievement in Berlin.
The Aston Villa star said: “You see someone like Real Madrid in a Champions League game: they are comfortable without the ball, they have that confidence that when they get the ball they are going to score.
“I feel like it is the same here. We are definitely hard to beat, then we just need that one chance and we can win the game. It doesn’t matter if we are playing poorly or if players are having an off day, we still have that world-class talent where we can pop up and get that goal.”
Who is leading the Euro 2024 Golden Boot race?
Six players have scored three goals at Euro 2024 so far – Including Spain’s Dani Olmo and England captain Harry Kane. Olmo is currently top of the rankings with two additional assists.
Georgia striker Georges Mikautadze, Netherlands star Cody Gakpo, Slovakia’s Ivan Schranz and Germany youngster Jamal Musiala have also scored three at this summer’s tournament.
Spain stars were in good spirits this morning in their final training session before tomorrow’s huge match. Manager Luis de la Fuente led the session in Donaueschingen.
Happy Birthday, Lamine Yamal! The Spanish superstar turns 17 today – 17! He is set to be one of the first names on Luis de la Fuente’s team sheet in Berlin tomorrow. What a way to spend your birthday weekend!
“What we’re seeing here is something very, very special. How special, we will have to wait and see. To do what he is doing: I can’t quite get my head around it.” England icon Gary Lineker heaped praise on teenage superstar Lamine Yamal in his recent interview with Sid Lowe. The Barcelona youngster has featured in every match for Spain in Germany, impressing each time.
Speaking of the Lionesses… Sarina Wiegman’s side took a huge step towards Euro 2025 qualification last night with a 2-1 win over Republic of Ireland. Alessia Russo and Georgia Stanway were on the scoresheet for England, with Julie-Ann Russell netting a late consolation.
You can read Tom Garry’s match report from Carrow Road here:
Declan Rice will take inspiration from the Lionesses when England face Spain in the Euro 2024 final. He said: “We saw when the women’s team won it, what it meant to them and the nation. I see some of the girls at Arsenal and that’s what we want. We want to win and make the nation proud.
“We are back in another final, which is history itself, but now we are aiming to do one more. We don’t want to keep talking about it and getting to finals and be happy with that. We now want to be a country where we win. We want to continue to grow and, for the young players coming in, we want to be a really big force.”
England’s Phil Foden is set to face off with his Manchester City team-mate Rodri on Sunday evening. Both playmakers, both crucial members of their respective teams. But who will have the biggest impact? And who will lift the trophy?
Declan Rice insists he is ready to “run through a brick wall” to set England on course for Euro 2024 glory tomorrow.
He said: “The first couple of games, I was feeling more tired than I am now. As the adrenaline kicked in more, as the games ramp up, it gives you that extra bit of energy, extra bit of fire.
“I think now. especially on Sunday, all of us will run through a brick wall to do anything to win this game - whether that’s in 90 or 120 (minutes) - we’ll give absolutely everything and that’s all we can ask for.”
Preamble
Hello hello and good morning! The big day is almost here! England take on Spain in the Euro 2024 final tomorrow. We are approximately 34 hours and 51 minutes away from kick-off so the countdown is officially on! Stay with us all day as we bring you everything you need to know about tomorrow’s crunch clash and more.
